Check Dams and Farm Ponds

Water is the most important aspect of agricultural engineering, but the same could cause adverse effects if it is available in abundance or there is a lack of availability i.e., in the arid areas. Various drainage systems including the drainage ditches, waterways, and swales lead to surface erosion due to the high-velocity flow of the water. To prevent this erosion, check dams are constructed perpendicular to the flow, to obstruct the flow velocity. Whereas, the farm pond is beneficial construction leading to the irrigation of the arid areas that suffer water scarcity.

WHAT ARE CHECK DAMS?

Check Dams are permanent or temporary structures that are constructed perpendicular to the direction of the flow line of water in any natural or man-made drainage system including, drainage ditches, channels, or swales. These check dams are constructed to slow down the velocity of the flow to prevent surface erosion, surface runoff as well as play an important role in the direction of the flow towards a desired location.

IMPORTANT ASPECT OF CHECK DAM DESIGN:

Check dams are constructed with the help of sandbags, fiber logs, or prefabricated silt dikes. Several factors affect the design consideration of the check dams. The site section is the basic consideration of a check dam design, which is highly dependent upon the height of the structure. The spacing i.e., the gradient of the check dam is also a basic requirement in the check dam design. Lastly, the number of the check dams that are required to be constructed between the big dams, is to be considered and calculated deliberately.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CHECK DAM:

Several advantages of the check dams are:

• It helps in obstructing the high flow velocity, which prevents corrosion.
• It is cost-effective in comparison to big dams.
• It is easy to construct.
• Actively helps in irrigation as well as other agricultural purposes.

Some disadvantages of the check dams are:

• It greatly affects aquatic life.
• It leads to the rise of the groundwater table that can cause an adverse effect.
• Check dams with a short life span could not be considered as a strong construction.

SINDHROT CHECK DAM:

Sindhrot Check Dam is constructed over Mahisagar River which is the perfect example to show the advantages and disadvantages of a check dam. On one hand, it proves to be very efficient by providing the water to the barodians, whereas on the other hand, it is affecting several villages which are situated around because of the high salinity in the water of Mini River, which merges with the Mahisagar on the downstream side of the dam.

WHAT ARE FARM PONDS?

Farm ponds are storage constructions that are designed in a form of reservoirs with definite intel and outlet layout. These play an active role in storing the water for various purposes like rainwater harvesting, irrigation of agricultural land, fish farming, etc. Farm ponds lead to efficient crop growth in arid areas that receive very little rainfall.

TYPES OF FARM PONDS:

Farm ponds are classified into four types on the basis of their location of construction. The different types of farm ponds are:

• Surface ponds: These are the minimal depression around the area of the land under cultivation. It is surrounded by sand bunds to accumulate the surface runoff. 
• Dugout ponds: These farm ponds are constructed on flat land, by digging up the soil to a certain depth. 
• Spring or Cheek-fed ponds: These ponds are constructed in the hilly areas, especially at the foothill of the ridge portion, to collect the surface runoff. 
• Off-Stream storage pond: The land aside from a perennial stream is excavated to construct an off-stream storage pond along with definite intel and outlet structure to ensure the safe conveyance of the water. 

ADVANTAGES OF FARM PONDS:

The farm ponds are advantageous to the farmers in crop production in such areas that lack the availability of water i.e., arid areas. Several advantages of the farm ponds are:

• Increases the overall farm production.
• Improves the nutritional quality of the agricultural land.
• It is quite beneficial in various agricultural purposes i.e., rainwater harvesting, fish farming, etc.
• Provides water even in the perennial areas.

CONCLUSION:

The check dams are one of the most important constructions that prove to be beneficial in protecting natural resources. These are constructed perpendicular to the flow line to obstruct the high velocity of the flow which prevents erosion as well as helps direct the flow towards the desired land for various agricultural purposes. Similarly, the farm pond is a manmade storage construction that is advantageous for the farmer of the arid areas that suffer from the unavailability of water. The farm ponds act as a storage tank to collect the surface runoff or rainwater, which can be reused for irrigation, fish farming, and several other purposes.