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Soil & Water

conservation Engineering
Unit-1
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SOIL CONSERVATION
Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the top most layer of the soil
from erosion or prevention of reducedfertility causedby over usage,
acidification, salinization or other chemicals oil contamination.
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CAUSE OF SOIL EROSION

No single unique cause can be held responsible for soil erosion or

assumed as the main cause for this problem. There are many
underlying factors responsible for this process, some induced by
nature and others by human being. The main causes of soil erosion
can be enumerated as:

(1) Destruction of Natural Protective Cover by

(i) indiscriminate cutting of trees,
(ii) overgrazing of the vegetative cover and
(iii) forest fires.
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(2) Improper Use of the Land
(i)keeping the land barren subjecting it to the action of rain
and wind,
(ii)removal of organic matter and plant nutrients by
injudicious cropping patterns,
(iii) cultivation along the land slope, and
(iv) faulty methods of irrigation
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UNIVERSAL SOIL LOSS EQUATION
EMPIRICAL FORMULA BY UDSA

A = R ×K×L×S ×𝐶×P
where, A = the average annual soil loss (tons per ha) predicted
by the equation;
R = the rainfall factor;
K = the soil erodibility factor (tons per ha per year);
L, S = the length and steepness of slope factor;
C = the cropping and management factor; and
P = the supporting conservation practice factor (terracing, strip
cropping, and contouring)
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SOIL EROSION DUE TO WIND
Wind erosion damages land and natural vegetation by removing soil from one place and
depositing it at another location. It causes soil loss, dryness and deterioration of soil
structure, nutrient and productivity losses and air pollution. Suspended dust and dirt are
inevitably deposited over everything. It blows on and inside homes, covers roads and
highways, and smothers crops. Most serious damage caused by wind erosion is the change in
soil texture. Damage caused by wind erosion is demonstrated
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FACTORS AFFECTING WIND EROSION
Climate, soil and vegetation are the major factors affecting wind
erosion at any particular location.
climatic factors -characteristics of wind itself (velocity and direction) in addition to the precipitation,
humidity and temperature.

Soil moisture conditions, texture, structure, density of particles, organic matter content
are the soil characteristics that influence erosion by wind.

Surface features like vegetation or other artificial cover (mulching etc) have the protective
effect on wind erosion problem as surface cover increases the roughness over the land surface
and thus reduces the erosive wind force on the land surface.

For each specific soil type and surface condition there is a minimum velocity required to move
soil particles. This is called the threshold velocity. Once this velocity is reached, the quantity of soil
moved is dependent upon the particle size, the cloddiness of particles, and wind velocity itself.
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MECHANISM OF WIND EROSION
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CONTROL OF WIND EROSION

Three basic methods can be used to control wind erosion

• Maintain Vegetative Cover (Vegetative Measures)
• Roughen the Soil Surface by Tillage Practices(Till Practices or
may be called Tillage Measures)
• Mechanical or Structural Measures (Mechanical Measures)
MAINTAIN VEGETATIVE COVER (VEGETATIVE UCER
MEASURES)
Vegetative measures can be used to roughen the whole surface and prevent any
soil movement. The aim is to keep the soil rough and ridged to either prevent
any movement initially or to quickly trap bouncing soil particles in the
depressions of the rough surface. A cover crop with sufficient growth will
provide soil erosion protection during the cropping season. It is one of the most
effective and economical means to reduce the effect of wind on the soil. It not
only retards the velocity near the ground surface but also holds the soil against
tractive force of wind thereby helping in reduction of soil erosion.
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ROUGHEN THE SOIL SURFACE BY TILLAGE PRACTICES
The tillage practices, such as ploughing are importantly adopted for controlling wind
erosion. These practices should be carried out before the start of wind erosion. Ploughing
before the rainfall helps in moisture conservation. Ploughing, especially with a disc plough
is also helpful in development of rough soil surface which in turn reduces the impact of
erosive wind velocity. Both the above effects are helpful in controlling the wind erosion.
The common tillage practices used for wind erosion control are as under:
• Primary and Secondary Tillage
• Use of Crop Residues
• Strip Cropping
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Mechanical
Measures Wind breaks, shelterbelts, stone
pitching, fences etc., either manmade or
natural barriers are helpful to reduce
the wind velocity thereby favoring the
stabilization of sand dunes.
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VEGETATION
MANAGEMENT
 Strip Cropping Contour Farming

