Delineation of potential sites for groundwater recharge using a GIS-based decision support system

In arid and semi-arid regions without perennial water sources such as rivers or lakes, almost all water supply needs are met by groundwater. Groundwater recharge (GWR) is critical to maintain the abundance of groundwater. This paper presents a methodology based on a decision support system (DSS) that combines remote sensing, field survey and geographic information system techniques to identify suitable GWR areas. The DSS was implemented to obtain suitability maps and to evaluate the existing GWR in the study area. The DSS inputs comprised maps of rainfall surplus, slope, potential runoff coefficient, land cover/use and soil texture. The spatial extents of GWR suitability areas were identified by a hierarchical process analysis that considered five layers. The model generated a GWR map with four categories of suitability: excellent, good, moderate and poor and unsuitable. The spatial distribution of these categories showed that 0.08 and 32.3 % of the study area was classified as excellent and good for GWR, respectively, while 63.2 and 4.42 % of the area was classified as moderate and poor and unsuitable, respectively. Most of the areas with excellent to good suitability have slopes of between 4 and 8 % and are intensively cultivated areas. The major soil type in the excellent to good areas is loam, followed by clay loam, and the rainfall in these areas ranges from 150 to 260 mm. Another suitability model, in which all criteria were assigned equal influence, generated a suitability map in which 0.1 % of the study area was rated as excellent, 10.9 % as good, 82 % as moderate and 7 % as poor and unsuitable. The locations of existing GWR dams were compared with the locations indicated on the generated suitability map using the proximity analysis tool in ArcGIS 10.1. Most (77 %) of the existing GWR structures that were categorised as successful were within the excellent and good areas, followed by moderately suitable (23 %).     

Delineation of groundwater potential zones in Kakund watershed,Eastern Rajasthan,using remote sensing and GIS techniques

The remotely sensed data provides synoptic viewing and repetitive coverage for thematic mapping of natural resources. In the present study hydrogeomorphological mapping has been carried out in Kakund watershed, Eastern Rajasthan for delineating groundwater potential zones. IRS-1D LISS III Geocoded FCC data in conjunction with Survey of India toposheet (1:50000 scale) and field inputs were used for thematic mapping. Geomorphic units identified through visual interpretation of FCC include: alluvial plain, plateau, valley fills, intermontane valleys, burried pediment, residual hills, and linear ridges. In addition, lineaments were mapped since they act as conduit for groundwater recharge. Majority of the lineaments trends NE-SW and a few along NW-SE directions and are confined to the southern and southeastern parts of the watershed. Based on hydrogeomorphological, geological and lineament mapping the Kakund watershed has qualitatively been categorized into four groundwater potential zones, viz. good to very good, moderate to good, poor to moderate and very poor to poor. The study reveals that only 10.97% of the area has good to very good, 35.41% area with moderate to good, 49.04 % of the area has poor to moderatel, while remaining 4.57% has poor to very poor groundwater potential.     

Estimating aquifer recharge in Mission River watershed, Texas: model development and calibration using genetic algorithms

Soil moisture balance studies provide a convenient approach to estimate aquifer recharge when only limited site-specific data are available. A monthly mass-balance approach has been utilized in this study to estimate recharge in a small watershed in the coastal bend of South Texas. The developed lumped parameter model employs four adjustable parameters to calibrate model predicted stream runoff to observations at a gaging station. A new procedure was developed to correctly capture the intermittent nature of rainfall. The total monthly rainfall was assigned to a single-equivalent storm whose duration was obtained via calibration. A total of four calibrations were carried out using an evolutionary computing technique called genetic algorithms as well as the conventional gradient descent (GD) technique. Ordinary least squares and the heteroscedastic maximum likelihood error (HMLE) based objective functions were evaluated as part of this study as well. While the genetic algorithm based calibrations were relatively better in capturing the peak runoff events, the GD based calibration did slightly better in capturing the low flow events. Treating the Box-Cox exponent in the HMLE function as a calibration parameter did not yield better estimates and the study corroborates the suggestion made in the literature of fixing this exponent at 0.3. The model outputs were compared against available information and results indicate that the developed modeling approach provides a conservative estimate of recharge.     

