Application of Satellite Image Date to Large-scale Water Use System
in Arid Areas of Iran
2. Drudzan irrigation project in Fars Province
This district has a famous sight-seeing place of Persepolis ruins destructed by Alexander the Great 2,500 year ago. The area called Sivand Plain extends over Marvdash district lying 30 km north of Shiraz city. From Drudzan dam (effective water reservoir of 870 million m3) completed upstream of Kor river in 1971, a water supply of 40 tons/sec is available to the main canal irrigating about 100,000 ha. Water quality appears to be satisfactory as the salt concentration of 200 ppm in irrigation canal and 600 ppm in drainage ditch but potential salinity of water is present since the land is flat in geographical features and water drainage is difficult due to high underground level of several meters.
Fig. 6 is the JERS-1 OPS (VNIR) image observed on July 26, 1994. It is the output by very 2 pixels corresponding to the central area of Drudzan Irrigation Project about 35 km in length and 40 km in width. Representation without thinning should offer more detailed plots of farmland and irrigation canal net.
Figure 6 JERS-1(OPS) VNIR path-row 221-250 observed 94.7.26. Drudzen irrigation project Shiraz Fars Province
3. Zayandeh-rud watershed in Esfahan Province
Esfahan city is called as the ancient city of Iran and famed by a beautiful landscape. This district is located in the center of Iran and Zayandeh-rud river originating from Zayandeh Rud dam with a reservoir capacity of 1.5 billion m3 has been
Constructed while Nekoabad diversion dam was constructed downstram in 1975 supplying 15m3/sec of water to the main canal on the right bank and 50 m3/sec of water to the left bank irrigating a total of 65,000 ha of land. The irrigation canal net is still being extended and water quality is very good with the salt concentration of 0.02%. The places where irrigation water
is not supplied are depending on well water which is supplied to agricultural lands in the vicinities. The salt concentration in the well was 0.31%. While the downstream basin in. Esfahan is a district where salts are liable to accumulate, Rudasht Irrigation Project covering 45,000 has is implemented using surplus water of Zayandeh rud river. Here, a very interesting experiment is progressing as it is a place where deserification and irritation ares are competing and kannat. Techniques for preventing deserification has been practiced from old times. Wisdom for irrigation such as utilizing surface water not containing salt for irrigation, eliminating soil salts by infiltrating water into deep draining canals and diluting ground water of high salt concentration by surface water which have been used in arid agricultural land for a long time can been seen here and there.
Fig. 7 is the JERS-1 OPS (VNIR) observation image of 1993.5.6. It indicates the area where Zayandeh Rud river passing through Esfahan city is flowing down Rudasht project area. The area expands 35 km in length and 40 km in width and expressed by every 2 pixels. Esfahan airport is recognized on the upper left.
Figure 7 JERS-1(OPS) VNIR path-row 223-246 observed 93.5.6 Roudasht Irrigation project in Zayandehrud downstream in Eafahan Province
Concluding remarks
Finally, according to Iranian researchers1), the primary factor hindering extension and development of agriculture in Iran is lack of water . Potential water resources exist, sufficient agricultural land is insured.
Further, if water loss reaching 67% in irrigation and water utilization facilities can be reduced and more efficient water management is accomplished, agricultural situation in this country would change for betterment. There is always a possibility that practice of non-scientific irrigation may cause salt accumulation in agricultural land large-scale water distribution system may end totally in ruin. It is warned that at most attention must be paid to efficient supply of irrigation water and proper management.
Here, we reviewed large-scale irrigation projects in Iran using satellite image data. Although detailed analysis has not been performed, it was found that they would provide valuable data in places where information and data are scarce. We are thinking of deepening the analysis by processing the images by every pixel and refining crude data, gratitudes to NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan) of r supplying data
at low costs and Data Processing Center of Kyoto Univ. for enabling enormous amount of data processing.
References
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E. Pazira "Country report on Resources (Soil & Water) Potentiality, Limitation, and Utilization in Agricultural Sector of Iran, Region Workshop on Improved Water) Potentiality, Limitation, and Utilization in Agricultural Sector of Iran, Region Workshop on Improved Water Management Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture in Arid Climates, 1995
- T. Yamamoto "Sustainable Development of Irrigated Agriculture in Arid Land", 1995. (in Japanese)
- Farhad Jenabfar, "Utilization of Satellite Remotely Sensed data as an Information Source for GIS in Agriculture Resource Management" Proc. Of 16h ACRS., 1995.
- Majid chiassi, Mehrda Mematzadeh, "Capability of Remote Sensing Application in Landuse, Land Resources with using TM Data, GIS Facilities, in Part of Iran", Proc. Of 16th ACRS, 1995.
- Ramin Rahimi Djafari, "Remote Sensing and GIS Education in Iran", Proc. Of 16th ACRS, 1995.
