Journal of Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers ISSN:1738-3692(Print) 2093-7709(Online) 한국농공학회논문집

Agricultural water shortages are intensifying with the increasing frequency of droughts under climate change. Despite ongoing infrastructure development, significant gaps remain in understanding the spatial and structural characteristics of agricultural water facilities and irrigated areas, limiting the efficiency of water management. This study develops a typology of irrigated beneficiary areas to support systematic agricultural water management. We analyzed 113 irrigation districts with main reservoirs exceeding 3 million m³ of effective storage. Spatial distribution and facility characteristics including reservoirs, pumping stations, and intake weirs were evaluated, and irrigated areas were classified using two approaches: (1) water supply systems and (2) demand-supply characteristics. The first approach identified four supply-system types, with 14.5% and 8.6% covering the largest areas, particularly in the Gyeongsangbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do regions. The second approach classified areas into four categories based on dominant water source, crop type, supply structure, and reservoir unit storage capacity. Most reservoirs were characterized by reliance on large-scale main water sources (77%) and main canal-type supply systems (90%). The results reveal distinct spatial patterns and supply characteristics across regions, highlighting the heterogeneity of irrigation systems in Korea. These findings provide essential data for systematic water resources management and the development of resilient and stable agricultural water supply systems.