Estimation of required area for controlling saline drainage water by using evaporation ponds (Case study: Mirza Kuchak Khan project in Khuzestan)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• H. Ramezani ¹
• A. Liaghat ¹
• A.A. Naseri ²

¹ College of Agriculture, Tehran University

² Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz

10.22067/jsw.v0i22.1032

Abstract

Abstract
Drainage water created from irrigation and drainage projects in south of Khuzestan province are saline and its disposal to rivers such as Karoon river is faced with certain constraints. One of drainage water disposal strategies is using evaporation ponds, in which the most important outlet is evaporation. Evaporation rate of saline water of these ponds is lower than fresh water. In this study the evaporation rate of implicit ponds for drainage water control in Mirza Kuchak Khan Project was estimated by adjusting the saturation vapor pressure equation of saline water with regard to pure water and by using of Penman equation. Finally, using the evaporation and the annual drain water volume, the required area of evaporation ponds was determined. By evaporation of water from ponds the salinity of water increases. This increase of salinity continues until the salt saturation threshold is reached, and then salts precipitate. The most common salt in drainage water of Khuzestan province is NaCl which has a saturation threshold of 300 g/lit. The results showed that the average annual evaporation of water with 300 g/lit salt is 1903 mm. The drainage water volume produced from Mirza Kuchak Khan Project (12,000 ha area), requires evaporation ponds as big as 7740 ha. This study showed that disposal of the drainage water of sugarcane projects is impossible if only evaporation ponds are used, and therefore, other management options should be considered for reducing the volume and salinity of drainage water.

Key words: Evaporation ponds, Drainage water, Khuzestan, Salinity

---