Upper Beles Irrigation and Drainage Scheme Feasibility Study
Project Overview
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Water and Energy conducted feasibility studies for an 80,000 hectare net irrigation and drainage scheme in the Upper Beles area, financed by the World Bank.
The study was prepared by Halcrow Group Limited in association with Generation Integrated Rural Development (GIRD) Consultants in May 2011.
Project Components
The comprehensive study included 12 volumes covering:
Volume | Content |
---|---|
Volume 1 | Main Report with Annexes |
Volume 2 | Water Resources |
Volume 3 | Irrigation Development |
Volumes 4-5 | Soils, Land Use & Suitability |
Volume 6 | Land Resources & Agricultural Development |
Volumes 7-8 | Resource Users & Socio-Economics |
Volumes 9-11 | Engineering Surveys, Investigations, Planning & Design |
Volume 12 | Environmental Status, Financial & Economic Analysis |
Geotechnical Investigations
Key findings from the geotechnical investigations at the Upper Beles Balancing Storage Reservoir site:
- Two boreholes drilled to depths of 13m and 15m
- Overburden consists of alluvial and residual deposits (clayey silt, gravel, silt and clay)
- Underlying bedrock includes welded tuff and amygdaloidal basalt
- No groundwater encountered in boreholes
- Laboratory tests included grain size analysis, Atterberg limits, moisture content, and consolidation tests
Soil Properties
Parameter | Range |
---|---|
Liquid Limit | 35.36% - 65.45% |
Plastic Limit | 24.00% - 40.10% |
Plasticity Index | 13.06% - 39.45% |
Natural Moisture Content | 27.48% - 59.71% |
Compression Index (Cc) | 0.257 - 0.387 |
Geophysical Survey Findings
2D resistivity imaging surveys at the Right Bank Weir site identified:
- Highly weathered/fractured rock zones with resistivity below 50 Ohm-m
- Bedrock depth varies from near-surface to over 25m deep
- Potential weak zones identified as vertical low-resistivity anomalies
- Northward increase in overburden thickness observed
Trial Pit Investigations
Field investigations in the command area included:
- Multiple trial pits up to 4m depth
- Hand vane shear tests showing undrained shear strength of 40-140 kPa
- Soil types encountered: vertisols, red/brown silty clay, weathered bedrock
- Groundwater conditions varied from dry to wet at depth
Conclusions
The comprehensive feasibility study provides detailed geotechnical and engineering data to support the development of the Upper Beles Irrigation and Drainage Scheme. The investigations characterize the subsurface conditions, soil properties, and geological features essential for project design and implementation.