Groundwater mining of bedrock aquifers in the Denver Basin – past,present, and future

The Denver Basin bedrock aquifer system is an important source of water for municipal and agricultural uses in the Denver and Colorado Springs metropolitan areas. The Denver area is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States with a population of 1.2 million in 1960 that has increased to over 2.4 million by 2000. This rapid population growth has produced a corresponding increase in demand for potable water. Historically, the Denver area has relied on surface water, however, in the past 10 years new housing and recreation developments have begun to rely on groundwater from the bedrock aquifers as the surface water is fully appropriated and in short supply.The Denver Basin bedrock aquifer system consists of Tertiary and Cretaceous age sedimentary rocks known as the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe and Laramie-Fox Hills Aquifers. The number of bedrock wells has increased from 12,000 in 1985 to 33,700 in 2001 and the withdrawal of groundwater has caused water level declines of 76 m. Water level declines for the past 10 years have ranged from 3 to 12 m per year. The groundwater supplies were once thought to last 100 years but there is concern that the groundwater supplies may be essentially depleted in 10 to 15 years in areas on the west side of the basin.Extensive development of the aquifer system has occurred in the last 25 years especially near the center of the basin in Douglas and El Paso Counties where rapid urban growth continues and surface water is lacking. Groundwater is being mined from the aquifer system because the discharge by wells exceeds the rate of recharge. Concern is mounting that increased groundwater withdrawal will cause water level declines, increased costs to withdraw groundwater, reduced well yield, and reduced groundwater storage. As the long-term sustainability of the groundwater resource is in doubt, water managers believe that the life of the Denver Basin aquifers can be extended with artificial recharge, water reuse, restrictions on lawn watering, well permit restrictions and conservation measures.     

Declining groundwater level and aquifer dewatering in Dhaka metropolitan area,Bangladesh: causes and quantification

Large abstraction by water-wells has been causing a linear to exponential drop in groundwater level and substantial aquifer dewatering in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The city is almost entirely dependent on groundwater, which occurs beneath the area in an unconsolidated Plio-Pleistocene sandy aquifer. Analysis shows that the pattern of water-level change largely replicates the patterns of change in the rate of groundwater abstraction. Contribution of the aquifer storage to the abstraction is estimated to be more than 15% in the year 2002. This abstraction has caused a sharp drop in water level throughout the city and turned into two cones of depression in the water level. Upper parts of the aquifer are already dewatered throughout the area, with the exception of part of the northeast and southeast corner of the city. It is calculated that about 41 million cubic metres (MCM) of the aquifer dewatered by the year 1988, which increased to 2,272 MCM in the year 2002. Water-level decline may increase non-linearly due to limiting vertical recharge in areas where the aquifer is dewatered and may severely threaten the sustainability of the aquifer.     

Effects of the planned ephesus recreational canal on freshwater–seawater interface in the Selçuk sub-basin, İzmir-Turkey

An artificial water canal opening is planned between the Agean Sea and the historical Ephesus site for the sake of tourism in the Selçuk sub-basin. In order to predict the effects of the planned canal on freshwater–seawater interface and related contamination in the aquifer, 3-D numerical density dependent flow and solute transport simulations were carried out. The simulations included the pre-pumping and pumping periods without a canal and the prediction period in the presence of the canal. Chloride concentration comparisons of the results obtained from the pre-pumping period and the pumping period indicate that the freshwater-seawater interface in the aquifer has progressed inland due to artificial discharge in the sub-basin. Drawdown during the pumping period is about 15 cm. The planned canal opening could further lower the groundwater levels in the area and would change the groundwater flow directions in the first 4 years. Then the levels and flow directions will nearly recover. However, the canal opening could cause further seawater intrusion into the aquifer to the extent that groundwater would be unfit to use for irrigation after the seventh year of the canal opening in the irrigation cooperative II wells area and would be unfit to use for drinking purposes after the tenth year in the municipality wells area located at the south of the cooperative II wells. On the other hand, the cooperative I wells would not be effected by the opening of the canal.     