Stubble-mulching refers to leaving

the stubble or crop residue essentially in
place on the land as a surface cover
during a fallow period. Stubble-mulching
can prevent soil erosion from wind or
water and conserve soil moisture.
Wikipedia
 Soil & Water
conservation Engineering
Unit-2
 Water Erosion
Water erosion is the removal of the top layer of land by water from irrigation,
rainfall, snowmelt, runoff, and poor irrigation management. Ultimately, rainwater
is most frequently to blame when it comes to this issue .
Water erosion is seen in many parts of the world. In fact, running water is the most
common agent of soil erosion. This includes rivers which erode the river basin,
rainwater which erodes various landforms, and the sea waves which erode the
coastal areas. Water erodes and transports soil particles from higher altitude and
deposits them in low lying areas
 Forms of Water Erosion
Hydraulic Action- The hydraulic action takes place when water runs over the soil surface
compressing the soil, as a result of which the air present in the voids exerts a pressure on the soil
particles and this leads to the soil detachment.

Abrasion - Soil particles mixed with the running water create an abrasive power in the water
which increases the capacity of flowing water to scour more soil particles. Due to thiseffect, larger
soil particles are eroded by the flowing water.

Attrition - This form includes mechanical breakdown of loads running along the moving water
due to collision of particles with each other. The broken particles are moved along with the flow
velocity, which generate abrasion effect on the bottom and banks of the water course. This effect
pronounces the water erosion.

Solution - This form is associated with the chemical action between running water and soil or
country rocks. This type condition is observed in areas where existing rocks or soils are easily
dissolved in the running water.
Types of soil erosion
 Splash Erosion
It is also known as raindrop erosion because it is caused by the impact of raindrops on exposed soil
surface. The process of raindrop erosion can be described as: when raindrop strikes on open soil surface
it forms a crater. This is accomplished by forming a blast which bounces the water and soil up and
returns back around the crater.
The soil may be splashed into the air up to a height of 50 to 75 cm depending upon the size of rain
drops.
At the same time the soil particles also move
horizontally as much as 1.50 m on level land surface
Sheet Erosion:
• Sheet erosion may be defined as more or less uniform removal of soil in the form of a thin layer or
in “sheet” form by the flowing water form a given width of sloping land
• First process is the one in which soil particles are detached from the soil surface by falling of
raindrop and in the second one the detached soil particles are transported away by surface runoff
from the original place.
• The detached process is referred to as the splash erosion and transportation of detached particles by
flowing water is considered as the wash erosion. The erosion during these processes is called sheet
erosion.
• The eroding and transporting power of sheet flow depends on the depth and velocity of flowing
water for a given size, shape and density of soil particles.
 Rill Erosion
This type of water erosion is formed in the
cultivated fields where the land surface is almost
irregular. As the rain starts, the water tends to
accumulate in the surface depressions and begins
to flow following least resistance path. During
movement of water large amount of soil particles
are eroded from the sides and bottom of the flow
path, which are mixed in the flowing water. This
surface flow containing soil particles in
suspension form moves ahead and forms micro
channels and rills
Gully Erosion
Rills are small in size and can be leveled by
tillage operations. When rills get larger in size
and shape due to prolonged occurrence of flow
through them and cannot be removed by tillage
operation, these are called gullies (Fig. 3.4).
Large gullies and their network are called
ravines. It is the advanced and last stage of
water erosion. In other words it is the advanced
stage of rill erosion.
Some of the major causes of gully erosion are:
steepness of land slope, soil texture, rainfall
intensity, land mismanagement, biotic
interference with natural vegetation, incorrect
agricultural practices
Classification of Gullies
Based on Size (depth and drainage area)
Classification of Gullies
Based on Shape
Classification of Gullies
Based on the Formation of Branches or Continuation

Continuous Gullies: These gullies consist of many branches. A

continuous gully has a main gully channel and many mature or
immature branch gullies. A gully network is made up of many
continuous gullies. A multiple-gully system may be composed of
several gully networks.
Discontinuous Gullies: These may develop on hillsides after
landslides. They are also called independent gullies. At the beginning
of its development, a discontinuous gully does not have a distinct
junction with the main gully or stream channel. Flowing water in a
discontinuous gully spreads over a nearly flat area
Stream Bank Erosion: Stream bank erosion is defined as the
removal of stream bank soil by water either flowing over the sides
of the stream or scouring from there
Sea-shore Erosion:
It is also called coastal erosion. Sea shore erosion is the wearing away of land
and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents,
wave currents, or drainage
Waves, generated by storms, wind or fast moving motor craft, cause coastal
erosion which may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or
merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments.
It may be caused by hydraulic action, abrasion, impact and corrosion.
Pipe Erosion
 Sediments Transport in Channel

