Infiltration modeling in submergence area of a water harvesting structure: a case study

The knowledge of infiltration characteristics of a soil is the basic information required for designing an efficient irrigation system and also to show efficacy of a water harvesting structure in groundwater recharging. The objective of the present study was to determine infiltration characteristics in submergence area of a water harvesting structure in Khamnor block of Rajsamand, Rajasthan. A total of ten infiltration tests were conducted using double-ring infiltrometers. The observed infiltration data were fitted to three selected infiltration models namely Kostiakov, Kostiakov-Lewis and Green-Ampt models. Selection of the best-fit infiltration model was made based on the goodness-of-fit criteria, i.e., coefficient of determination. The initial infiltration rate varied from 1.2 to 12 cm hr⁻¹ and the basic infiltration rate ranged between 0.06 and 1.44 cm hr ⁻¹. The mean basic infiltration rate in the submergence demonstrated that the harvesting rainwater can effectively be recharged at a mean rate of 1 m day ⁻¹. The Kostiakov model was found to be the best-fit infiltration model with the highest R² values.