On a global scale, 70% of water withdrawals are used in agriculture; furthermore, the population that bases its livelihood on agricultural products is increasing. All this in a context of clear climate change. From these simple considerations it is clear that the management, control and optimization of the distribution of water volumes in agriculture has a fundamental importance. In particular, this consideration is strengthened by the fact that generally the Irrigation Consortia are ancient institutions that manage the distribution of irrigation resources by implementing “equilibrium” solutions resulting from the experience gained over the years, experience that could however not suitable for the future conditions imposed by climate change. A rational and physically based tool that can be of help in optimizing the distribution process is provided by the Saint-Venant Equations which, combined with the role of expert personnel, can make the management of irrigation networks more efficient. This study deals with the implementation of a numerical model that allows to solve the Saint-Venant equations in the one-dimensional formulation for a network of free-surface channels interconnected according to a sufficiently general topology. Since a model that has as its objective the modeling of an irrigation network must integrate, through appropriate internal boundary conditions, some fundamental hydraulic works, with which the regulation of the incoming flows to the irrigation network and of the flows delivered to the secondary channels is implemented, this component is present in the implemented model. Furthermore, the experimental activity carried out in the context of this Thesis has allowed to observe the effect of the growth process of macrophytes on the hydraulic roughness of the channels during the irrigation season. The growth and development of vegetation is mainly governed by solar radiation, the presence of nutrients and the temperature of the water. For this reason, it was decided to couple the implemented hydraulic model with a thermal model that allows modeling the temperature of the canal network for the entire irrigation season. This Thesis shows the steps taken for the implementation and validation of the various components described and their application to the Canale Vacchelli, the most important canal managed by the Consorzio Irrigazioni Cremonesi and one of the most important in northern Italy.