MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES INDUCED BY THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE LAND USE IN BAILESTI PLAIN

Current climate and practicing a modern and sustainable agriculture imply the need to rehabilitate the entire network of irrigation systems found in Bailesti Plain. There are 9 irrigation systems with 1.015 km of canals, spread over an area of 194.648 ha. These large constructions, which cross the Danube meadow and terraces, induced morphological changes due to the canals built and the slopes resulted. By investigating the types of canals built and their morphometric values, we were able to estimate the quantity of relocated materials, 53.918.820 m(3). Failure to fully utilize the irrigation systems, deforestation and defective use of agricultural land have led to their degradation and amplification of geomorphological processes, especially on sandy surfaces. A complete analysis of the irrigation systems regarding their functionality, the existence of the Organizations for Water Users and the stage of rehabilitation contracts was carried out. The National Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Main Irrigation Infrastructure in Romania, aims at restoring the initial parameters for the functioning of the stations and canals by 2020. The purpose is to increase the irrigated areas, which nowadays are kept at a low value (50.000 ha) which fluctuates year by year.