Design of an irrigation storage system for Busitema University farm.

Abstract

Reservoirs are the one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the eastern part of Uganda during the dry seasons has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of the reservoirs. The goal of this project is to design a reservoir for Busitema University farm. This reservoir will allow Busitema University to have more flexibility with its irrigation scheduling. Surveys were conducted with hand held GPS to obtain coordinates were used in the determination of the area of the Busitema farm. The 50-year return-period design storm was determined with the aid of rainfall data for the

catchment. The time of concentration was calculated, the critical rainfall intensity read off from the developed intensity-duration-frequency curves and the peak runoff calculated, using the rational method. It was followed by determination of crop water requirement and this was achieved by using the Soil Water Analysis Tool (SWAT). This started with data collection from various sources i.e. from offices. Data collected included: DEM, land use land cover data, rainfall data and soil data. Design of various components of the system was done using the given relevant formulas and

equations. The storage reservoir was designed according to County and NRCS standards. A trapezoidal conveyance channel section was chosen and it was designed using detailed hydraulic calculations and manning's formula. The sizing and lining the conveyance channel will transform it into a sustainable, cost effective channel that can accommodate and convey the peak runoff from its catchment without overflowing. Finally, the economic evaluation of the system was done using benefit cost ratio approach it was found to be feasible and thus should be invested in recommendations to ensure that all the project objectives are met are stated.