Study on the groundwater sustainable problem by numerical simulation in a multi-layered coastal aquifer system of Zhanjiang,China

Assessing sustainability of coastal groundwater is significant for groundwater management as coastal groundwater is vulnerable to over-exploitation and contamination. To address the issues of serious groundwater level drawdown and potential seawater intrusion risk of a multi-layered coastal aquifer system in Zhanjiang, China, this paper presents a numerical modelling study to research groundwater sustainability of this aquifer system. The transient modelling results show that the groundwater budget was negative (\(-3826\times 10^{4}\) to \(-4502\times 10^{4 }\,\hbox {m}^{3}/\hbox {a}\)) during the years 2008–2011, revealing that this aquifer system was over-exploited. Meanwhile, the groundwater sustainability was assessed by evaluating the negative hydraulic pressure area (NHPA) of the unconfined aquifer and the groundwater level dynamic and flow velocity of the offshore boundaries of the confined aquifers. The results demonstrate that the Nansan Island is most influenced by NHPA and that the local groundwater should not be exploited. The results also suggest that, with the current groundwater exploitation scheme, the sustainable yield should be \(1.784\times 10^{8}\, \hbox {m}^{3}/\hbox {a}\) (i.e., decreased by 20% from the current exploitation amount). To satisfy public water demands, the 20% decrease of the exploitation amount can be offset by the groundwater sourced from the Taiping groundwater resource field. These results provide valuable guidance for groundwater management of Zhanjiang.     

Assessing groundwater storage in the Kairouan plain aquifer using a 3D lithology model (Central Tunisia)

The aquifer of the semi-arid Kairouan plain has been exploited for decades to supply the growing irrigated agriculture and the need of drinking water. In parallel, the major hydraulic works drastically changed the natural groundwater recharge processes. The continuous groundwater level drop observed since the 1970s naturally raises the question of groundwater storage sustainability. To date, hydrogeological studies focused on groundwater fluxes, but the total amount of groundwater stored in the aquifer system has never been fully estimated. This is the purpose of the present paper. A complete database of all available geological, hydrogeological and geophysical data was created to build a 3D lithology model. Then, the lithological units were combined with the hydraulic properties to estimate the groundwater storage. Over the 700 km² of the modelled area, the estimated storage in 2013 was around 18?×?10⁹ m³ (equivalent to 80 times the annual consumption of 2010) with a highly variable spatial distribution. In 45 years (1968–2013), 12% of the amount of groundwater stored in the aquifer has been depleted. According to these results, individual farms will face strong regional disparities for their access to groundwater in the near future.     

辽河三角洲地区地下水动态监测研究

辽河三角洲处于陆地和海洋的结合部,蕴含丰富的资源,具有十分重要的战略地位。项目通过三年的时间,查明了辽河三角洲地区主要含水层结构:第四系含水层系统(Q)、明化镇组含水层系统(Nm)、馆陶组含水层系统(Ng)。通过设立动态监测网,建立、完善地下水动态监测体系,实现地下水位和水质的实时监测;地下水水位动态:第四系松散岩类孔隙水较为稳定,水位动态变化不大;上新近系明化镇组和馆陶组地下水,受人类活动影响较大,由于多年连续大量开采,地下水位逐年下降,已形成了2个区域性地下水降落漏斗。地下水水质动态:第四系上更新统(Q3)浅层水Cl-、SO42-、Na+及矿化度持续升高,高矿化度水分布面积扩大,水化学类型复杂化,氯化物型和钠型水分布面积增大,向周边扩散;明化镇组和馆陶组地下水,水质优良,变化不大。针对地下水超采,注重水资源合理配置,适当减少新近系地下水资源的开采,充分利用地表水资源的对策。     

Maximizing the management of groundwater resources in the Paris–Abu Bayan reclaimed area,Western Desert,Egypt

