A new method developed by Mohamed Khalil, a geoscientist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, is changing how irrigation canals are monitored in western Nebraska. Khalil’s non-invasive, time-lapse electrical analysis provides a more precise way to detect canal seepage and structural settlement than traditional methods. This is important for the region’s agriculture, which has used irrigation canals since the late 19th century.
Khalil’s recent project focused on the Sutherland Supply Canal, which runs from Lake Ogallala to the Sutherland Reservoir in Keith and Lincoln counties. With funding from the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Khalil installed hundreds of electrodes along test areas near the lower North Platte and South Platte rivers. By injecting electrical current into the ground and measuring resistance, he collected thousands of data points in a few hours, giving a detailed view of subsurface conditions.
The analysis compared data from August 2023, when the canal was full, to October 2023, when it was empty. Using software, Khalil created two-dimensional images that showed areas of seepage and changes in water movement. These results, published in the Journal of Applied Geophysics in 2025, are now used by NPPD to guide maintenance and improve canal reliability…