Irrigation performance and hydrological indicators in an irrigated catchment: How participatory research within a FabLab can contribute to sustainable irrigated production

This paper is the result of co-working with the Water Users Association (WUA) in the Genil-Cabra Irrigation Scheme (Spain) to generate knowledge and understanding for the environmental improvement of collective water management. Most of the collaborative work aimed at developing a performance alarm system, based on downstream monitoring, and was carried out on a catchment covering 303 ha, cultivated with olive trees, field crops and vegetables, irrigated with drip or sprinkler systems. The catchment was monitored for 4 hydrological years (2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19 and 2021–22): the obtained water balances were analysed, runoff and its water quality (sediments and active ingredients) quantified, and the hydrological behaviour of the catchment characterized, discussing the influence on the responses of the predominant vertisol soils. Irrigation runoff was minimal. Prolonged wet conditions with rainy autumns followed by a rainy spring generated highest runoff and sediment values, but no relationship was found between the concentration of detected active ingredients and rainfall or runoff parameters. The FabLab provided the WUA with a collaborative structure that could address environmental concerns for their sustainable management. Results helped to understand conditions that lead to soil loss and water contamination, and increased awareness among farmers when facing values obtained for their own conditions. The potential role of WUAs and FabLabs in the implementation of environmental policies is discussed.