The Paris–Abu Bayan area located along the Darb El Arbaein road is involved in the New Valley Project in the Egyptian Western Desert (EWD) as part of ongoing efforts since the 1960s. In this dryland area, groundwater stored in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) serves as the only water resource for a number of different uses. A major concern is the significant groundwater withdrawals from 74 pumped wells since the beginning of agricultural activities in 2000. The recent rapid expansion of agricultural activity and the lack of sufficient groundwater recharge as a result of unplanned groundwater development have led to severe stress on the aquifer. Field measurements have shown a rapid decline in groundwater levels, creating a crisis situation for this sole source of water in the area. In this study, mathematical modeling of the groundwater system (single aquifer layer) of the Paris–Abu Bayan reclaimed area was implemented using MODFLOW to devise a new strategy for the sustainable use of groundwater, by applying a number of scenarios in a finite-difference program. The conceptual model and calibration were developed by generating and studying the hydrogeological records, NSA parameters, production wells, and water level measurements for 2005 and 2012. Three management scenarios were applied on the calibrated model to display the present and future stresses on this aquifer over a 30-year period (2012–2042). The results clearly show a high decline in the heads of the NSA, by about 13.8 m, due to the continuous withdrawal of water (first scenario: present conditions, 102,473 m³/day). In the second scenario, the water level is expected to decrease significantly, by about 16 m, in most of the reclamation area by increasing the pumping rates by about 25% (over-pumping) to meet the continuous need for more cultivation land in the area. To reduce the large decline in water levels, the third plan tests the aquifer after reducing the water withdrawal by approximately 25%, applying modern irrigation systems, and suggesting two new reclaimed areas in the northeastern and northwestern parts (areas 1 and 2), with 20 new wells, at 500 m³/day/well. The results in this case show that groundwater levels are slightly decreased, by about 9.5 m, while many wells (especially the new wells in the northern part) show a slight decrease in groundwater levels (0.8 m). The results comparison shows that the groundwater level in the modeled area is lowered by 0.3 m/year with an increase in the number of wells to 94 and increased cultivation area by about 18% (third scenario), versus 0.45 m/year and 0.60 m/year recorded for the first and second scenarios, respectively. Therefore, based on the results, the third scenario is recommended as a new strategy for improving groundwater resource sustainability in the region.     

Observing changes in groundwater resource using hydro-chemical and isotopic parameters: a case study from Bist Doab,Punjab

The continuous and large-scale abstraction of groundwater has created a groundwater depletion problem in several parts of the Punjab state including Bist Doab, the interfluve region of Beas and Satluj rivers. In the present study, a few important parameters, viz. water level, stable isotope, EC, temperature, groundwater age, that can be used to fingerprint the over-exploitation of groundwater have been examined. It has been observed that with the increase in over-exploitation, the yield of shallow aquifer is progressively getting reduced and as a result forcing the farmers to sink their wells to deeper depths. With abstraction of deeper aquifer, the storage of old groundwater at the deeper aquifer is declining and getting replaced by induced accelerated inflow of young water from the recharge zone and the overlying shallow aquifer. The signatures of the modern water have been observed in the data analyzed for isotopic, hydro-chemical facies, electrical conductivity and temperature of water from deeper aquifer. The study has identified the usefulness of these parameters for identifying groundwater over-exploitation in the region. Depleting water resource may stagnate the economic progress of the region. The paper provides suitable water resource management strategies to be adopted to improve the sustainability of water resources and economic growth in the region.     

大兴迭隆起隐伏岩溶水资源评价及开采方案预测

大兴迭隆起地区隐伏岩溶地下水是北京市的重要水源,为保障水源地能持续为大兴、通州地区提供优质的城镇生活用水,需对研究区岩溶地下水进行水资源评价和开采规划预测分析。利用数值模拟法,应用GMS模拟软件对研究区岩溶水系统进行地下水流数值模拟及水位变化预测。建立的岩溶水系统模型分为5层,模拟验证期为12年9个月。由模型评价的岩溶水系统补给资源量为14 425.74×10^4m3/a,可开采资源量为14 310.52×10^4m3/a,其中岩溶含水层可开采量为2 309.36×10^4m3/a。在模型识别验证后,分4种开采方案对水源地进行开采预测,通过对典型观测孔水位过程线拟合和研究区水均衡分析可知,按2020年之前维持现状开采,2020年后停采念坛水源地,2025年后全区按可开采量进行开采的开采方案最为合理,可分批逐次实现水源地的采补平衡。     

