III. Improvement of farmland irrigation and drainage
Irrigation facilities were renewed and basic agricultural production conditions improved. In 2007, more than 380 km of irrigation canals were improved, 1,270 sets of irrigation structures upgraded, 490 hectares of agricultural land re-zoned, and agricultural waterways in 2,478 hectares of farmland consolidation areas developed. And under the Changhua and Yunlin land-subsidence control plan, within 3 km of the Taiwan High-Speed Railway, ten legal wells were filled up and 19 sealed. To make up the shortfall of irrigation water due to the closure of the aforementioned wells, six new ones were dug and about 12 km of waterway improved outside the restricted area.
To improve water use efficiency, a real-time monitoring and control system was installed in the irrigation and drainage system. In 2007 the system was extended to 1,839 hectares involving 2,129 households. An automotive reporting system for rainfall, water table and water flow was set up in 94 locations, seven control stations newly established, and remote control systems mounted on 25 water gates.
To preserve the paddy field environment and to enhance its functions in filling ground water, flood control and water storage, the irrigation associations in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin and Taitung counties moved to utilize 103 hectares of fallowed paddy fields for storing water. Moreover, 10 workshops were held on this subject with around 500 people attending.
The COA assisted the Taiwan Joint Irrigation Association (TJIA) and its subsidiary associations to improve irrigation water quality. A water quality monitoring system was installed and an investigation was conducted into water quality in polluted areas for a stepwise alleviation of pollution.
