Irrigation plays significantly different roles in influencing hydrological processes in two breadbasket regions

Abstract

Agriculture is a major water user, especially in dry and drought-prone areas that rely on irrigation to support agricultural production. In recent years, the over-extraction of groundwater, exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and intensive agricultural irrigation, has led to a drop in water levels and influenced the hydrological cycle. Understanding changes in hydrological processes is essential for pursuing water sustainability. This study aims to estimate the amount and impact of irrigation on hydrological processes in two breadbasket regions, Jing-Jin-Ji (JJJ), China, and northern Texas (NTX), US. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to explore spatiotemporal variations of irrigation from 2008 to 2013 and compared changes in hydrological processes caused by irrigation. The results indicated that deficit irrigation is more common in JJJ than in NTX and can reduce approximately 50 % of irrigation water use in areas with intensively irrigated cropland. The applied irrigation varies less over time in NTX but fluctuates in JJJ. Compared with NTX, the higher irrigation intensity in JJJ results in a more significant change in downstream peak streamflow of around 6 m3/s. Moreover, the difference in crop growing seasons can lead to different impacts of irrigation on hydrological processes. For example, the percentage change of surface runoff under real-world relative to the no-irrigation scenario was the greatest, around 40 %, in JJJ and NTX. However, the peak change occurred at different times, with the nearing maturity of winter wheat in May in JJJ and corn in August in NTX. The great potential to reduce groundwater extraction by adopting water conservation irrigation techniques calls for policies and regulations to help farmers shift towards more sustainable water management practices.