The sources of sediment can be listed as below:

• Erosion from agricultural, forest and waste lands,
• Movement of soil mass due to landslides, slumps and soil creeps,
• From gully by concentrated runoff,
• Stream bank erosion including cutting of banks and scouring
from bed,
• Erosion caused by occurrence of flood in the watershed,
• Incident to the roads, railroads, cleaning of houses, industries etc.
and
• Mining and dumps left as waste materials over the ground
surface.
Sediments Transport in Channel
 Rolling-
The sediment remains in constant contact
with the bottom. Normally it is large
sediment grains that roll, such as stones.

𝑫𝒊𝒂 > 𝟔𝟐𝝁

Saltation-
The sediment grain, e.g. a small pebble, is
torn from the bottom by the fl ow and thus
briefly leaves the bottom. The fl ow drags it
along before it is deposited on the bottom
again. It appears as though the particle is
jumping.

Bed load consists of solids that are moved along the bottom. The main factors are:
Discharge, slope, bed structure, amount of available solids
Suspension-
Suspended matter is solids that are suspended in the water and that have no
contact with the bottom.
The main factors are:
settling velocity (grain diameter, grain shape, grain density, density of the
water)
flow parameters (velocity distribution in the flume, turbulence)

𝑫𝒊𝒂 < 𝟔𝟐𝝁

Sediments Deposition

Affect due to deposition

1. Loss of Reservoir Storage Capacity
2. Effects of Sediment on H ydropower
Operations and Reservoir Operations:
3. Impacts on Infrastructure:
4. Flooding
5. Navigational Issues:
6. Impacts on Water Quality
Method of soil erosion control
 Bunding Methods for Water Erosion Control
Bund is an engineering measure of soil conservation, used for creating obstruction
across the path of surface runoff to reduce the velocity of flowing water. It retains the
running off water in the watershed and thus to helps to control soil erosion.
When the bunds are constructed along the contours with some minor deviation to
adapt to
practical situation, they are known as contour bunds.
If the bunds are constructed with some slope, they are known as graded bunds.
 Contour Bunds
Contour bunds are laid out in those areas which have less rainfall and
permeable soils. The major requirements in such areas are prevention of soil
erosion and conservation of rain water in the soil for crop use.

The main functions of contour bunds are:

1. It reduces the length of slope which in turn reduces the soil erosion.
2. The water is impounded for some time and gets recharged into the soil
which helps in crop cultivation.
The limitations of contour bunds are:
1. The contour bunds are suitable for those areas, which receive the
annual rainfall less than 600 mm
2. It is not suitable for clayey soils
3. Contour bunding is not suitable on the land slopes greater than 6%
 Graded Bunds

Graded bunds are laid out in areas where the land is susceptible to
water erosion, the soil is less permeable and the area has water logging
problems. A graded bund system is designed to dispose of excess
runoff safely form agricultural fields. A graded bund is laid out with a
longitudinal slope gradient leading to outlet.

The limitations of the system are:

1. Due to crossing of farm implements, the bunds are disturbed
and some soil is lost.
2. Proper maintenance is required at regular interval.
 Bench terraces
Bench terraces are a soil and water conservation measure
used on sloping land with relatively deep soils to retain
water and control erosion. They are normally constructed by
cutting and filling to produce a series of level steps or
benches. This allows water to infiltrate slowly into the soil.
Bench terraces are reinforced by retaining banks of soil or
stone on the forward edges. This practice is typical for rice-
based cropping systems.
 Temporary Gully Control Structures
(TGCS)

TGCS have a life span of 3 to 8 years and they are pretty effective where the amount of
runoff is not too large. These are made of locally available materials. Basic purposes
they serve are to retain more water as well as soil for proper plant growth and prevent
channel erosion until sufficient vegetation is established on the upstream side of the
gully. TGCS are of many types:
• Woven wire check dams
• Brush dams
• Loose rock dams
• Plan or slab dams
• Log check dams
• Boulder check dams
 Permanent Gully Control Structures
(PGCS)

If the erosion control programmer requires bigger structure,

then P G C S are used. They include:
• Drop spillway
• Drop-inlet spillway
• Chute spillway
• Permanent earthen check dams
Drop Inlet Spillway
A drop inlet or shaft spillway is one in which the water enters through a
horizontally positioned circular or rectangular box type riser or inlet and
flows to some type of outlet protection through a circular (horizontal or near
horizontal) conduit.

