Effect of covering irrigation channels on total dissolved solids and total suspended solids

The increase in the evaporation rate is one of the crucial effects of climate change. Water losses due to evaporation are considered as an important challenge that faces the agriculture sector considering the recent water crisis in Egypt. So, covering irrigation canals with the aim to decrease evaporation could be a good solution for this problem, especially if the coverage is expected to be used for power production by covering these canals with solar panels. However, the main concern is the effect of the covering on the quality of water. So, this research study investigates the effect of irrigation canals’ covering on rates of evaporation and some water quality variables specifically total dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS). The results of the study showed that covering irrigation canals will have a significant effect on water quality parameters. It is found that the studied water quality parameters; TSS and TDS both are decreasing from 56.39 to 56.35 mg/l and from 160.15 to 160.00 mg/l, respectively by increasing the percentage coverage of the canal from 0% to 100%. © 2021 ISEC Press.