Hydraulic Conductivity and Permeability of Sediments in Irrigation Canals

The objective of this paper is to assess the hydraulic conductivity and associated permeability of the sediments in irrigation canals in Zitny Ostrov (Rye Island), Southern Slovakia, Europe. The irrigation canal network was built to provide for irrigation water in this region. The main source of water for irrigation canals is the Danube River, one of the largest streams in Europe. The water level in the irrigation canals and the groundwater level in the Danube River aquifer affect each other. The irrigation canals continuously experience silting process. Deposition of the sediments reaches 0.5 m to more than 1.0 m in thickness. Sediments permeability is one of the influential parameters in regards to infiltration and exfiltration of water into and out of the canals into the Danube River aquifer. As a result, the groundwater flow within the Danube River aquifer and the surface flow in the irrigation canals continuously interact. This study uses numerical methods to produce hydraulic conductivity and permeability estimates. Future study will focus on field experiments to assess the computed values.