Operational Sensitivity of Irrigation Structures

The adjustment of structures along irrigation free-surface systems aims to achieve, or maintain, a targeted status of the canal network. The interaction between structures and reaches is an important aspect of canal control and the process of the operation itself can generate perturbations. These perturbations depend on the frequency and mode of operation as well as the sensitivity to the setting of the structures. Highly sensitive structures generate relatively large changes in their outputs for small input changes. Therefore, highly sensitive structures should be operated with more precision than others to minimize deviations between the actual and targeted states. Knowing which are the sensitive structures along a canal and how to operate them is essential for a cost-effective operational procedure. This paper presents a set of sensitivity indicators that enable the identification of sensitive structures and an assessment of their operational tolerance.