Needed research in irrigation and drainage

CER65MLA36.On 19, 20, and 21 March, 1964, an Irrigation and Drainage Research Conference was held in Logan, Utah, to delineate and stimulate high quality research needed in selected subject areas in order to advance the status of knowledge, and thereby improve the quality of engineering in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of irrigation and drainage systems. The conference was one of the activities of the Research Committee of the Irrigation and Drainage Division in coordination with the Executive Committee of the Irrigation and Drainage Division of the ASCE. The conference was an outgrowth of a survey which had been conducted earlier, designed to elicit information from the profession on the status of current research and future research needed in the general field of irrigation and drainage. The results of this survey showed clearly that there are six major areas needing expanded research programs. They are as follows: 1. Evaporation from water and soil 2. Salinity and alkali problems. 3. Stable channels 4. Small, low-cost hydraulic structures for conveyance and distribution systems 5. Weather modification 6. Ground-water management. The conference consisted of special speakers having national reputations in the fields closely related to irrigation and drainage together with panels for each of the six subject areas -- the membership being selected from throughout the United States and the world in order to have on each panel those individuals who are best informed on each particular subject. A report is in preparation giving the detailed information from each of the panels. This paper is a summary of the report. The results of the conference showed clearly that there is a considerable need for research on specific technical subjects--but there is also considerable need for expanding public relations activities, instrumentation development centers, and computing centers. There is also a clear indication that additional conferences and committees need to be developed