Drainage Management Problems Evaluation: Case Study Baloza and EL-Farama Drains, North Sinai, Egypt

Abstract

Drainage management activities aim at maintaining the performance of drainage networks by assessing the major drainage management problems regarding sedimentation, bank erosion, vegetation, water quality, and biodiversity, to find appropriate solutions for channel improvement in order to increase agricultural productivity and maintain agricultural land and the surrounding environment. In this research, we evaluate the drainage management problems to the surface drains Baloza and EL-Farama in the cultivated Tina Plain region (21,000 hectares) North Sinai, Egypt to provide an accurate data to help decision-makers to know the status of maintenance of the watercourses and the need for improvement. For this, Intensive field investigations were carried out regarding a hydrographic survey of the actual drains cross-section using total station and aqua sounder devices, visual stream bank erosion survey, and vegetation survey. In addition, monthly water samples from the drainage water were treated and analyzed for physical and chemical, bacteriological related indices. The results showed, the studied drains suffer from sedimentation, vegetation infection, and bank erosion in some reaches and need remedy. Estimated sedimentation in EL-Farama Drain was 34369 m 3 /year and in Baloza Drain 29153 m 3 /year; bank slope failures upstream and downstream pump stations were recorded; the average weed infection ratio for both drains was 30%. The results of water quality parameters showed acceptable concentrations for BOD, DO, NO 3 , and total coliform according to Egypt decree, 92/2013 for the protection of the Nile River and its waterways from pollution, except TDS (more than 10,000 mg/L). The drainage water was classified as high saline and it was unacceptable for irrigation. Therefore, the author recommends to remove sedimentation and vegetation every 2 years by mechanical methods, applying gabions lining to prevent bank erosion, and treating drainage water using wetland system and utilizing the treated wastewater in fish farming.