Various improvement and repair activities are currently being implemented this irrigation cut-off at the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS) in Kalinga and Isabela areas as part of the programmed activities this CY 2022.
During this irrigation cut-off at UCRIS, which runs from April 30 to June 30, 2022, about 3.63 kilometers of main canal and about two kilometers of lateral canal are targeted for concrete lining.
According to Engr. Leonardo Lamangen, Division Manager of the Kalinga Irrigation Management Office (IMO), lining/concreting of the sidewalls and floors of the diversion canals are implemented as part of the repair, restoration and improvement program at the National Irrigation Systems (NIS) in the country such as UCRIS. These activities aim to help reduce the seepage of water and facilitate the efficiency of water flow during irrigation delivery.
Other repair and maintenance activities to be implemented at UCRIS include the concreting of service roads, various protection works along the irrigation facilities, and installation of solar powered pumps in some areas within the national system.
The cut-off at NISs starts during the terminal drainage stage, i.e., about two weeks before harvest, and entails the closing of gates at the diversion dams/intakes. Aside from being the implementation period of programmed projects, the irrigation cut-off also serves as the fallow period where the farms are given opportunity to recover their production potential and to reduce population levels of pests.
UCRIS has a total of 16,604 hectares operational service area in Tabuk and Pinukpuk, Kalinga, and Quezon and Mallig, Isabela, which are cultivated for the wet and dry cropping seasons.
Water delivery for the wet crop season at UCRIS will start on July 1, 2022.
Other NISs in CAR include the West Apayao Abulug Irrigation System (WAAIS) which has service areas in Apayao and Cagayan and with irrigation cut-off schedule this year starting from April 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022; the Hapid Irrigation System in Ifugao and with irrigation cut-off schedule on June 1 to July 31, 2022, and Abra River Irrigation System with irrigation cut-off from May 30 to June 30, 2022. Similar improvement activities are also conducted along these irrigation systems during the cut-off schedules.
