There is insufficient information for us to answer this question. Please edit the question to include more context or relevant information. It would be useful to know, for examples, what you consider to be a problem with irrigation by rivers - it seems to have worked quite effectively for several thousand years!
They used the rivers' water for irrigation.
salination of rivers
salination of rivers
They used a shaduf.
The Mesopotamians used the Tigris and Euphrates for their crops the only problem was the rivers flooded irregularly and there wasn't enough water when the floods did not occur but this problem was overcome by the invention of canals and irrigation.
irrigation - such as creating trenches from a lake or river so the water could flow to the crops.
I think the Inka tribe used irrigation.
Irrigation
Irrigation
Farther from
they built industrial plants to remove the salt from seawater to use it for irrigation and drinking.
The effect irrigation has on soil is that it dampens it, making it better for growing crops. To groundwater, irrigation fills it up with water. Rivers are affected by irrigation by the irrigation flowing into it.