Evapotranspiration capture and stream depletion due to groundwater pumping under variable boreal climate conditions: Sudogda River Basin,Russia

Groundwater pumping and changes in climate-induced recharge lead to lower groundwater levels and significant changes in the water balance of a catchment. Water previously discharged as evapotranspiration can become a source of pumpage. Neglecting this effect leads to overestimated streamflow depletion. A small river basin (Sudogda River Basin, Russia) with a boreal climate and with long-term records of groundwater head and streamflow rate (showing that the measured stream depletion is less than the pumping rate) was investigated. The role of evapotranspiration in the water balance was analyzed by a hydrogeological model using MODFLOW-2005 with the STR package; the annual variation in recharge was obtained with the codes Surfbal and HYDRUS. The Sudogda River Basin was classified according to landscape and unsaturated-zone texture classes, and for each classified zone, the unsaturated-zone flow simulation was used to calculate the annual recharge dynamics for the observation period. Calibration of the regional flow model was conducted using flow and head observations jointly for two steady-state flow conditions—natural (before pumping started) and stressed (pumping). The simulations showed that pumped water originates from three sources: intercepted baseflow (75% of the annual total pumping rate), the capture of groundwater evapotranspiration discharge plus increased groundwater recharge (17%), and induced stream infiltration (8%). Additionally, multi-year precipitation records were analyzed to detect any long-term recharge and pumping water-budget changes. The results showed that increasing groundwater recharge by natural precipitation leads to (1) decreased intercepted baseflow and induced streamflow infiltration and (2) increased intercepted evapotranspiration discharge, thereby reducing stream depletion.     

Groundwater-level response to land-use change and the implications for salinity management in the West Moorabool River catchment, Victoria, Australia

The connection between the removal of native vegetation, rising water tables and increasing stream salinity has been established for many catchments across Australia. However, the West Moorabool River in south west Victoria is an example of a catchment where there has been little discernable effect on groundwater levels following land clearing. Over the past 150 years, a significant portion of the catchment has been cleared of dense forest for agricultural development. Historic standing water-level records from 1870–1871 and 1881 are compared with contemporary measurements (1970s to 2007) recorded in the government bore databases. The data show that the earliest recorded groundwater levels are well within the seasonal range of values observed today. By integrating geology and hydrogeology with historical observations of groundwater levels, climate data and land use, the contemporary field observations of stream salinity are linked to the changed water use and shift in rainfall. In contrast to the normally accepted axiom, reafforestation as a management strategy to mitigate the rising salinity in the West Moorabool River catchment would seem inappropriate.     

Quantifying baseflow and water-quality impacts from a gravel-dominated alluvial aquifer in an urban reach of a large Canadian river

Groundwater discharge and non-point source (NPS) loading were evaluated along an urban reach of an eastern-slopes Rocky Mountains river (Bow River, Canada) to understand sources of water-quality impacts and baseflow. The discharge did not increase measurably over a 16-km reach. Groundwater in the river-connected alluvial aquifer was a mixture of river and prairie groundwater, with elevated chloride concentrations (average 379 mg L^–1) from road salt. Alluvial groundwater was the major NPS of chloride discharging to the river. Although the mass-flux based estimates of groundwater discharge were small (mean 0.02 m³ s^–1 km^–1, SD = 0.04 m³ s^–1 km^–1, n?=?30), the associated chloride mass flux over 16 km was significant (equivalent to that discharged from the city’s largest wastewater-treatment-plant effluent). Although local groundwater baseflow was previously thought to contribute significantly to overwinter baseflow in this reach, little contribution was measured in this study. Low baseflow generation is consistent with long-term river discharge data that show almost all of the baseflow generation occurs in the Rocky Mountain reach. Thus, local watershed areas are important for water-quality protection, but climate change in the headwaters is most salient to long-term flow.     

Impact of a Fluorine-Rich Granite Intrusion on Levels and Distribution of Fluoride in a Small Boreal Catchment

This paper explores the influence of a fluorine-rich granite on fluoride concentration in a small boreal catchment in northern Europe. The materials include stream water and shallow groundwater sampled in spatial and temporal dimensions, and analytical data on fluoride and a number of ancillary variables. Fluoride increased strongly towards the lower reaches of the catchment—at the stream outlet the concentrations were up to 4.2 mg L⁻¹ and 1.6–4.7 times higher than upstream. Additionally, fluoride concentrations were particularly high in groundwater and small surface-water bodies (including quarries) above or in direct contact with the granite and showed a strong inverse correlation with water discharge in the stream. Taken together, these data and patterns pin-point the granite intrusion as the ultimate source, explaining the abundance and distribution of dissolved fluoride within the catchment. The granite most likely deliver fluoride to the stream by three mechanisms: (1) weathering of the fine fraction of glacial deposits, derived from the granite and associated fluorine-rich greisen alterations, (2) large relative input of baseflow, partially originating in the granite and greisen, into the lower reaches during low flow in particular, and (3) water-conducting fractures or fracture zones running through the fluorine-rich granite and greisen.     

