Improvements in the management of furrow and border irrigation are capable of increasing the water use efficiency (WUE) and yield of crops. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of improved irrigation management on yield and WUE of cotton and wheat crops in the Indo-Dutch Network Operational Research Project site at Devapur (J) village in Shorapur taluk, Gulburga district in Upper Krishna Project command area, Karnataka by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The study revealed  that 49.20 per cent water saving and 27.21 per cent higher cotton yield in case of improved irrigation method (alternatively alternate furrow irrigation with 0.2 per cent slope ) in comparison with local method of irrigation (all furrow irrigation and1.45 per cent slope). The WUE of cotton crop varied from 18.14 to 38.08 kg/ha cm in local method of irrigation and improved irrigation method, respectively. Similarly, the water saving in wheat was 34.74 per cent and yield increase was 33.17 per cent in improved irrigation method (borderstrip irrigation method and stream cutoff at 80 per cent length of the border with 0.20 per cent slope) over local method of irrigation (flooding and 1.18 per cent slope). The WUE of wheat was 42.92 kg/ ha cm in improved irrigation method whereas it was 21.23 kg/ ha cm in local method of irrigation. The cost of land levelling per ha using a 45 hp tractor was Rs.5,320/- for 1.45 per cent slope and it was Rs. 3,780/- for 1.18 per cent slope to bring to the permissible 0.20 per cent slope.