Assessing zebra mussel colonization of collective pressurized irrigation networks through pressure measurements and simulations

Abstract

Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) colonies are becoming a real problem in pressurized irrigation networks. The zebra mussel infestation of the 45 Water Users Associations (WUAs) of the Riegos del Alto Aragón (RAA) irrigation project (121 thousand hectares located in northeastern Spain) was assessed during the period of 2013–2017. Maps of WUA infestation stages were produced. A survey of the WUAs made it possible to assess the relevance of certain structural and management practices in the control of zebra mussels. A method to monitor zebra mussel colonization of pressurized collective irrigation networks was presented. The method is based on the combination of pressure measurements at network hydrants and hydraulic simulations. Normalized pressure, estimated as the difference between simulated and observed pressure, should approach zero in all hydrants in a properly characterized, non-infested network. A positive normalized pressure can indicate the presence of zebra mussel colonies. The methodology was validated using two different test cases located in two RAA WUAs: the first case involved a discrete chemical treatment, while the second case was based on the analysis of three years of telemetry pressure data and remote operation of network hydrants. The existence of an infested reservoir upstream of the WUAs was the most likely source of zebra mussel colonization of the WUA pressurized networks in the RAA project. The desiccation and chemical treatment of the small WUA reservoirs was associated with pest control. The hybrid (measurement-simulation) methodology is able to characterize the presence of zebra mussel colonies in specific reaches of pressurized irrigation networks.