The drop inlet spillway is ideally suited to conditions when there is need to
control the downstream channel flow by providing a temporary storage
upstream of the structure. It consists of an earthen dam and a pipe spillway.

It is adapted where drop is > 3.0 m.

The drop inlet structure consists of the inlet, conduit and the outlet. Where the
inlet is funnel shaped, this type of structure is often called as Morning glory
or Glory hole spillway.
 Advantages
1. Drop inlet structures are used in gullies towards the downstream part to
create storage of water.
2. These structures not only help in protecting gullies but also create water
storage.
3. The stored water could be useful for irrigation or other farm use purposes.
4 . A large number of drop inlet structures will have a retarding effect on
downstream flows. A reduction in the sediment load could also occur.
5. An earthen embankment helps in storing the water and the drop inlet
essentially lets out the excess water safely.
6. These are frequently used for headwater flood control and as outlets for farm
ponds and reservoirs, silt detention reservoirs and settling basins.
7. They are suitable as gully control structures for the stabilization and control of
advancing gully heads when the gully is more than 3 m deep.
8. They are relatively simple to build.
 Chute Spillway
Chute (open channel or trough) spillway is a spillway whose discharge is conveyed from
the upper reach of the channel or a reservoir to the downstream channel level through an
open channel placed along a dam, abutment (supporting wall), or through a saddle.
Chute structures are useful for gully head control and they could be used for drops upto
5 to 6 m. Chute spillways are constructed at the gully head to convey the discharge
from upstream area of gully into the gully through a concrete or masonry open channel,
when drop height exceeds the economic limit of drop structures. Chute spillway has
more advantage than a drop spillway, when a large runoff volume is required to be
discharged from the area. Flow in a chute spillway is at super-critical velocities.
 Vegetated waterways
Vegetated drainage channels are also called
grassed waterways, or vegetated waterways.
Such types of channels are either naturally
formed or constructed as water courses and
planted with grasses. These channels are used
for the carrying excess runoff from crop land
safely without scouring the channel beds and
sides towards the outlets, which may be rivers,
reservoirs, streams etc. The vegetated outlets are
constructed prior to the construction of terraces,
bunds, etc. because grasses take time to establish
on the channel bed. Generally, it is
recommended that there should be a gap of one
year between the construction of grassed water
ways and the construction of terraces so that the
grasses can be established during the
intervening rainy season
 Check Dams

A check dams is a small, sometimes

temporary, dam constructed across a
swale, drainage ditch, or waterway to
counteract erosion by reducing water
flow velocity. Check dams themselves
are not a type of new technology;
rather, they are an ancient technique
dating from the second century
RIVER T RAINING WORKS

• River training works is a term used to stabilize a river channel

with a certain alignment and certain cross-sections, a river can
be trained by diverting its flow into a secondary channel or by
performing artificial cutoffs on the main river to reduce flood
levels.
• It is mainly required for rivers, which flow over fertile pains, it
is often known to change its course.
• River training works includes all measures taken to control and
regulate river flow and river configuration.
For example: The river Teesta a tributary Ganga, has been shifted
more than 150 kilometers to the east.
RIVER T RAINING WORKS

Objectives of river training works:

• To provide a safe passage for the discharge of water
without overflowing the banks, protection of farming, and
inhabited areas.
• To prevent the outflow of work, bridges were constructed
across the river like weir or aqueduct and the river was put
to work in a non-torturous approach.
• Also, protect the river banks from heavy erosion and
improve alignment by stabilizing the river channel.
• To drive the river away from the bank on which it can
attack.
 METHODS FOR RIVER TRAINING
Marginal Embankments:
• They are earthen constructions built to keep floodwaters within the c/s
available between these embankments.
Groynes or Spurs:
• It is a structure that is constructed transverse to the flow of the river.
• It extends from the bank into the river.
Guide Banks or bonds:
• These are earthen embankments to channelize the floodwaters of the
river
• In India, this type of bond was first designed by Bell, hence it is known as
bell’s bond
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Soil & Water

conservation Engineering
Unit-3
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Biological method of
soil erosion control
Biological conservation method

• Biological conservation method is various ways of maintaining a cover of vegetation

during the periods of high erosion risk.
• Biological method are an effective method of soil conservation. Several types of
biological soil conservation methods exist. Thos are:

1. Contour farming 2. Crop rotation

3. Strip cropping 4.Choice of crops
5. Mulching 5.Cover crop
6. Reforestation 7. Mixed crop
Crop rotation is the practice of planting UCER

different crops sequentially on the same

plot of land to improve soil health,
optimize nutrients in the soil, and
combat pest and weed pressure
Mulching- A mulch is a layer of material
applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for
applying mulch include conservation of
soil moisture, improving fertility and
health of the soil, reducing weed growth
and enhancing the visual appeal of the
area.
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Cover crop-
In agriculture, cover crops are plants that are
planted to cover the soil rather than for the
purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage
soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds,
pests, diseases biodiversity.

