diff --git a/geb/agents/crop_farmers.py b/geb/agents/crop_farmers.py
index be35451f..23c18ece 100644
--- a/geb/agents/crop_farmers.py
+++ b/geb/agents/crop_farmers.py
@@ -425,7 +425,6 @@ def abstract_water(
         activation_order.size, dtype=np.float32
     )
 
-    has_access_to_irrigation_water = np.zeros(activation_order.size, dtype=np.bool_)
     for activated_farmer_index in range(activation_order.size):
         farmer = activation_order[activated_farmer_index]
         farmer_fields = get_farmer_HRUs(field_indices, field_indices_by_farmer, farmer)
@@ -439,7 +438,6 @@ def abstract_water(
             continue
 
         # Determine whether farmer would have access to irrigation water this timestep. Regardless of whether the water is actually used. This is used for making investment decisions.
-        farmer_has_access_to_irrigation_water = False
         for field in farmer_fields:
             grid_cell = HRU_to_grid[field]
 
@@ -460,10 +458,6 @@ def abstract_water(
                     farmer_has_access_to_irrigation_water = True
                     break
 
-        has_access_to_irrigation_water[activated_farmer_index] = (
-            farmer_has_access_to_irrigation_water
-        )
-
         # Actual irrigation from surface, reservoir and groundwater
         # If farmer doesn't have access to irrigation water, skip the irrigation abstraction
         if farmer_has_access_to_irrigation_water:
@@ -533,18 +527,18 @@ def abstract_water(
                         )
 
                         if surface_irrigated[farmer]:
-                            # irrigation_water_demand_field = withdraw_channel(
-                            #     available_channel_storage_m3=available_channel_storage_m3,
-                            #     grid_cell=grid_cell,
-                            #     cell_area=cell_area,
-                            #     field=field,
-                            #     farmer=farmer,
-                            #     water_withdrawal_m=water_withdrawal_m,
-                            #     irrigation_water_demand_field=irrigation_water_demand_field,
-                            #     remaining_irrigation_limit_m3=remaining_irrigation_limit_m3,
-                            #     channel_abstraction_m3_by_farmer=channel_abstraction_m3_by_farmer,
-                            #     minimum_channel_storage_m3=100.0,
-                            # )
+                            irrigation_water_demand_field = withdraw_channel(
+                                available_channel_storage_m3=available_channel_storage_m3,
+                                grid_cell=grid_cell,
+                                cell_area=cell_area,
+                                field=field,
+                                farmer=farmer,
+                                water_withdrawal_m=water_withdrawal_m,
+                                irrigation_water_demand_field=irrigation_water_demand_field,
+                                remaining_irrigation_limit_m3=remaining_irrigation_limit_m3,
+                                channel_abstraction_m3_by_farmer=channel_abstraction_m3_by_farmer,
+                                minimum_channel_storage_m3=100.0,
+                            )
                             assert water_withdrawal_m[field] >= 0
 
                             # command areas
@@ -608,7 +602,6 @@ def abstract_water(
         water_consumption_m,
         returnFlowIrr_m,
         addtoevapotrans_m,
-        has_access_to_irrigation_water,
     )
 
 
@@ -1517,13 +1510,13 @@ def activation_order_by_elevation(self):
         # algorithm such that the random shuffling in the previous step is conserved
         # in groups with identical elevation.
         activation_order_shuffled = np.argsort(elevation_shuffled, kind="stable")[::-1]
-        argsort_agend_ids = agent_ids_shuffled[activation_order_shuffled]
-        # Return the agent ids ranks in the order of activation.
-        ranks = np.empty_like(argsort_agend_ids)
-        ranks[argsort_agend_ids] = np.arange(argsort_agend_ids.size)
+        # unshuffle the agent_ids to get the activation order
+        activation_order = agent_ids_shuffled[activation_order_shuffled]
         if self.model.config["agent_settings"]["fix_activation_order"]:
-            self.activation_order_by_elevation_fixed = (self.n, ranks)
-        return ranks
+            self.activation_order_by_elevation_fixed = (self.n, activation_order)
+        # Check if the activation order is correct, by checking if elevation is decreasing
+        assert np.diff(elevation[activation_order]).max() <= 0
+        return activation_order
 
     @property
     def farmer_command_area(self):
@@ -1632,7 +1625,6 @@ def abstract_water(
             water_consumption_m,
             returnFlowIrr_m,
             addtoevapotrans_m,
-            self.has_access_to_irrigation_water,
         ) = abstract_water(
             self.model.current_day_of_year - 1,
             self.n,