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Tidal irrigation is the subsurface irrigation of levee soils in coastal plains with river water under tidal influence. It is applied in (semi)arid zonesat the mouth of a large river estuary or delta where a considerable tidal range (some 2 m) is present. The river must be large enough to guarantee a sufficient flow of fresh water into the sea so that no salt water intrusion occurs in the river mouth.
The irrigation is effectuated by digging tidal canals from the river shore into the main land that will guide the river water inland at high tide. For the irrigation to be effective the soil must have a high infiltration capacity to permit the entry of sufficient water in the soil to cover the evapotranspiration demand of the crop. At low tide, the canals and the soil drain out again, which promotes the aeration of the soil.
Special intake structures with gates need to be constructed, which, when opened at high tide, allow brackish tidal water to enter irrigation channels leading to the farms to be irrigated. The gates are opened for a period depending on the size of the area to be irrigated. Tidal irrigation can be coordinated with pumped irrigation, and is used to irrigate low lying areas. Pumped irrigation systems are used for areas at higher elevations.
Once installed, this technology can be maintained by locally-trained artisans with general farm experience.
The technology is locally- or community-controlled, although some expertise is required for the design, siting, construction and maintenance of the civil structures.
This technology should only be used with salt-tolerant crops.
Drawbacks include a risk of salination and creation of a barrier to migratory fishes.
The technology is very successful because, once the intake structures and irrigation channels have been constructed, the operation and maintenance costs are very low. Maintenance work on the irrigation channels, and clearing of weeds and bush from the channels and arable area, can be done by the local farmers.
The major difficulty experienced is the lack of availability of spare parts.
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Irrigation
Sources of Irrigation
Application of Irrigation water
Canal Irrigation +
Flood Irrigation +
Deficit Irrigation +
Supplemental Irrigation +
Sprinkler Irrigation +
Drip Irrigation +
Lift Irrigation +
Centre Pivot Irrigation +
Tidal Irrigation +
Micro-Irrigation Technologies for Small Holders +
Automatic Irrigation Systems +
Pressurized Irrigation +
Irrigation in Viticulture +
Purpose of Irrigation
Instruments and implements of Irrigation
Irrigation Management
Irrigation and environment
Capacity Development
Drainage
- Tidal flats
- Intertidal zone
- Tidal river
- Tidal marsh
- Tidal range
- Mean tidal range, Spring range, Neap range
- Tidal water level
- Tidal bench mark
- Tidal datum
- Tide station, Primary tidal station, Secondary tidal station
- Tidal bore, or Eagre
- Tidal current or Eagre
- Non-tidal current
- Tidal flood current
- Tidal flood interval
- Tidal flood strength
- Tidal outlet, or Tidal sluice
- Tide lock, or Tidal lock
- Tidal lock with struts
- Irrigation pipe aqueduct, Pipe aqueduct, Pipe flume
- Syphon, Inverted siphon, Irrigation syphon, Canal syphon, Syphon superpassage
- Lift irrigation area, or Lift area
- Continuous-flow irrigation
- Night-storage irrigation system
- Intermittent-flow irrigation system
- Irrigation return flow
- Farm irrigation structures
- Collective irrigation system
- Individual irrigation system
- Perennial irrigation
- Seasonal irrigation
- Supplemental irrigation
- Systematic irrigation
- Flow irrigation, or Gravity irrigation
- Pumping irrigation
- Inundation irrigation
- Irrigation from a storage reservoir
- Irrigation from groundwater
- Irrigation by flood water spreading
- Sailab irrigation (a term used in India and Pakistan)
- Micro basin irrigation
- Irrigation by spreading
- Irrigation
- Irrigation interval
- Irrigation dose
- Ideal irrigation interval
- Irrigation season
- Fall irrigation (USA)
- Winter irrigation (USA)
- Early irrigation (USA)
- Sub-irrigation
- Overirrigation
- Irrigation canals
- Surface irrigation
- Flood irrigation
- Basin method of irrigation, or Irrigation by beds
- Flush irrigation
- Spate irrigation
- Border irrigation, or Border method
- Flooding from ditches, or (contour ditch irrigation)
- Corrugation irrigation
- Furrow irrigation
- Surge irrigation
- Duration of irrigation
- Secondary flow, Two discharge, or Cutback irrigation
- Primary flow irrigation (single discharge)
- Wave irrigation
- Irrigation through buried drains, Irrigation-drainage, or Vallenhove process
- Irrigation by nappe control, or Ramspol process
- Selection of irrigation parameters
- Sprinkler irrigation
- Irrigation terminal
- Irrigation device
- Perforated pipe sprinkler irrigation
- Irrigation sprinkler machine
- Centre pivot irrigation
- Lateral-move irrigation machine sprinkler method
- Solid set irrigation
- Piloting of irrigation
- Irrigation cycle
- Micro-irrigation, Localized irrigation, Drip irrigation, Trickle irrigation
- Mobile micro-irrigation
- Pulse irrigation
- Surface drip irrigation
- Buried drip irrigation
- Drip irrigation functioning by propulsions
- Micro-irrigation network
- Micro-irrigation nozzle-line
- Irrigation dose
- Semi-automatic control (of irrigation)
- Micro-irrigation system with hydraulic sequential operation
- Automatic control (of irrigation)
- Porous wall microirrigation tubing
- Proportional irrigation pump
- Irrigation water
- Irrigation water requirement, Irrigation need
- Net irrigation requirement, Farm delivery requirement, or Delta at farm
- Crop irrigation requirement
- Diversion requirement, Gross irrigation requirement, or Delta at head of main canal
- Optimum irrigation requirements
- Irrigation efficiency, Farm irrigation efficiency, Farm delivery efficiency, Water conveyance and delivery efficiency, or Overall efficiency
- Irrigation water-requirement
- Subirrigation
- Surge irrigation
- Irrigation water use efficiency
- Unit irrigation efficiency
- Economic efficiency of irrigation
- Irrigation efficiency
- Agronomic efficiency of irrigation or Agronomic productivity of irrigation
- Degree of durability of irrigation
- Programmed irrigation
- Fully automatic irrigation system
- Irrigation development project or system
- Tidal marsh
- Irrigation
- Surface irrigation
- Basin Irrigation
- Overhead irrigation
- Sub‑irrigation
- Microirrigation
- Trickle irrigation
- Drip irrigation
- Total irrigation
- Supplemental irrigation
- Preplant irrigation
- Organic irrigation
- Conjunctive irrigation planning
- Irrigation project
- Irrigation potential
- Assessment of irrigation charges
- Irrigation cess
- Water rate, Water charge, Irrigation rate, or Irrigation assessment
- Primary benefits, Primary effects, Direct irrigation benefits, or Direct irrigation effects
- Secondary benefits, Secondary effects, Indirect irrigation benefits, or Indirect irrigation effects
- Economic value of unit of irrigation water
- Revenue value of a unit of irrigation water
