Surface water and groundwater hydrology

Irrigation and drainage of agricultural lands involves modification of natural hydrologic processes to enable sustainable farming in arid areas. Frequently, productive irrigation and drainage systems conform well to their natural setting because they were designed based on an understanding of native surface water and groundwater conditions. Nevertheless, because agricultural water management does alter natural hydrology, careful analysis of surface water and groundwater hydrology is important for determining how design and operation of irrigation and drainage systems may be improved, for understanding the impacts of irrigated agriculture on local hydrology and in determining how undesirable impacts can be alleviated or mitigated.