According to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, new "pitless tailwater recovery units" designed by associate professor and water management engineer for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Dr. Chris Henry, offer new promise for irrigation efficiency in certain field settings. Dr. Henry has worked on optimizing a recirculation system for irrigation water in row rice since 2013, and he's helped develop a new mobile tailwater recirculation product that can quickly and efficiently move water from the low end of a field to the high end of a field, which is ideal in cases where tailwater pits are not established.
More below:
https://aaes.uada.edu/research-highlights/plant-production/pitless-tailwater-for-rice/