Delineation of groundwater recharge zones and identification of artificial recharge sites in West Medinipur district,West Bengal,using RS,GIS and MCDM techniques

Artificial recharge plays a pivotal role in the sustainable management of groundwater resources. This study proposes a methodology to delineate artificial recharge zones as well as to identify favorable artificial recharge sites using integrated remote sensing (RS), geographical information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques for augmenting groundwater resources in the West Medinipur district of West Bengal, India, which has been facing water shortage problems for the past few years. The thematic layers considered in this study are: geomorphology, geology, drainage density, slope and aquifer transmissivity, which were prepared using IRS-1D imagery and conventional data. Different themes and their corresponding features were assigned proper weights based on their relative contribution to groundwater recharge in the area, and normalized weights were computed using the Saaty’s analytic hierarchy process (AHP). These thematic layers were then integrated in the GIS environment to delineate artificial recharge zones in the study area. The artificial recharge map thus obtained divided the study area into three zones, viz., ‘suitable,’ ‘moderately suitable’ and ‘unsuitable’ according to their suitability for artificial groundwater recharge. It was found that about 46% of the study area falls under ‘suitable’ zone, whereas 43% falls under the ‘moderately suitable’ zone. The western portion of the study area was found to be unsuitable for artificial recharge. The artificial recharge zone map of the study area was found to be in agreement with the map of mean groundwater depths over the area. Furthermore, forty possible sites for artificial recharge were also identified using RS and GIS techniques. Based on the available field information, check dams are suggested as promising artificial recharge structures. The results of this study could be used to formulate an efficient groundwater management plan for the study area so as to ensure sustainable utilization of scarce groundwater resources.     

Comparison of recharge estimates at a small watershed in east-central Pennsylvania,USA

The common recommendation that recharge should be estimated from multiple methods is sound, but the inherent differences of the methods make it difficult to assess the accuracy of differing results. In this study, four methods for estimating groundwater recharge and two methods for estimating base flow (as a proxy for recharge) are compared at two hydrologic research sites in east-central Pennsylvania, USA. Results from the multiple methods all provided reasonable estimates of groundwater recharge that differed considerably. The estimates of mean annual recharge for the period 1994-2001 ranged from 22.9 to 35.7 cm—about 45% of the mean of all estimates. For individual years, recharge estimates from the multiple methods ranged from 30 to 42% of the mean value during the dry years and 64 to 76% of the mean value during wet years. Comparison of multiple methods was found to be useful for determining the range of plausible recharge rates and highlighting the uncertainty of the estimates.     

Groundwater recharge rates for regional groundwater modelling: a case study using GROWA in the Lower Rhine lignite mining area, Germany

Groundwater recharge rates calculated with the GROWA model have been applied as the recharge boundary condition for the regional groundwater model Rurscholle. This model simulates groundwater dynamics in the Pleistocene aquifers of the Lower Rhine lignite mining area (Germany). GROWA uses an area-differentiated approach to calculate recharge rates depending on runoff-relevant site characteristics, which are represented by a set of baseflow indices. The regional accuracy of the coupled groundwater and GROWA models has been checked using groundwater hydrographs as validation criteria. The results suggest that the current (unadjusted) version of GROWA underestimates the regional groundwater recharge rate by 10–20 mm/yr. The comparative analysis identified areas where recharge calculations could be improved by adjusting the baseflow indices for areas where runoff is dominated by slope, low water-logging and a low degree of sealing. Using the adjusted set of baseflow indices, the mean groundwater recharge rate of the Rurscholle region was modelled as approx. 170 mm/yr. This study highlights the benefit of using a coupled approach and being able to independently calibrate and validate groundwater recharge boundary conditions in regional groundwater models.     

Developing an overall assessment map for flood hazard on large area watershed using multi-method approach: case study of Wadi Qena watershed,Egypt

Natural Hazards - Many parts of Upper Egypt as Sinai and Red Sea areas were hit by severe flash floods since 1976. Wadi Qena is considered one of the most watersheds that suffers from floods in Red...     

Mapping groundwater recharge potential using GIS approach in Darwha block

Groundwater is the most important source of water in meeting irrigation, drinking, and other needs in India. The assessment of the potential zone for its recharge is critical for sustainable usage, quality management, and food security. This study reports alternative mapping of the groundwater recharge potential of a selected block by including large-scale soil data. Thematic layers of soil, geomorphology, slope, land use land cover, topographical wetness index, and drainage density of Darwha block (District Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India) were generated and integrated in a geographic information system environment. The topographic maps, thematic maps, field data, and satellite image were processed, classified, and weighted using analytical hierarchical process for their contribution to groundwater recharge. The layers were integrated by weighted linear combination method in the GIS environment to generate four groundwater potential zones viz., “poor,” “poor to moderate,” “moderate to high,” and “high.” Based on the generated groundwater potential map, about 9830 ha (12%) of the study area was categorized as high potential for recharge, 25,558 ha (31%) as poor to moderate, 33,398 ha (40%) as moderate to high, and 12,565 ha (15%) as poor potential zone. The zonation corresponds well with the field data on greater well density (0.22/ha) and irrigated crop area (27%) in the high potential zone as against 0.02 wells/ha and only 6% irrigated area in the poor zone. The map is recommended for use in regulating groundwater development decisions and judicious expenditure on drilling new wells by farmers and the state authorities.     

