Yang, Guang, Tian, Lijun, Li, Xiaolong, He, Xinlin, Gao, Yongli, Li, Fadong, Xue, Lianqing, and Li, Pengfei
Mulch drip irrigation is widely used in the arid areas of Northwest China. Consequently, the Manas River Basin has developed into the fourth largest irrigated agricultural area in China. In this study, a groundwater model of the regional water cycle was developed to quantitatively assess the groundwater balance in response to different irrigation schemes, including traditional irrigation, conventional water-saving irrigation, and high-efficiency water-saving irrigation schemes. Our results reveal that 1) The water-saving irrigation technology has affected the water cycle process in farmlands. The higher the degree of water conservation, the lower the infiltration into groundwater, the higher the deficit of the groundwater balance, and the more significant the decline of the groundwater level. 2) The groundwater at the Manas River Basin remains in a negative equilibrium state. To achieve an equilibrium state of the groundwater at the Manas River Basin, the catchment management agencies should restrict the scale of oasis development and the utilization of groundwater. Unlabelled Image • Water-saving irrigation (WSI) technology is crucial to the oasis development at the Manas River Basin (MRB). • WSI has altered groundwater level due to less infiltration to the groundwater. • The scale of oasis development and the utilization of groundwater should be strictly controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]