A study on estimation of agricultural water usage in river consider hydrological condition

Abstract

The agricultural water, which occupy about 61% of total water usage in the South Korea, is significantly objective to archieve effecitive water resources management. The objective of the study is to suggest a simple method in actual practice that could be used to estimate agricultural water usage in river considering hydrological condition. Historical record of agricultural water usage and runoff, which take account for hydrological condition of the basin, were obtained for totally 27 river basins. As the result, the high threshold value of the agricultural water usage rates compared to maximum usage amount has a particular correlations to the percent of normal year runoff for last 2 month, and threshold line of agricultural water usage rates was derived using the quantile regressions. Finally, two dimensionless threshold line and empirical formulas that described the correlation between the percent of normal year runoff for last 2 month and the agricultural water usage rate compared to maximum usage amount were derived. Also, the simple criteria to select which line and formula based on the characteristics of the basins was suggested but it need further studies. The result of the study could be used as an elemantary data in actual practice for water resoureces management.