Mineralogical sources of the buffer capacity in a granite catchment determined by strontium isotopes

The role of different minerals in base cation release and thus the increase of buffering capacity of groundwater against acid deposition is controversially discussed in the literature. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and base cation concentration were investigated in whole rock leachates, mineral separates, precipitation, soil solution, groundwater and stream water samples in the Lehstenbach catchment (Germany) to identify the weathering sequence of the granite bedrock. Three different approaches were followed in parallel. It was assumed that the contribution of different minerals to base cation supply of the groundwater with increasing weathering intensity would be observed by investigating (1) unweathered rock leachates, deep groundwater and shallow groundwater, (2) groundwater samples from new groundwater wells, reflecting the initial weathering of the drilled bedrock, and groundwater from wells that were drilled in 1988, (3) stream water during baseflow, dominated by deep groundwater, and stream water during high flow, being predominantly shallow groundwater. Whereas the first approach yielded consistent patterns, there was some evidence that groundwater from the new wells initially reflected contamination by the filter gravel rather than cation release in an initial stage of weathering. Time series samples of stream water and groundwater solute concentrations and isotope ratios turned out to reflect varying fractions of soil water and precipitation water at baseflow and high flow conditions rather than varying contributions of different minerals that prevail at different stages of granite weathering.     

Groundwater recharge and salinization in the arid coastal plain aquifer of the Wadi Watir delta,Sinai, Egypt

The Quaternary coastal plain aquifer down gradient of the Wadi Watir catchment is the main source of potable groundwater in the arid region of south Sinai, Egypt. The scarcity of rainfall over the last decade, combined with high groundwater pumping rates, have resulted in water-quality degradation in the main well field and in wells along the coast. Understanding the sources of groundwater salinization and amount of average annual recharge is critical for developing sustainable groundwater management strategies for the long-term prevention of groundwater quality deterioration. A combination of geochemistry, conservative ions (Cl and Br), and isotopic tracers (^87/86Sr, δ⁸¹Br, δ³⁷Cl), in conjunction with groundwater modeling, is an effective method to assess and manage groundwater resources in the Wadi Watir delta aquifers. High groundwater salinity, including high Cl and Br concentrations, is recorded inland in the deep drilled wells located in the main well field and in wells along the coast. The range of Cl/Br ratios for shallow and deep groundwaters in the delta (∼50–97) fall between the end member values of the recharge water that comes from the up gradient watershed, and evaporated seawater of marine origin, which is significantly different than the ratio in modern seawater (228). The ^87/86Sr and δ⁸¹Br isotopic values were higher in the recharge water (0.70,723 < ^87/86Sr < 0.70,894, +0.94 < δ⁸¹Br < +1.28‰), and lower in the deep groundwater (0.70,698 < ^87/86Sr < 0.70,705, +0.22‰ < δ⁸¹Br < +0.41‰). The δ³⁷Cl isotopic values were lower in the recharge water (−0.48 < δ³⁷Cl < −0.06‰) and higher in the deep groundwater (−0.01 < δ³⁷Cl < +0.22‰). The isotopic values of strontium, chloride, and bromide in groundwater from the Wadi Watir delta aquifers indicate that the main groundwater recharge source comes from the up gradient catchment along the main stream channel entering the delta. The solute-weighted mass balance mixing models show that groundwater in the main well field contains 4–10% deep saline groundwater, and groundwater in some wells along the coast contain 2–6% seawater and 18–29% deep saline groundwater.A three-dimensional, variable-density, flow-and-transport SEAWAT model was developed using groundwater isotopes (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δ³⁷Cl and δ⁸¹Br) and calibrated using historical records of groundwater level and salinity. δ¹⁸O was used to normalize the evaporative effect on shallow groundwater salinity for model calibration. The model shows how groundwater salinity and hydrologic data can be used in SEAWAT to understand recharge mechanisms, estimate groundwater recharge rates, and simulate the upwelling of deep saline groundwater and seawater intrusion. The model indicates that most of the groundwater recharge occurs near the outlet of the main channel. Average annual recharge to delta alluvial aquifers for 1982 to 2009 is estimated to be 2.16 × 10⁶ m³/yr. The main factors that control groundwater salinity are overpumping and recharge availability.     

