Along irrigated cropland corridors between irrigation ditches and rivers, potential water quantity and water quality benefits of ditch seepage and irrigation deep percolation may derive from the close interaction between surface water and shallow groundwater.
Insufficient data exist to fully characterize the hydrological effects of ditch seepage and irrigation deep percolation in these irrigated corridors.
In order to advance scientific understanding and improve water resources management, our research integrates study of surface water and shallow groundwater to characterize hydrological processes in irrigated cropland corridors along the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico.