Module 5
Module 5
MODULE 5
5.1 CANALS
5.1.1 TYPES OF CANALS
5.1.2 ALIGNMENT OF CANALS
5.1.3 DRAWBACKS KENNEDY'S METHOD
5.1.4 DRAWBACKS IN LACEY'S
5.2 RESERVOIRS
5.2.1 INVESTIGATION FOR RESERVOIR SITE
5.2.2 SELECTION OF SITE FOR RESERVOIR
5.2.3 STORAGE ZONES
5.2.4 DETERMINATION OF STORAGE CAPACITY USING MASS CURVES
5.1 CANALS
A canal is an artificial channel, generally trapezoidal in shape, constructed on the ground to
carry water to the fields either from a river or tank or reservoir.
If the full supply level (FSL) of a canal is below the natural ground surface, an open cut or
excavation is necessary to construct a canal. If the FSL of the canal is above the existing
ground level, the canal is constructed by providing earthen banks on both sides. In the first
case the channel is called a canal in cutting and in the second case it is called a canal in
filling. Sometimes a canal can be of the intermediate type and the channel is called a canal in
partial cutting and Partial filling.
3. Classification based on the discharge and its relative importance in a given network
of canals:
a) Main canal
b) Branch canal
c) Major distributory
d) Minor distributory
e) Water course or Field channel
A main canal is the principal canal in a network of irrigation canals. It directly takes off
from a river, reservoir or a feeder canal. It has large capacity and supplies water to branch
canals and even to major distributaries.
Branch canals take off from a main canal on either side at regular intervals. They carry a
discharge of about 5 cumec and are not usually used to directly irrigate the fields.
A major distributory takes off a branch canal or a main canal. It has a discharge capacity
of 0.25 to 5 cumec. They are used for direct irrigation and also to feed minor
distributaries.
Minor distributaries are canals taking off from the branch canals and major distributaries.
They carry a discharge less than 0.25 cumec. These canals supply water to field channels.
A water course or field channel takes off from either a major or minor distributory or a
branch canal also. These are constructed and maintained by the cultivators/farmers. The
other canals are constructed and maintained by the government or the Command Area
Development Authority.
A contour canal is one which is aligned nearly parallel to the contours of the country/area.
These canals can irrigate the lands on only one side. The ground level on one side is
higher and hence bank on the higher side may not be necessary.
A contour canal may be intercepted by natural streams/drains and hence cross drainage
works may be essential.
A Side slope canal is one which is aligned at right angles to the contour of the
country/area. It is a canal running between a ridge and a valley. This canal is not
intercepted by streams and hence no cross drainage works may be essential. This canal
has steep bed slope since the ground has steep slope in a direction perpendicular to the
contours of the country/area.
4. Silt charge and silt grade are not considered. The complex phenomenon of silt
transportation is incorporated in a single factor are called critical velocity ratio.
5. The value of m is decided arbitrarily since there is no method given for determining its
value.
6. This theory is aimed to design only an average regime channel.
7. The design of channel by the method based on this theory involves trial and error which is
quite cumbersome.
5.2 RESERVOIR
5.2.1 INVESTIGATIONS FOR RESERVOIR:
Following are the investigations that are usually conducted for reservoir planning.
1. Engineering Investigations / Surveys
2. Geological Investigations
3. Hydrologic Investigations
Geological investigations:
Following are the reasons for carrying out the Geological investigations at a reservoir site:
Suitability of foundation for the dam.
Water tightness of the reservoir basis.
Location of quarry sites for the construction.
Hydrological investigations:
Following purposes demand the hydrological investigations:
To study the runoff pattern and to estimate yield.
To determine the maximum discharge at the site.
1. Live Storage or useful storage: Is that amount of water available or stored between the
minimum pool level (LWL) and the full reservoir level (FRL). Minimum pool level or
low water level is fixed after considering the minimum working head required for the
efficient working of turbines.
2. Surcharge Storage: Is the volume of water stored above the full reservoir level (FRL) up
to the maximum water level (MWL) In case of a multipurpose reservoir, useful storage or
live storage is divided into A. Conservation storage B. Flood control storage
3. Dead storage: Is the volume of water held below the minimum pool level. This storage is
not useful and hence cannot be used for any purpose under ordinary operating conditions.
4. Bank storage: Water stored in the banks of a river is known as bank storage. In most of
the reservoirs the bank storage is small since the banks are generally impervious.
5. Valley storage: Is the volume of water held by the natural river channel in its valley upto
the top of its banks before the construction of the reservoir. The valley storage depends
upon the cross section of the river, the length of the river and its water level.
storage. On the other hand, if the inflow is less and demand is high a large reservoir capacity
is required. Capacity for a reservoir can be determined by the following methods
(i) Mass curve or graphical method
(ii) Analytical method
(iii) Flow duration curve method
3. Draw the lines AB, FG etc. such that they are parallel to the mass demand curve, and they
are tangential to the peak points or crests at A, F etc. of the mass inflow curve points A,
F, etc. indicate the beginning of dry periods marked by the depressions.
4. Determine the vertical intercepts CD, HJ etc. between the tangential lines and the mass
inflow curve. These intercepts indicate the volumes by which the inflow volumes fall
short of demand, which can be explained as follows:
Assuming that the reservoir is full at point A, the inflow volume during the period AE is
equal to ordinate DE and the demand is equal to ordinate CE. Thus the storage required is
equal to the volume intercepted by the intercept CD.
5. Determine the largest of the vertical intercept determined in step (4). The largest vertical
intercept represents the storage capacity required. Following import points have to be
noted:
The capacity obtained in the net storage capacity which must be available to meet the
demand. The gross capacity of the reservoir will be more than the net storage capacity. It
is obtained by adding the evaporation and seepage losses to the net storage capacity.
The tangential lines AB, FG etc. when extended forward must interest the inflow curve.
This is necessary for the reservoir to get filled again. If these lines do not intersect the
mass curve, the reservoir would not fill again. Many times very large reservoirs may not
get refilled every year.
The vertical distance such as FL between the successive tangents represents the volume
of water flowing over the spillway.
5.4 OUTCOMES
Understand the concept of designing a canal and reservoir