The volume of irrigation water that is not consumed by crop transpiration or soil evaporation, and instead runs off the field or percolates below the root zone. This water eventually makes its way back into streams, rivers, or aquifers. Managing this runoff is critical in arid regions, as it often carries leached salts, fertilizers, and agricultural chemicals that can impact downstream water quality.
We need to install a tailwater recovery pit to capture the return flow and pump it back up to the main pivot.
Also heard as
- irrigation return flow
- tailwater
Related terms
Flooder
A mechanical gate, valve, or channel structure used to release large volumes of water across a field.
Spray drain
A historic trench drain filled with tree branches to channel excess water out of a field.
Chemigation
The process of applying agricultural chemicals directly through an irrigation system.