Mixedcrop
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Grassland
management
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Grassland Management
Grass land management is more than just moving
livestock from one pasture to another. It involves
choosing and managing forages, soil fertility, fencing,
water development and distribution, harvesting, resting
grass lands and much more
Grassland improvement and UCER

management techniques
1.Weed control (Bush control)
2.Enclosure of grass lands.
3.Reseeding.
4.Conservation of soil and moisture.
5.Grazing management
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Forest management
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Forest management, also known as forestry or silviculture, involves the

sustainable management of forests to ensure they meet a variety of
environmental, economic, and social goals. It encompasses a range of activities
aimed at maintaining and enhancing the health, productivity, and resilience of
forest ecosystems.

Need for forest management

• Extinction of thousand of species
• Heavy soil erosion
• Green house effect
• Flooding
• landslide
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Method of managing forest
• Afforestation-planting trees on an area of land in
order to form a forest
• Reforestation-the act of planting new trees in an area
or region where they were cut down previously
• Sustainable forest management
• Sustainable forest management has to keep the
balance between three main pillars: ecological,
economic and socio-cultural.
• Avoiding Wildfire
 Soil Quality management UCER

Soil management is the application of operations, practices, and

treatments to protect soil and enhance its performance (such as soil
fertility or soil mechanics.) It includes soil conservations, oil
amendment, and optimal soil health.

COMPONENTS OF SOIL -QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Enhance organic matter
Prevent soil compaction
Avoid excessive tillage
Keep the ground covered
Diversify cropping systems
 Drainage work UCER

A cross drainage work is a structure carrying

the discharge from a natural stream across a
canal intercepting the stream.
Canal comes across obstructions like rivers,
natural drains and other canals. The various
types of structures that are built to carry the
canal water across the above mentioned
obstructions or vice versa are called cross
drainage works. It is generally a very costly item
and should be avoided by:
Diverting one stream into another.
Changing the alignment of the canal so that it
crosses below the junction of two streams.
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Canal over the drainage
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Canal below the drainage

Canal syphon

Super Passage
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Reclamation of salt affected soil
Reclamation of salt-affected soils, also known as soil salinity
management or soil rehabilitation, is a crucial process to restore the
productivity and fertility of land that has been adversely affected by high
levels of salts. Excessive salt in the soil can be detrimental to plant
growth and can ultimately lead to land degradation.
Classification of salt affected soils
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Saline soils - Soils containing

sufficient neutral soluble salts to
adversely affect the growth of
most crop plants. The soluble salts
are chiefly sodium chloride and
sodium sulphate. But saline soils
also contain appreciable quantities
of chlorides and sulphates of
calcium and magnesium.

Sodic soils-Soils containing sodium

salts capable of alkaline
hydrolysis, mainly Na2CO3, these
soils have also been termed as
'Alkali’ in older literature.
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The following techniques or events can help reclaim

saline soils.
• Salt can be leached out of the root zone through good
quality irrigation water or by heavy rainfall.
• Create good surface and internal drainage. The use of tile
drainsand open ditches in the field scan increase
drainage and remove some of thesalts.
• Break the compacted layers that occur near or at the
soil surface.
• Add organicmatter,suchasrottedhay or feedlotmanure,at
10-15tons/acre to improve soil porosity.
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There are some additional considerations in the reclamation of sodic

and saline-sodic soils.
• Reclamation of sodic soils is similar to saline soil in leaching the salts
out of the root zone, except that gypsum should be added to remove
the sodium. The amount of gypsum required depends on the soil
texture and ESP (Exchangeable sodium percentage.)
• Reclamation of these salt – affected soils is a very difficult thing and
can take several years, so be patient.
• Sandy soils in high rainfall regions can be reclaimed more easily than
clay soils if rainfall is the only source of reclamation.
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Water harvesting
 Water harvesting UCER

water harvesting is the activity of direct collection of rainwater

The rainwater collected can be stored for direct use or can be recharged
In to the ground water. Water harvesting means to understand the value of rain, and to make
optimum use of the rain water at the place where it falls.

