Method and system for determining surface level and soil infiltration under irrigation

Abstract

A device to determine a surface level of an area subject to flood, furrow, border-check or surface irrigation. The device includes an open-ended tube partially insertable into a hole in the soil to be irrigated. The tube has a plurality of perforations along its length and periphery to allow water entering perforations from above ground level to fill the tube. A housing is secured to the other end the of tube and contains a programmable ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving acoustic signals from the water level within the tube. The housing has electronic circuitry and wireless communication elements to control the programmable ultrasonic transducer. The surface level and depth of water flowing along the surface level can be determined by monitoring a change point at which increases in monitored water levels slow, after a rapid increase of the monitored water levels, and by the difference in monitored water levels.