Investigation of Management Strategies for Challenges of Agricultural Water Supply and Environmental Water Right (Case study: Amirkalayeh wetland catchment)

In this study, the estimation of the environmental water requirement of the Amirkelayeh wetland has been investigated to achieve the desired and acceptable conditions in at least three scenarios of wet, normal, and drought conditions. To aim this purpose, first, the determination of drought classes in different years was calculated based on the SPI index. In the next step, the water shortage values of the wetland to meet the water needs of the Amirkelayeh wetland are obtained using the simulation results of the long-term statistical period of the balance equation, available water resources, and its adaptation to the targeted ecological conditions in different scenarios. The results show that in the first half of the wet year and in drought conditions, the water requirement at the minimum ecological conditions will be met by supplying around 0.62 million cubic meters of water, while in normal and wet conditions, there will be no water shortage, while in the second half of the water year and in normal and wet drought conditions, water demand will reach 3.65, 3.54, and 2.68 million cubic meters, respectively. It is considered that the most critical condition of water shortage in the wetland will happen in July. Furthermore, the volume of water that could be extracted from Seyed Ali Akbari creek was estimated at 4.7 million cubic meters. Regarding the flow of this creek, it was concluded that only in the first half of the water year can this source be used to supply the wetland’s water required. In addition, by increasing the storage capacity of the wetland reservoir in normal and wet conditions, 1.5 million cubic meters of water can be stored and if the efficiency rises, around 0.55 million cubic meters of water consumption can be saved.