Risks related To Artificial Irrigation

The operating of an irrigation system comes along with side effects. Some of them is good, the most cases are not.
Themain consequences are on the environmental plan.
Here is a summary for the most significative.

Reduced River Flow.
In case of a river being the source for the water supply. It implies losses in the ecosystem and could produce salt water intrusion in delta or estuaries, in dry periods, not guaranteeing availability of drinking water to human populations as well.
Exhausting the aquifers may eventually lead to phenomena of land subsidence, with heavy damages to civilians.

Higher Water Table.
In the area interested by the irrigation it is common that a great amount of water for the irrigation goes through the terrain until it recharges the water table level, in the underground reservoir.
This being the opposite of water scarcity will imply problems about waterlogging and necessary drainage.

waterlogging in Netherlands

But neither the drainage process is in lack of issues. By draining away the water on tthe fertilized crop, a part of fertilizing chemical substances is released on the drinking water of the groundwater or into the nearest river, polluting it.


To avoid natural cathastrophes it is mandate by law to keep an eye on the level of salinity of the soil and on the underground reservoirs with frequent controls.

Soil salinated land in Colorado, USA