As a result of the torrential rains that hit Chile during the month of June, the Chillán River Surveillance Board highlighted the vital importance of irrigation canals in Chile and Ñuble. According to data from the Meteorological Directorate of Chile (DMC), Ñuble recorded a total of 387.7 mm of rainfall in June, in a total of 12 days, which might have had serious consequences if the infrastructure had not been adequate and maintained.
In this context, the president of the Chillán River Surveillance Board, Héctor Jaque, stated that “to date, there has been no damage caused by the flooding of the river, due mainly to the work carried out by the DOH of the MOP with heavy machinery during the rains in the months of May and June in the Chillán River.”
However, regarding the state of some irrigation canals that had problems from last season, Jaque commented that “the situation forces us to rethink the way we maintain our irrigation canals. It is vital to have free access to clean them and ensure their optimal operation during extreme weather events. We found flooded canals and broken gates that complicated our maintenance work during the rains. We need support to restore these canals and ensure that they are prepared for future weather events.”
Along the same lines, the water leader concluded: “We emphasize that the winter rains have not yet fallen, so it is crucial that the authorities, through the competent bodies, resume the cleaning and maintenance of natural channels such as rivers and streams. We are sure that the regional authorities are concerned and have demonstrated this on the ground. This will not only prevent future floods, but will also help conserve our water resources for future generations. Our commitment is to redouble efforts to rehabilitate drainage channels and improve water infrastructure in general. Investment in these areas is essential to face the challenges of climate change.”
Irrigation channels: A partner in preventing floods?
The Chilean Canal Workers’ Confederation states: “irrigation canals have not been the greatest enemies during these rains, on the contrary, they have helped to channel the excess water that the rest of the drainage and conduction works were not able to transport due to lack of maintenance or because they were simply eliminated.”
Furthermore, the association maintains that “the operation and maintenance of irrigation canals is the exclusive responsibility of the Water User Organizations. During the rainy season, the irrigation canals benefit the entire community, acting as gutters that collect rainwater and direct it to the lowest areas of the area, but we emphasize that they are not irrigation water, but rather rainwater collected by these. Without this collection, the damage caused by the rain would have been even greater.”
In this sense, the extreme rainfall in Ñuble has highlighted both the crucial importance of irrigation canals and the significant challenges that Chile faces in terms of water management. This means that Water User Organizations (WOUs) must be strengthened, because they are responsible for managing and maintaining artificial irrigation canals and being the direct counterpart of the authorities to report suspected emergencies and concerns.
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