Computerized water distribution management for the Upper Pampanga River Project, Philippines

Abstract

This study is concerned with the development of a model for realtime water distribution management for rice crop production in the Upper Pampanga River Project (Philippines). The model utilizes a management technique which considers water distribution at the farm level on a system-wide basis under the constraints of the present users and the physical system situations. The intent of the project is to rely as much as possible on the available uncontrolled streamflows and rainfall during the wet season in order to minimize releases from the Pantabangan reservoir, and thus conserve most of the impounded water for irrigation during the dry season. A computerized model which incorporates a parameter prediction-correction technique is developed for calculating the daily water scheduling for the entire canal network of the UPRP. To determine how much water is needed, a daily water budget at each of the 2,216 rotation areas is performed in conjunction with the daily predicted uncontrolled streamflows, rainfall, varying water requirement, and water status at the farm level. Subsequent delivery correction schedules are determined based on the degree of the prediction error. Studies were conducted for the determination of the appropriate rainfall prediction scheme used in the scheduling model. Selection of the scheme was done through simulation of field operations at the farm level and by the application of the rainfall-use efficiency criterion. Time lags along the Pampanga River and the canal network were analyzed to determine the possibility of supplying the entire network from the Pantabangan Dam within 24 hours. The idealized solution of the problem of inequitable distribution of water within a rotation unit is also presented. The ability of the model to provide situation-and-user-oriented guidelines for water distribution activities is demonstrated.