Evolution of water conservancy survey

Water conservancy survey is developed with the needs of water conservancy project construction and the accumulation of experience. In the agricultural areas flooded by the Nile in ancient Egypt, the land should be re-measured and surveyed after the flood season every year. Xia Benji, a historian in China, recorded in Historical Records the budding of surveying such as "left quantity and right governance" in the period of Yu water control in the 2nd/kloc-0th century BC. Dujiangyan, which was built from 256 BC to 25 BC1year, adapted its facilities to the local topography and geological conditions through reconnaissance and planning, such as Baokoukou water diversion project, which is still in use today. Modern water conservancy survey began in the middle of19th century, and rose with the development of large-scale new reclamation areas and new irrigation areas. Especially since 1930s, many countries have built many high dams and reservoirs for comprehensive utilization of water resources, which put forward higher and more urgent requirements for water conservancy survey.

Since the 1960s, modern science and technology have made rapid progress. With the development and application of electronic technology, remote sensing technology and laser technology, the water conservancy survey has undergone profound changes. For example, aerial photogrammetry becomes the main means, electromagnetic wave ranging replaces traditional ranging tools, and electronic computers are widely used in survey adjustment and various calculations. Remote sensing technology and geophysical prospecting methods are widely used in water conservancy engineering geological survey and hydrogeological survey (see color map), and the continuous invention and popularization of various new technologies and methods for exploration, testing and monitoring have greatly improved the accuracy and efficiency of the survey. The evaluation and prediction of water conservancy engineering geological problems and hydrogeological problems gradually moved from qualitative to quantitative or semi-quantitative, and began to enter the stage of model research. Due to the application of soil interpretation technology from aerial photos and satellite photos, automatic mapping technology and new technology of water and salt determination, the speed and accuracy of soil investigation in irrigation areas have also been significantly improved.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, water conservancy survey has developed rapidly through the planning of major river basins such as the Yellow River and the Yangtze River and the completion of tens of thousands of reservoir projects. At present, an experienced and high-tech water conservancy survey team has been formed, and a series of water conservancy survey norms and regulations suitable for China have been preliminarily summarized and formulated.