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How does surface irrigation waste water?

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A row of cattle with brown and black coats eat feed from a long trough in a South African feedlot, separated by wooden fencing. — Feed Feedlot cattle eating grain in an intensive animal farm in South Africa.

Surface irrigation, often involving simple flooding, is a common agricultural practice that can lead to significant water waste due to several factors.1

Over-application: Flooding often inundates fields with more water than the crops actually require, leading to excess application.1
Evaporation: Because water is distributed directly over the surface of the soil, large amounts are lost to evaporation, particularly in hot or arid climates.21
Transportation Losses: Significant water is often lost during the transport of water from its source to the field. This includes seepage from reservoirs and distribution canals, which can be mitigated by lining channels with materials like concrete, asphalt, or plastic film.13

Improving irrigation efficiency—the ratio of water utilized by crops to the total water diverted—is essential for sustainable agriculture. Strategies to reduce these losses include educating farmers, setting water-use reduction targets, and investing in more precise technologies.41