Importance of water harvesting-

• Improvement in the quality of ground water,
• Rise in the water levels in wells and bore wells that are drying up,
• Mitigation of the effects of drought and attainment of drought proofing,
• An ideal solution in area shaving inadequate water resources,
• Reduction in the soil erosion as the surface run off is reduced,
• Decrease in the choking of storm water drains and flooding of roads and
• Saving of energy to lift groundwater.
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Source- https://byjus.com/biology/rainwater-harvesting/
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Typesof waterharvesting
Rainwater Harvesting: Rainwater harvesting is defined as the method for
inducing, collecting,storingand conservinglocal surfacerunofffor agriculturein arid and
semi-aridregions.Threetypesof waterharvestingarecoveredby rainwaterharvesting.
Water collectedfrom roof tops,courtyardsand similarcompactedor treatedsurfacesis used
for domesticpurposeor gardencrops.
Micro-catchment water harvesting Micro-catchment water harvesting is a technique
used to capture and store rainwater runoff on a small scale within a specific area or
catchment. This technique helps maximize water availability for vegetation,
agriculture, and other purposes in areas with limited water resources or unreliable
rainfall patterns. It involves diverting, collecting, and storing rainwater for later use,
reducing soil erosion and enhancing vegetation growth.
Flood Water Harvesting: involves collecting and storing excess rainwater that occurs
during heavy rainfall or flooding events. This practice helps mitigate the impact of
flooding by diverting and utilizing excess water for various purposes, such as
recharging groundwater, irrigation, and other non-potable uses.
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Groundwater Harvesting: Ground water harvesting is a rather new term and employed to cover
traditional as well as unconventional ways of groundwater extraction. Qanat systems, underground
dams and special types of wells are a few examples of the ground water harvesting techniques.
Groundwater dams like Subsurface dam and Storage dam are other fine examples of ground
water harvesting.
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Water Harvesting Technique-

1-Short Term Runoff Harvesting Techniques

• Contour bunds
• Semi-circular hoop
• Trapezoidal bunds
• Graded Bunds
2-Long Term Run off Harvesting
Techniques
• Dugout Ponds

3. Flood Water Harvesting

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Contour bunds
Semi-circular hoop

Water Spreading Bund

Trapezoidal bunds
Differenttypesof waterstorage UCER

Pond, lakes,

Reservoir

Aquifer
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Groundwater
recharge
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Groundwater recharge is the process by which water from the surface, such
as rainwater or melted snow, infiltrates the ground and replenishes the
groundwater reservoir. This replenishment is vital for maintaining a
sustainable groundwater supply, which is an important source of fresh water
for drinking, agriculture, industry, and ecosystems.
Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation hydrologic
process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater
Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer.

1. Injection type of
well
2. Gravity type of well
Advantages of Artificial Rechare
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1. While recharging, rain and surface water infiltrate the soil and percolate down
through the various geological formations and get naturally cleaned
2. Very few special tools are needed to dig drainage wells.
3. In rock formations with high, structural integrity few additional materials may be
required (concrete, soft stone or coral rock blocks, metal rods) to construct the wells
4. Ground water recharge stores water during the wet season for use in the dry season,
when demand is highest.
5. Recharge can significantly increase the sustainable yield of an aquifer.
6. Recharge methods are attractive, particularly in arid regions.
7. Most aquifer recharge systems are easy to operate.
8. In many river basins, control of surface water run off to provide aquifer recharge
reduces sedimentation problem.
9. https://www.flexiprep.com/NIOS-Notes/Senior-Secondary/Environmental-
Science/NIOS-Environmental-Science- Chapter-28-Ground-Water-Resources-Part-
3.html
Disadvantagesof ArtificialRecharge UCER

1. In the absence of financial incentives, laws, or other regulations to encourage land

owners to maintained rain age wells adequately, the wells may fall into disrepair
and ultimately become sources of ground water contamination.
2. There is a potential for contamination of the ground water from injected surface
water runoff, especially from agricultural fields and road surfaces unless the surface
water runoff is not pre-treated before injection.
3. Unless significant volumes are injected into an aquifer, ground water recharge may
not be economically feasible.
4. The hydrogeology of an aquifer should be investigated and understood before any
future full-scale recharge project is implemented.
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