Assessing distributed groundwater recharge rate using integrated surface water-groundwater modelling: application to Mihocheon watershed, South Korea

A method of estimating groundwater recharge, based on water-balance components using the SWAT-MODFLOW model (an integrated surface water-groundwater model), is described. A multi-reservoir storage routing module is suggested instead of a single storage routing module in SWAT; this represents a more realistic delay in the travel of water through the vadose zone. By using this module, the parameter related to the delay time can be optimized by checking the correlation between simulated recharge and observed groundwater levels. The final step of this procedure is to compare simulated groundwater levels as well as the simulated watershed stream flow with the observed groundwater levels and watershed stream flow. This method is applied to the Mihocheon watershed in South Korea to estimate spatio-temporal groundwater recharge distribution. The computed annual recharge rate is compared with the independently estimated recharge rate using BFLOW. The hydrologic modelling results show that the annual average recharge rate should be estimated by a long-term continuous simulation with a distributed hydrologic modelling technique.     

Mapping favorable groundwater potential recharge zones using a GIS-based analytical hierarchical process and probability frequency ratio model:A case study from an agro-urban region of Pakistan

In Punjab(Pakistan),the increasing population and expansion of land use for agriculture have severely exploited the regional groundwater resources.Intensive pumping has resulted in a rapid decline in the level of the water table as well as its quality.Better management practices and artificial recharge are needed for the development of sustainable groundwater resources.This study proposes a methodology to delineate favorable groundwater potential recharge zones(FPRI) by integrating maps of groundwater potential recharge index(PRI) with the DRASTIC-based groundwater vulnerability index(VI).In order to evaluate both indexes,different thematic layers corresponding to each index were overlaid in ArcGIS.In the overlay analysis,the weights(for various thematic layers) and rating values(for sub-classes) were allocated based on a review of published literature.Both were then normalized and modified using the analytical hierarchical process(AHP) and a frequency ratio model respectively.After evaluating PRI and FPRI,these maps were validated using the area under the curve(AUC) method.The PRI map indicates that 53% of the area assessed exists in very low to low recharge zones,22% in moderate,and 25% in high to excellent potential recharge zones.The VI map indicates that 38% of the area assessed exists in very low to low vulnerability,33% in moderate,and 29% in high to very high vulnerability zones.The FPRI map shows that the central region of Punjab is moderately-to-highly favorable for recharge due to its low vulnerability and high recharge potential.During the validation process,it was found that the AUC estimated with modified weights and rating values was 79% and 67%,for PRI and VI indexes,respectively.The AUC was less when evaluated using original weights and rating values taken from published literature.Maps of favorable groundwater potential recharge zones are helpful for planning and implementation of wells and hydraulic structures in this region.     

Estimation of groundwater recharge using a GIS-based distributed water balance model in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Sustainable groundwater management requires knowledge of recharge. Recharge is also an important parameter in groundwater flow and transport models. Spatial variation in recharge due to distributed land-us.e, soil texture, topography, groundwater level, and hydrometeorological conditions should be accounted for in recharge estimation. However, conventional point-estimates of recharge are not easily extrapolated or regionalized. In this study, a spatially distributed water balance model WetSpass was used to simulate long-term average recharge using land-use, soil texture, topography, and hydrometeorological parameters in Dire Dawa, a semiarid region of Ethiopia. WetSpass is a physically based methodology for estimation of the long-term average spatial distribution of surface runoff, actual evapotranspiration, and groundwater recharge. The long-term temporal and spatial average annual rainfall of 626 mm was distributed as: surface runoff of 126 mm (20%), evapotranspiration of 468 mm (75%), and recharge of 28 mm (5%). This recharge corresponds to 817 l/s for the 920.12 km² study area, which is less than the often-assumed 1,000 l/s recharge for the Dire Dawa groundwater catchment.     

