Humanity over the years has sought to increase the production of arable agricultural land to maintain the capacity to feed a constantly increasing population. Irrigation is generally considered the most effective way to increase the production of agricultural land. It can help supplement water needed for crop growth when rainfall is low or, in wetter areas, it can help overcome times of drought and reduce agricultural risks. The goal of irrigation is to increase usable land for crops, agricultural production per crop per season, and the diversity of crops that can be grown in different areas (RJ Oosterbaan, page 1). With the advent of irrigation the problem of water stagnation arises. In flat land, flooding is the result of local losses of irrigation water, due to leaks from canals and above all from percolation in irrigated fields due to the absence of sufficient natural drainage capacity of the aquifer. These waters further add to the groundwater reservoir, thus raising the water table. In terrains with notable topographical differences, water stagnation occurs mainly in depressions, in valley bottoms or at the foot of slopes. It is caused by groundwater flow due to irrigation losses in higher elevation areas. Salinity develops in arid and semi-arid regions, simultaneously with water stagnation. As long as the water table remains deep, the salts, imported with irrigation water, are leached into deeper soils with losses due to percolation of irrigation water. However, if the water table becomes shallower, excessive irrigation is no longer possible, otherwise the soil would be flooded with stagnant water. At this point the leaching of the salt no longer occurs and the salts brought with the irrigation water accumulate in ... middle of paper ... animal consumption, animals that consume salt water can have many health problems. For example, dry cows need about 8-10 liters of water per day. Cows in their last 3 months of pregnancy can drink up to 15 liters per day. Those with milk need about five times the amount of water compared to the volume of milk produced. And calves require much more water after weaning than before. Despite many disappointing results, irrigation can and will be a central component in producing food for the world's growing population and supporting farmers' livelihoods. Many positive examples have been created in the past. It is therefore crucial that engineers and economists rehabilitate irrigation's reputation by undertaking more effective irrigation projects in which they pay due attention to environmental impacts that could change an environment permanently in the future..