ARS | Publication request: AN INTEGRATED SOFTWARE PACKAGE FOR SIMULATION, DESIGN, AND EVALUATION OF SURFACE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

Submitted to: Proceedings of the World Water and Environmental Resources Congress
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: April 10, 2006
Publication Date: May 10, 2006
Citation: Bautista, E., Schlegel, J.L., Strelkoff, T., Clemmens, A.J., Strand, R.J. 2006. An integrated software package for simulation, design, and evaluation of surface irrigation systems. Proceedings of the World Water and Environmental Resources Congress. 10 pp. (CD unpagenated)

Interpretive Summary: Surface irrigation remains widely used in the United States and other parts of the world. Performance of such systems is often poor, as a result of inadequate management and/or design. Design and operation can be improved through the application of engineering principles with modern computational tools. Models and related software aids can be used to simulate operational and design scenarios, compare alternatives, and identify combinations of input variables that will minimize losses of water and nutrients under the expected range of field conditions. The USDA Agricultural Research Service is developing a new surface irrigation software package, name WinSRFR, to integrate its existing suite of applications and enhance the functionality of those programs. The project also aims to develop an application that provides greater support to irrigation improvement efforts by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and others. This paper discusses the WinSRFR development objectives and program features. It should be of interest to NRCS personnel, extension agents, researchers and others involved in surface irrigation management.

Technical Abstract: The USDA Agricultural Research Service is developing WinSRFR, a new surface irrigation software package. WinSRFR integrates the functionality of existing software, namely SRFR, BORDER, and BASIN, and provides the foundation for future software developments. This paper discusses the WinSRFR project objectives, program functionality and components, key software architectural features, and future developments. Release of the initial version is scheduled for 2006.