Application of groundwater sustainability indicators to the carbonate aquifer of the Sierra de Becerrero (Southern Spain)

The objective of this study was to test the applicability of groundwater sustainability indicators defined by UNESCO, together with the International Academy of Environmental Sciences (IAES), the International Association of Hydrogeology (IAH) Group on Groundwater Indicators and the Geological Survey of Spain (IGME), to the aquifer scale. We selected four main indicators based on their relevance in the field of groundwater sustainability and because they proved to be the most reliable, based on the data collection and methodology utilized. These indicators were applied to a small—26 km² of permeable outcrops—carbonate aquifer situated in the province of Seville (southern Spain), which has semi-arid climate conditions (500 mm/year). The integral application of all these indicators in this particular groundwater body leads us to conclude that, at present, the aquifer is undergoing intensive use. Therefore, the exploitation of its water resources is surpassing the threshold of sustainability when both the quantity and the quality of the groundwater are taken into consideration. The continued increase in exploitation generates a descending trend in the evolution of the piezometric levels, a consequence of adaptation to the new hydrodynamic situation, and also results in exhaustion of the springs that drain the aquifer in undisturbed conditions. At the same time, there is a trend of increasing salinity in the groundwater and a risk of contamination by nitrate which, according to the EU Water Framework Directive and the Groundwater Daughter Directive (EU Official Journal of the European Communities L327, 2000; EU Official Journal of the European Communities L372/19, 2006), should be controlled and reduced. In the future, application of the methodology described here may prove useful for the evaluation of similar systems, either in southern Spain or in other countries with semi-arid climates.     

Assessment of groundwater quantity and quality and saltwater intrusion in the Damghan basin,Iran

This study describes the groundwater quantity and quality conditions in the Damghan aquifer in Iran. The quantitative analysis of data obtained from observation wells indicates overexploitation of groundwater during recent years, which has resulted in deterioration of water quality. The mean water level has declined about 7.4 m between years of 1966 and 2010. The hydrochemical facies of water collected from sampling wells were investigated though Piper and Chadha diagrams, and the general dominant type of water in the study area was determined as Na-Cl. The quality assessment examined the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. Compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water, all regions were found to have unpotable groundwater. Furthermore, unsuitability of groundwater for agricultural applications due to high salinity was observed through analysis of major quality indicators. The saltwater intrusion was investigated by ionic ratio analyses and was determined to be the main factor contributing to high salinity and deterioration of the groundwater quality in the Damghan basin.     

有咸水区深层淡水可持续利用研究

天津市东丽区第四系Ⅱ组深层淡水在长期较强开采状态下未发生水位持续下降及大面积深层淡水成化污染,十余年来地层沉降基本消失.该地多年来中更新统淡水及上更新统、全新统咸水水位具有同步不等幅的动态,证明它们之间联系密切,地层中渗透系数小于10-3m/d的历次海侵沉积层及压实的粘土层具有半透膜特性,咸水越流补给第Ⅱ承压含水组的是淡水.适量加大Ⅱ组淡水开采强度,使其产生越流系统,稳定后不会再加大地面沉降.最终使全新统地下水下入渗水位降低,夺取潜水蒸发的水量.在有咸水分布区,地表入渗水是尚没有引起足够重视的可持续利用地下淡水的补给来源.     

Modelling the vulnerability of groundwater to contamination in an unconfined alluvial aquifer in Pakistan

The area of Thal Doab is located in the Indus Basin and is underlain by a thick alluvial aquifer called the Thal Doab aquifer (TDA). The TDA is undergone intense hydrological stress owing to rapid population growth and excessive groundwater use for livestock and irrigated agricultural land uses. The potential impact of these land uses on groundwater quality was assessed using a DRASTIC model in a Geographic Information System environment. Seven DRASTIC thematic maps were developed at fixed scale and then combined into a groundwater vulnerability map. The resultant vulnerability index values were grouped into four zones as low, moderate, high and very high. The study has established that 76% of the land area that is underlain by the TDA has a high to very high vulnerability to groundwater contamination mainly because of a thin soil profile, a shallow water table and the presence of soils and sediments with high hydraulic conductivity values. In addition, only 2 and 22% of the total area lie in low and moderate vulnerability zones, respectively. The outcomes of this study can be used to improve the sustainability of the groundwater resource through proper land-use management.     