Comparing groundwater recharge and base flow in the Bukmoongol small-forested watershed,Korea

Groundwater recharge and base flow using different investigated methods are simulated in the 15-ha Bukmoongol small-forested watershed located at the southern part of Korea. The WHAT system, PART, RORA, PULSE, BFI, and RAP software are used to estimate groundwater recharge or base flow and base flow index from the measured streamflow. Results show that about 15–31 per cent of annual rainfall might be contributed for base flow. The watershed groundwater recharge proportions are computed to about 10–21 per cent during the wet period and 23–32 per cent for the remainder periods. Mean annual base flow indices vary from 0.25 to 0.76 estimated using different methods. However, the study found out that all methods were significantly correlated with each other. The similarity of various methods is expressed as a weighted relationship provided by the matrix product from the principal component analysis. Overall, the BFI and WHAT software appeared consistent in estimating recharge or base flow, and base flow index under Korea’s conditions. The case study recommends the application of different models to other watersheds as well as in low-lying areas where most observation groundwater wells are located with available streamflow data.     

Determining the groundwater potential recharge zone and karst springs catchment area: Saldoran region,western Iran

Assessing the groundwater recharge potential zone and differentiation of the spring catchment area are extremely important to effective management of groundwater systems and protection of water quality. The study area is located in the Saldoran karstic region, western Iran. It is characterized by a high rate of precipitation and recharge via highly permeable fractured karstic formations. Pire-Ghar, Sarabe-Babaheydar and Baghe-rostam are three major karstic springs which drain the Saldoran anticline. The mean discharge rate and electrical conductivity values for these springs were 3, 1.9 and 0.98 m³/s, and 475, 438 and 347 μS/cm, respectively. Geology, hydrogeology and geographical information system (GIS) methods were used to define the catchment areas of the major karstic springs and to map recharge zones in the Saldoran anticline. Seven major influencing factors on groundwater recharge rates (lithology, slope value and aspect, drainage, precipitation, fracture density and karstic domains) were integrated using GIS. Geology maps and field verification were used to determine the weights of factors. The final map was produced to reveal major zones of recharge potential. More than 80 % of the study area is terrain that has a recharge rate of 55–70 % (average 63 %). Evaluating the water budget of Saldoran Mountain showed that the total volume of karst water emerging from the Saldoran karst springs is equal to the total annual recharge on the anticline. Therefore, based on the geological and hydrogeological investigations, the catchment area of the mentioned karst springs includes the whole Saldoran anticline.     

Hydrology models approach to estimation of the groundwater recharge: case study in the Bulgarian Danube watershed

The groundwater (GW) makes an important part of a region runoff. GW bodies playing the role of accumulating reservoirs regulate the GW discharge enabling the river flow to have more uniform long-term distribution. Along with other important advantages, the GW offers the users stable water abstraction rate independent from the recharge rate. The GW recharge quantification belongs to the uneasy tasks in the water resource management. Applying the conventional methods needs multiyear observation records of the variation of the groundwater body (GWB) characteristics. The employment of hydrology models avoids that necessity but requires great amount of data related to the soil hydraulic properties, the land topography and cover of the GWB watershed and long-term records of the climatic effects. The paper presents an introduction of the mathematical model CLM3 into the GW recharge estimation problem. It is a complex and advanced model with adequate interpretation of the water-related processes in the soil and on the land surface under atmospheric effects. The input is available from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis atmosphere data and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) data base. The model is applied to GW recharge assessment of the Bulgarian Danube district for the year 2013. The obtained monthly and yearly total district values and the areal distribution of the infiltration intensity are matched to the existing field observation-based estimates. The study shows that the CLM3 model approach leads to encouraging results. The method comes very useful with GWB lacking regime observation data as well as for GW recharge prognostic assessments under climatic scenarios.     

Identification of suitable sites for groundwater recharge in Awaspi watershed using GIS and remote sensing techniques

Groundwater is a valuable natural resource for drinking, domestic, livestock use, and irrigation, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like the Garmiyan belt in Kurdistan region. The Awaspi watershed is located 50 km east of Kirkuk city, south Kurdistan, Iraq; and covers an area of 2146 km². The paper presents result of a study aimed at: (1) mapping and preparing thematic layers of factors that control groundwater recharge areas, and (2) determination of sites suitable for groundwater recharge. We used available data such as geological map, groundwater depth map, digital elevation model (DEM), Landsat 8 imagery, and tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) data for this study. These data, supplemented by slope features, lithology, land use land cover, rainfall, groundwater depth, drainage density, landform, lineament density, elevation and topographic position index, were utilized to create thematic maps to identify suitable areas of groundwater recharge, using GIS and remote sensing techniques. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to weight, rank, and reclassify these maps in the ArcGIS 10.3 environment, to determine the suitable sites for groundwater recharge within the Awaspi watershed. Fifty-five percent of the total area of the watershed was found to be suitable for groundwater recharge; whereas 45% of the area was determined to have poor suitability for groundwater recharge, but can be used for surface water harvesting.     

