A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge
Periods of extreme dry weather and extreme wet weather have stressed water resources worldwide. California’s water management sectors face an increased risk from climate change, and consequently the California Department of Water Resources has investigated the benefits of using floodwater for manage...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2025.1554774/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850219106472558592 |
|---|---|
| author | Francisco Flores-López David Arrate Mehrdad Bastani |
| author_facet | Francisco Flores-López David Arrate Mehrdad Bastani |
| author_sort | Francisco Flores-López |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Periods of extreme dry weather and extreme wet weather have stressed water resources worldwide. California’s water management sectors face an increased risk from climate change, and consequently the California Department of Water Resources has investigated the benefits of using floodwater for managed aquifer recharge (Flood-MAR). Flood-MAR requires the implementation of an integrated surface-ground water resources approach that can address watershed hydrologic processes from the atmosphere to the valley floor and the aquifer systems. In this process, it was learned that there is a need to develop a root-zone model with the capability of determining both the amount and the frequency of the applied water at field scale using crop and soil data to avoid damaging agricultural crops. Therefore, the following factors were considered: soil suitability, crop suitability, and soil oxygen depletion due to the application of water available for recharge. IDC (Integrated Demand Calculator) is a stand-alone root zone component of the Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) which provides conceptual features for simulating root zone saturation levels. We propose a simple conceptual root-zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge through the implementation of Flood-MAR operations on agricultural fields. The method is based on soil-land use combination, and crop saturation tolerance considering seasonal patterns during a long-term application of water available for recharge. The results of the conceptual root-zone model were (i) the amount of applied water, (ii) the reached saturation water content in the root zone not exceeding 75 percent saturation to avoid inhibiting plant respiration and growth, (iii) the potential return interval between applications for each soil-land use combination, and (iv) the amount of applied water needed to maintain six inches of ponding water depth in fallow land. The model proved it’s a useful tool for water management in practice where its utility is outstanding, and it provides valuable information to guide planners, water district managers and farmers when implementing Flood-MAR. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb2c10393b76423988882f4ac8ea276c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2624-9375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Water |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb2c10393b76423988882f4ac8ea276c2025-08-20T02:07:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Water2624-93752025-06-01710.3389/frwa.2025.15547741554774A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for rechargeFrancisco Flores-LópezDavid ArrateMehrdad BastaniPeriods of extreme dry weather and extreme wet weather have stressed water resources worldwide. California’s water management sectors face an increased risk from climate change, and consequently the California Department of Water Resources has investigated the benefits of using floodwater for managed aquifer recharge (Flood-MAR). Flood-MAR requires the implementation of an integrated surface-ground water resources approach that can address watershed hydrologic processes from the atmosphere to the valley floor and the aquifer systems. In this process, it was learned that there is a need to develop a root-zone model with the capability of determining both the amount and the frequency of the applied water at field scale using crop and soil data to avoid damaging agricultural crops. Therefore, the following factors were considered: soil suitability, crop suitability, and soil oxygen depletion due to the application of water available for recharge. IDC (Integrated Demand Calculator) is a stand-alone root zone component of the Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) which provides conceptual features for simulating root zone saturation levels. We propose a simple conceptual root-zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge through the implementation of Flood-MAR operations on agricultural fields. The method is based on soil-land use combination, and crop saturation tolerance considering seasonal patterns during a long-term application of water available for recharge. The results of the conceptual root-zone model were (i) the amount of applied water, (ii) the reached saturation water content in the root zone not exceeding 75 percent saturation to avoid inhibiting plant respiration and growth, (iii) the potential return interval between applications for each soil-land use combination, and (iv) the amount of applied water needed to maintain six inches of ponding water depth in fallow land. The model proved it’s a useful tool for water management in practice where its utility is outstanding, and it provides valuable information to guide planners, water district managers and farmers when implementing Flood-MAR.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2025.1554774/fullfloodwater for managed aquifer rechargeconceptual root zone modelwater available for rechargeamount and frequency of WAFRintegrated demand calculatorintegrated water flow model |
| spellingShingle | Francisco Flores-López David Arrate Mehrdad Bastani A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge Frontiers in Water floodwater for managed aquifer recharge conceptual root zone model water available for recharge amount and frequency of WAFR integrated demand calculator integrated water flow model |
| title | A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge |
| title_full | A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge |
| title_fullStr | A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge |
| title_full_unstemmed | A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge |
| title_short | A conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge |
| title_sort | conceptual root zone model to calculate the application amount and frequency of water available for recharge |
| topic | floodwater for managed aquifer recharge conceptual root zone model water available for recharge amount and frequency of WAFR integrated demand calculator integrated water flow model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2025.1554774/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT franciscofloreslopez aconceptualrootzonemodeltocalculatetheapplicationamountandfrequencyofwateravailableforrecharge AT davidarrate aconceptualrootzonemodeltocalculatetheapplicationamountandfrequencyofwateravailableforrecharge AT mehrdadbastani aconceptualrootzonemodeltocalculatetheapplicationamountandfrequencyofwateravailableforrecharge AT franciscofloreslopez conceptualrootzonemodeltocalculatetheapplicationamountandfrequencyofwateravailableforrecharge AT davidarrate conceptualrootzonemodeltocalculatetheapplicationamountandfrequencyofwateravailableforrecharge AT mehrdadbastani conceptualrootzonemodeltocalculatetheapplicationamountandfrequencyofwateravailableforrecharge |