Assessing groundwater availability and the response of the groundwater system to intensive exploitation in the North China Plain by analysis of long-term isotopic tracer data

The use of isotope tracers as a tool for assessing aquifer responses to intensive exploitation is demonstrated and used to attain a better understanding of the sustainability of intensively exploited aquifers in the North China Plain. Eleven well sites were selected that have long-term (years 1985–2014) analysis data of isotopic tracers. The stable isotopes δ¹⁸O and δ²H and hydrochemistry were used to understand the hydrodynamic responses of the aquifer system, including unconfined and confined aquifers, to groundwater abstraction. The time series data of ¹⁴C activity were also used to assess groundwater age, thereby contributing to an understanding of groundwater sustainability and aquifer depletion. Enrichment of the heavy oxygen isotope (¹⁸O) and elevated concentrations of chloride, sulfate, and nitrate were found in groundwater abstracted from the unconfined aquifer, which suggests that intensive exploitation might induce the potential for aquifer contamination. The time series data of ¹⁴C activity showed an increase of groundwater age with exploitation of the confined parts of the aquifer system, which indicates that a larger fraction of old water has been exploited over time, and that the groundwater from the deep aquifer has been mined. The current water demand exceeds the sustainable production capabilities of the aquifer system in the North China Plain. Some measures must be taken to ensure major cuts in groundwater withdrawals from the aquifers after a long period of depletion.     

Assessing groundwater vulnerability using GIS-based DRASTIC model for Ahmedabad district,India

The present research aims to derive the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater against contamination using the GIS platform. The study applies DRASTIC model for Ahmedabad district in Gujarat, India. The model uses parameters like depth, recharge, aquifer, soil, topography, vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity, which depict the hydrogeology of the area. The research demonstrates that northern part of district with 46.4% of area is under low vulnerability, the central and southern parts with 48.4% of the area are under moderate vulnerability, while 5.2% of area in the south-east of district is under high vulnerability. It is observed from the study that lower vulnerability in northern part may be mostly due to the greater depth of vadose zone, deeper water tables and alluvial aquifer system with minor clay lenses. The moderate and high vulnerability in central and southern parts of study area may be due to lesser depth to water tables, smaller vadose zone depths, unconfined to semi-confined alluvial aquifer system and greater amount of recharge due to irrigation practices. Further, the map removal and single-parameter sensitivity analysis indicate that groundwater vulnerability index has higher influence of vadose zone, recharge, depth and aquifer parameters for the given study area. The research also contributes to validating the existence of higher concentrations of contaminants/indicators like electrical conductivity, chloride, total dissolved solids, sulphate, nitrate, calcium, sodium and magnesium with respect to groundwater vulnerability status in the study area. The contaminants/indicators exceeding the prescribed limits for drinking water as per Indian Standard 10500 (1991) were mostly found in areas under moderate and high vulnerability. Finally, the research successfully delineates the groundwater vulnerability in the region which can aid land-use policies and norms for activities related to recharge and seepage with respect to existing status of groundwater vulnerability and its quality.     

大清河流域平原区地下水人工补给潜力与补给方式分析

为了有效提升大清河流域平原区地下水水位,亟需在此区域开展地下水人工补给工程,并确定合理的建设位置及有效的补给方式。首先基于研究区可利用补给水源、地下水位、地表高程、地表坡度及与河道距离5个指标的分布特征,构建地下水补给潜力评价体系,采用ArcGIS空间分析功能对研究区进行了地下水人工补给潜力区划;然后在此评价体系基础上,在典型人工补给高潜力区进一步开展系列野外现场试验,探讨适宜可行的地下水人工补给方式。结果表明：研究区西北部及南部河道附近区域开展人工补给工程潜力较高,而中部、北部及西南部远离河道的区域潜力较低。高潜力区——白沟引河地段包气带及含水层渗透性良好,整体渗透系数均在5 m/d左右或更高,适宜地表补给,但河床渗透性较差,渗透系数基本在0.01~0.09 m/d间,若通过河道补给需配合清淤等措施。其中,在上游及中游沿岸适宜将河道水通过生态水渠引至修建的地表入渗池或借助天然渗坑内入渗补给,在中下游沿岸区域适宜将补给水进行严格的水处理后采用井灌方式补给,在白沟引河中下游河道适宜修建拦水坝,利用河道进行入渗补给。     