The impact of groundwater recharge on land subsidence: a case study from the Cangzhou test area,Hebei Province,China

Groundwater recharge has become a method to prevent the expansion of land subsidence. A groundwater pumping–recharge test in Cangzhou city, Hebei Province (China), is taken as a representative example in order to monitor the changes in borehole water levels and land subsidence. The aquifer system consists of three main confined aquifers interspersed with silt and clays. Based on the lithology, the test and the Biot consolidation theory, a three-dimensional fully coupled numerical model is established to analyse the influence of groundwater recharge on the seepage field and displacement field. The results show that, due to recharge of the deeper confined aquifers (III1 and III2), the water levels rise rapidly and remain stable for a long time. By 163 days, the water-level rise is approximately 0.5 m, and the land also shows an obvious rebound. Therefore, groundwater recharge takes a long time to control land subsidence. Groundwater recharge controls the occurrence of land subsidence by increasing pore-water pressure and changing the characteristics of the aquifer system. However, the limitation is that the scope of impact of single-well recharge is limited, which is still a challenge to the governance of large areas.

     

Groundwater recharge zones mapping using GIS: a case study in Southern part of Jordan Valley,Jordan

This paper aims at mapping the potential groundwater recharge zones in the southern part of Jordan Valley (JV). This area is considered as the most important part for agricultural production in Jordan. The methodology adopted in this study is based on utilizing the open ended SLUGGER-DQL score model, which was developed by Raymond et al (2009). Geographic information systems were used in this study to build up the different layers of this model and to create the potential groundwater recharge zones. Based on the generated SLUGGER-DQL potential map, it was found that about 70.8 % of the investigated area was categorized as high potential for groundwater recharge, 18.7 % as moderate, and 10.5 % as low potential for groundwater recharge. To validate the model results, sensitivity analysis was carried out to assess the influence of each model parameter on the obtained results. Based on this analysis, it was found that the slope parameter (S) is the most sensitive parameter among SLUGGER-DQL model parameters, followed by water level in summer (L), well density (D), water quality (Q), runoff availability (R), land use/land cover, geology (GE), whereas the lowest sensitive parameter is the geology parameter (GE). Moreover, the parameters R, D, and Q show the lowest effective weights. The effective weight for each parameter was found to differ from the assigned theoretical weight by SLUGGER-DQL index model.     

Assessment of surface water potential and groundwater recharge in ungauged watersheds: a case study in Tamil Nadu,India

Many of the states in India have been facing water scarcity for more than 2 decades due to increased demand, because of the increase in population and higher living standards. Consequently, many states have almost fully utilized the available surface water resources and are exploiting groundwater to augment water supplies. Investigations were carried out in the upper Thurinjalar watershed of Ponnaiyar basin in Tamil Nadu to determine the availability of surface water and to investigate the potential for enhancing groundwater recharge to support the water demand in the watershed. Increasing the water availability would also enable the community to convert the 46% of the land area in the watershed that is currently underutilised into productive uses. The surface water potential for the upper Thurinjalar watershed was assessed by applying the USDA–NRCS model with daily time steps. This modelling exercise indicated that the annual runoff from the 323 km² area of the watershed is 61 million m³. Groundwater recharge in the watershed was assessed by carrying out daily water balance method and indicated that about 43 million m³ of water from recharge is available on an annual basis or about 14% of annual rainfall. A simple regression model was developed to compute groundwater recharge from rainfall based on water balance computations and this was statistically verified. The modelling indicated that there is sufficient water available in the watershed to support current land uses and to increase the productivity of underutilised land in the area. The study also demonstrates that simple regression models can be used as an effective tool to compute groundwater recharge for ungauged basins with proper calibration.     

Delineation and explanation of geochemical anomalies using fractal models in the Heqing area,Yunnan Province,China

The Heqing area, located in the Sanjiang ore belt, China, consists of the Beiya gold orefield related to the alkaline porphyry, the Emeishan volcanic mafic rocks and a series of sedimentary rocks. Thirty-nine elements of stream sediment samples taken in the 1:200,000 geochemical survey in the Heqing area can be classified into four groups using principal component analysis. Two fractal models, i.e., the concentration–area model and the number–size model, are applied in determination of the thresholds for the representative elements in the four groups. The thresholds obtained from the two models are similar. According to the thresholds, the element concentration distribution can be divided into 3 segments, each of them is mainly correlated to one type of rocks, including the alkaline porphyry related to gold-mineralized rocks, mafic rocks and sedimentary rocks. This paper reveals that the various geological events can be characterized by the different fractal models of element distribution.