Mechanisms of irrigation water recharge in the Kongque River Irrigation District of Xinjiang, China
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Abstract:
Understanding the infiltration process and quantifying recharge are critical for effective water resources management, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. However, factors influencing on recharge process under different land use types in irrigation districts remain unclear. In this study, a Brilliant Blue FCF dye tracer experiment was conducted to investigate infiltration pathways under the cotton field, pear orchard, and bare land conditions in the Kongque Rive Irrigation District of Xinjiang, China. Recharge rates were estimated using the chloride mass balance method. The results show that the average preferential flow ratio was highest in the bare land (50.42%), followed by the cotton field (30.09%) and pear orchard (23.59%). Matrix flow was the dominant infiltration pathway in the pear orchard and cotton field. Irrigation method was a primary factor influencing recharge rates, with surface irrigation promoting deeper infiltration compared to drip irrigation. Under the drip irrigation mode, the recharge of cotton fields ranged from 23.47 mm/a to 59.16 mm/a. In comparison, the recharge of surface irrigation in pear orchards contributed between 154.30 mm/a and 401.65 mm/a. These findings provide valuable insights into soil water infiltration and recharge processes under typical land use conditions in the Kongque River Irrigation District, supporting improved irrigation management and sustainable water resource utilization.
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Key words:
- Infiltration /
- Matrix flow /
- Chloride mass balance /
- Recharge /
- Kongque River Irrigation District /
- Arid regions
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Table 1. Soil properties
Land use type Depth/cm Soil bulk density/g/cm3 Clay/% Silt/% Sand/% Soil type Cotton field 10.00 1.28 9.49 39.43 51.08 Loam 20.00 1.45 10.32 47.21 42.47 Loam 30.00 1.50 12.25 75.02 12.73 Silt loam Bare land 10.00 1.20 2.69 6.06 91.25 Sand 30.00 1.18 11.79 34.06 54.15 Sandy Loam 50.00 1.29 12.99 40.62 46.39 Loam 70.00 1.27 2.70 55.63 41.67 Silt loam Pear orchard 10.00 1.32 14.92 39.36 45.72 Loam 20.00 1.07 15.43 35.59 48.98 Loam 30.00 1.28 1.40 14.17 84.43 Sandy Loam 40.00 1.42 4.56 50.70 44.74 Silt loam 
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Table 2. Detailed information of soil profile (Note that 'X' means pear orchard sites, 'M' means cotton field sites, and 'L' means bare land site)
Soil profiles Sampling depth/cm Land use type Water sources L1 100 Bare land Rainfall M1 220 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M2 220 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M3 220 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M4 220 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M5 220 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M6 220 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M7 200 Cotton field Rainfall and confined water M8 400 Cotton field Rainfall and river M9 220 Cotton field Rainfall and river X1 220 Pear orchard Rainfall X2 220 Pear orchard Rainfall X3 280 Pear orchard Rainfall and confined water X4 140 Pear orchard Rainfall and confined water X5 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and confined water X6 200 Pear orchard Rainfall and confined water X7 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and confined water X8 500 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X9 400 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X10 280 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X11 280 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X12 280 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X13 100 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X14 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X15 180 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X16 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X17 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X18 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and river X19 220 Pear orchard Rainfall and river
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Table 3. The maximum stained depth and preferential flow indices (stained area ratio, matrix flow depth, preferential flow ratio, and length index)
Site name Vertical profile Maximum stained depth/cm Stained area ratio/% Matrix flow depth/cm Preferential flow ratio/% Length index/% Bare land L10 50.00 10.58 5.00 52.74 112.52 L30 62.00 27.73 16.00 42.30 170.28 L50 67.20 29.70 13.00 56.23 174.70 Average 59.73 22.67 11.33 50.42 152.50 Standard deviation 6.50 8.06 4.22 5.00 26.70 Cotton field M10 36.00 12.63 10.00 20.82 116.49 M30 27.00 8.41 5.00 40.55 100.18 M50 28.00 9.07 4.00 55.90 90.12 Average 30.33 10.03 6.33 30.09 102.26 Standard deviation 3.80 1.73 2.40 12.20 9.49 Pear orchard X10 44.00 19.25 15.00 22.08 130.37 X30 45.00 20.05 15.00 25.19 129.25 X50 39.00 17.00 13.00 23.51 131.42 Average 42.67 18.77 14.33 23.59 130.35 Standard deviation 2.44 1.29 0.89 1.27 0.73
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Table 4. Pearson correlation between soil properties and length index
The length index of different land use types Soil properties Soil bulk density /g/cm3 Sand /% Clay /% Silt /% Bare land −0.752** 0.957** −0.512** −0.900** Cotton field −0.998** 0.998** −0.994** −0.989** Pear orchard −0.985** 0.066 0.462 −0.298 Note: ** indicates significant correlation at p<0.01 level
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