Impact of Submerged Aquatic Weeds Growth on the Channel Velocity of the Dagai Distributary, Maira Branch Canal, Upper Swat Canal Irrigation System
Impact of Submerged Aquatic Weeds Growth on the Channel Velocity of the Dagai Distributary, Maira Branch Canal, Upper Swat Canal Irrigation System
Jan Muhammad1*, Muhammad Zubair Khan1 and Haroon Khan2
ABSTRACT
It is challenging to keep a vegetated channel moving at the desired speed. A study was conducted to look at the growth of submerged aquatic weeds in a lined irrigation canal throughout a single season at the Dagai Distributary, a minor canal of the Maira branch canal in the Upper Swat Canal (USC) irrigation system. The growth of submerged aquatic weeds and the flow velocities were compared. The data on submerged aquatic weeds’ average densities and velocities of water flow were recorded for six months for every fifteen days. The water flow velocities were measured at each incrustation at depths of 0.2, 0.6, and 0.8 meters, and the channel’s width was divided into intervals of 0.5 meters. An analysis was conducted on the data to investigate the fluctuations in the cross-sectional velocity profile, aiming to understand better the velocity changes induced by the growth of aquatic weeds and select the best model for velocities estimation. Upon the appearance of the submerged aquatic weeds, it was observed that the velocity at the uppermost layer rose while the velocity at the bottom layer decreased. A quantile regression model has been developed to establish the link between submerged aquatic weeds densities and flow velocities.
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