Hadi Tashakori Beheshti - TOOSSAB Consulting Engineers Company

Shahid yaghobi dam's irrigation network went under operation in the year 2000. In development and promotion of modern irrigation methods, specially pressurized networks, to obtain defined efficiencies in the main irrigation network, design stage studies of 3rd and 4th grade network, started. emphasizing the importance of the design stage of 3rd and 4th grade irrigation networks, conforming to the demands of farmers, required public participation in the process of studies. During the studies, the consultant insisted on accomplishment of public participation studies which have a controlling role in studies of minor irrigation networks, and consequently the contract of public participation was concluded. The study area is located in central region of Khorasan province and South-east of Torbat-e-heidarieh town, where Shahid Yaghobi irrigation network is located. The area have arid and cold climate, with respectively cold winters accompanied by rain, and hot-dry summers. Mean annual rainfall of the area is about 240 mm, which mostly occur in winters. The major surface water resources of the region are Kal-e-salar river, which is regulated by Shahid Yaghobi dam and supplied to farmers through main irrigation network canals. Ground water resources, as 13 wells supply 560 lit/sec of water. Four villages, named; Ahmad abad, Mohammad abad, Malikabad, and Sangan are located in this region. The area of the lands having water rights is 2810 ha, which belongs to 866 farmers, and grouped in few parts. There are 30 groups that have water rights from Shahid Yaghobi irrigation network, comprising of persons, companies, case farms, and rural farmer groups. The main activity in the area is agriculture, in which land and water are of great importance to people. Agriculture is dignitary of the economy of the family in the network area. The order of operation in these four villages is on the basis of petty land ownership, and water rights of each village from the dam is the amount previously taken from the Kale- salar river plus extra water purchased.