Case Study
Delta Drainage And Irrigation System: Complex Multifunction Hydraulic System Analysis
Delta, British Columbia is located in the Fraser River delta on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, just south of the City of Vancouver. Delta comprises mostly agricultural land, with typical ground elevations near sea level. Levees protect the area from potential floods from the Fraser River and tidal surges from the Pacific Ocean.
Of the 13,500 hectares (ha) watershed, 6,300 ha is active agricultural land, 3,500 ha is the environmentally sensitive Burns Bog, and the rest is a mix of urban and industrial developments and transportation corridors.
The Delta hydraulic system includes some 900 kilometres (km) of ditches, 20 outfalls, 1,700 culverts and bridges, and over 100 water-level and flow-control structures. The system operates in Drainage mode from fall to spring, providing drainage and flood protection for the area, and in Irrigation mode from spring to fall, providing agricultural water supply. Primary concerns related to the system include: flooding of low-lying areas, the quantity and quality (salinity) of the agricultural water supply, and water retention in Burns Bog.
A major highway project (South Fraser Perimeter Road [SFPR]) is being constructed through the low lands of Delta and impacts the existing drainage and irrigation system.
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