In order to solve the acute water shortage problem in Huabei Plain, China, water saving in the irrigation sector is seriously needed because it is the largest water user. Based on a field survey in the Shi-jin Irrigation District, this study analyzes the water management system from the viewpoint of water saving, with special focus on the rules and practice of irrigation management over the whole system from water source to terminal plots. This paper clarifies, (1) The Administrative Bureau, which depends on water fees collected from the farmers, has little incentive to make farmers save water, while farmers are not sensitive to saving water because of area-based charging systems in their villages, (2) Actual water application to the field is much more than necessary, despite high water charges, which suggests the ineffectiveness of high water fees for water saving, and (3) Considering the costs of land and labor, a reasonable method for water conservation would involve shortening the present interval of lateral canals by adding new ones, thus shortening the lengths of the plots.
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