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Software for lake/pond sizing with irrigation, evaporation and rain

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irigator

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Mar 28, 2007
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I am an irrigation design consultant. I am looking for software that we can create a model of a system (primarily golf courses), and analyze the effect of rainfall, evaporation, seepage and drainage on the daily lake levels. I also need to incorporate irrigation usage based upon the daily evapo-transpiration rates throughout the year and predicted rainfall to see how lake levels will fluctuate. Is there any software that can help or be modeled to do this (or close to it)? SWWM perhaps? Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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This is too complicated to be handled by a layperson. Rainfall and evaporation norms are published. There are also chart solutions that can help on these two variables. Where it gets complicated is the interaction between inflow, ground water and soil permeability.

Let's say you have a one-acre pond (diameter is 235 ft) and there is a clay layer 1-ft below the base grade. Let's contrast that to the same pond, but there is a clay layer 5 ft below the base grade. The amount of water that escapes the pond (i.e., about the perimeter via horizontal flow) will be significantly different.

The geologic setting and material properties will have a significant contribution to how the pond performs in giving you water and the extent to which the water level willl be affected by pumping.

Good luck.

f-d

¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
 
there is software, SWMMM would not be the best.

the following all handle hydrology, reservoir routing, infiltration and watershed simulation and / or water rights - some better than others.

StateMOD
hecres-sim
hec-1
modsim
RiverWare
WIRSOS
WRAP

fd is correct, this is very complex analysis that you are thinking about doing.
 
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You might try the software I have listed at " SWMM could work fine as well as several other software packages. You could go very detailed, with a finite element/difference simulation system, or very simplistic, with a basic spreadsheet water balance. Data availability and quality are important. Though most folks could probably develop some decent general numbers, you'd probably be better off getting an experienced person/firm to work with you on the estimates - you'll likely same time and money as well as have a better system in the end. Be careful however, this is not something that 99% of civil, environmental, agricultural and similar engineers would know how to do correctly and less so with non-engineers.

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tsgrue: site engineering, stormwater
management, landscape design, ecosystem
rehabilitation, mathematical simulation
 
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