Evaluating Irrigation Water Management Effectiveness: A Case Study of Karacabey Irrigation Scheme

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the performance of irrigation water management of the Bursa– Karacabey 
irrigation scheme (KIS) located in the western Turkey. The study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, 
performance of irrigation water management was assessed using two physical and three financial performance 
indicators for six years during the period 2002–2007. According to the results, the physical performance 
indicators, which are average irrigation ratio and relative water supply, were found to be 61% and 0.77, 
respectively. Nevertheless, the financial performance indicators, which are the effectiveness of fee collection, the 
financial self sufficiency of fees collected to cover management, operating and maintenance budgets, and the 
staffing number per unit area were found as average 103%, 0.94 and 0.003 persons/ha, respectively. In the second 
stage, the irrigation water management was tested and assessed by the Logit model taking farmers perceptions 
concerning satisfaction with taking irrigation service. The probability of the satisfaction in irrigation fee policy 
and maintenance of irrigation and drainage canals was significant at 0.01 and 0.05 levels, respectively. Most of 
participants (80%) who use water from the KIS have been satisfied with taking service from the Karacabey Water 
Users’ Association. According to the research results, it may be claim that the management with regard to 
physical performance was negative; on the other hand, the management with regard to financial performance and 
water user satisfaction was positive.