海南琼北复式含水层系统水循环特征

目前,琼北复式含水层系统(面积4300km2)的水循环方式,以垂向互补互渗为主,水平径流为辅,最大限度截取地下水入海径流量.海水与复式含水层系统发生水量交换必须同时具备两个条件:(1)存在水量交换通道;(2)有势能差(位头、压头和咸淡水密度差别产生的重力势头组成).由于琼北复式含水层系统地下水资源多年连续被开采,承压自流水位在15～20年前就已降低至海平面之下,但至今尚未发现明显的海水入侵迹象.     

煤炭开采条件下三姑泉域岩溶含水层保护评价

三姑泉域是我国典型的北方岩溶区,同时位于国家规划的晋东大型煤炭基地,煤炭开采与水资源保护之间的问题较为突出。多年来区内煤炭资源的大规模开采造成了区域地下水位下降、水质恶化等现象。因此开展北方岩溶区煤炭基地含水层保护评价对水资源保护及经济可持续发展具有十分重要的意义。本文从含水层脆弱性、含水层功能和煤炭开采影响力三方面建立综合评价指标体系,采用APH法进行三姑泉域岩溶含水层综合保护评价。针对煤炭基地特征,采用增加了煤炭采空区指标的COP修正模型评价了含水层的脆弱性。含水层功能评价分别从供水能力与生态、大泉维持能力开展;煤炭开采影响力评价从开采活动及煤炭地质结构两方面开展。综合评价结果显示需要重点保护的区段为岩溶大泉、水源地及地表渗漏段,其次为岩溶强径流带及煤炭剧烈开采区,与实际情况相符。      

A spatio-temporal three-dimensional conceptualization and simulation of Dera Ismail Khan alluvial aquifer in visual MODFLOW: a case study from Pakistan

Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) is situated in the Lower Indus Basin of Pakistan. The land use has been changed in the canal command area due to irrigation activities near the Indus River. To check the current status and predict the groundwater levels in the area, the unconfined aquifer has been simulated in Visual MODFLOW for a period of 35 years, i.e., from 1985 to 2020. The 2900-km² area has been modeled with a grid of 500 by 500 m and the depth set to 100 m. The aquifer in the study area has been divided vertically and laterally into three and ten zones, respectively, for the characterization. Water wells and streams were used as the sinks and hydrologic boundaries, respectively. The model was successfully calibrated in steady and the non-steady state. The simulation revealed that the whole simulation can be divided into two phases, i.e., before and after the construction of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC), whereas the results were summarized in the form of water table depth maps and groundwater budget calculations. To determine the groundwater sustainability, a conjunctive use scenario has been employed to simulate the aquifer dynamics till 2020. The simulation revealed incremental drawdowns till the end.     

Sustainability of groundwater in Mali,West Africa

The following paper describes the goals and some preliminary work in the Bani sustainability study, an ongoing project in Mali, West Africa. Rural communities in Mali are increasingly relying on hand-pumps, which tap groundwater resources, as a means of obtaining potable water. The long-term sustainable yield of groundwater resources is not known but can be evaluated in sustainability study. In 2005, a groundwater sustainability study was established along the Bani River of Mali. The Bani study collected groundwater levels that were used in a conceptual groundwater flow model—the Bani model—to develop an understanding of current aquifer conditions and to make limited predictions of sustainability under various future scenarios. The Bani model showed the climatic parameters of recharge (derived from precipitation) and evapotranspiration to influence simulated groundwater levels and groundwater volume available, while increased pumping rates, due to population growth, showed little effect. When considered in the context of the actual Bani sustainability study area, the change in groundwater levels resulting from climatic parameters may have negative implications, especially during several consecutive years of decreased precipitation, such as drought, or if downward trends anticipated for precipitation continue.