Fingerprinting groundwater salinity sources in the Gulf Coast Aquifer System,USA

Understanding groundwater salinity sources in the Gulf Coast Aquifer System (GCAS) is a critical issue due to depletion of fresh groundwater and concerns for potential seawater intrusion. The study objective was to assess sources of groundwater salinity in the GCAS using ～1,400 chemical analyses and ～90 isotopic analyses along nine well transects in the Texas Gulf Coast, USA. Salinity increases from northeast (median total dissolved solids (TDS) 340 mg/L) to southwest (median TDS 1,160 mg/L), which inversely correlates with the precipitation distribution pattern (1,370– 600 mm/yr, respectively). Molar Cl/Br ratios (median 540–600), depleted δ²H and δ¹⁸O (?24.7‰, ?4.5‰) relative to seawater (Cl/Br ～655 and δ²H, δ¹⁸O 0‰, 0‰, respectively), and elevated ³⁶Cl/Cl ratios (～100), suggest precipitation enriched with marine aerosols as the dominant salinity source. Mass balance estimates suggest that marine aerosols could adequately explain salt loading over the large expanse of the GCAS. Evapotranspiration enrichment to the southwest is supported by elevated chloride concentrations in soil profiles and higher δ¹⁸O. Secondary salinity sources include dissolution of salt domes or upwelling brines from geopressured zones along growth faults, mainly near the coast in the northeast. The regional extent and large quantities of brackish water have the potential to support moderate-sized desalination plants in this location. These results have important implications for groundwater management, suggesting a current lack of regional seawater intrusion and a suitable source of relatively low TDS water for desalination.     

Time series analysis of daily rainfall and streamflow in a volcanic dike-intruded aquifer system, O��ahu, Hawai��i, USA

A conceptual model of groundwater occurrence was developed for a dike-intruded aquifer system in M??kaha valley, O??ahu, Hawai??i, USA, and used to explain the impacts of water resource development on groundwater levels and streamflow. Time-series analyses were applied to two subsets of daily rainfall, total flow, and baseflow??from the third (1946?C1968) and fourth (1968?C1991) periods of development??to evaluate changes in streamflow response. Autocorrelation, cross-correlation, squared coherency and phase functions were used to estimate the decorrelation lag time, and the correlation length, linearity with frequency, and frequency response delay between rainfall and streamflow. The decorrelation lag time for total flow and baseflow declined by 16?C20?days (d). The correlation length between rainfall and streamflow declined 4?C7?d for total flow and 10?C13?d for baseflow. The squared coherency function indicates an overall decline in linearity between rainfall and total flow across most frequencies. The changes in hydrologic response following increased water-resource development is consistent with a model of groundwater depletion resulting in less groundwater discharge and more induced groundwater recharge. Changes in streamflow response are inconsistent with observed changes in rainfall and imply that streamflow decline is more likely to be the result of groundwater pumping.     

Groundwater salt accessions to land in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Salt accessions from artesian and sub-artesian bores have been calculated for the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin (QMDB), Australia, using available water chemistry, licensing data and a number of assumptions. The majority (~90%) of the salt accessions come from sub-artesian bores used for irrigation (including intensive livestock) purposes. Historically, free-flowing artesian bores in the west of the basin have contributed large quantities of salt, but their contributions have declined with capping and piping of these bores. The highest salt yields (t/km²) are in the Condamine catchment, which also contains 70% of the bores in the region. Groundwater salt accessions are considerably less than atmospheric (rainfall) accessions in all catchments except the Condamine. Further expansion of the coal seam gas industry may substantially increase non-cyclic groundwater accessions, further reducing catchment salt export/import ratios.     

基流分割法在黄河流域地下水研究中的应用

为研究黄河流域地下水可再生能力变化规律和制定黄河流域水资源管理方案,应用基流指数法(BFI)和直线平割法的原理与方法,计算了黄河流域干流13个水文断面与20条主要支流31个水文断面的基流量,并分析了基流量的形成机理、地下水对黄河水的贡献、基流变化过程、流域地下水资源的构成及地下水资源总量.研究结果表明:花园口断面的基流量占多年平均径流量的44%,流域内河水与地下水存在极其密切的转化关系,地下水对黄河水的贡献很大.黄河的径流量与基流量主要来自兰州以上的源区,兰州断面的年径流量与基流量分别占花园口断面径流量的59%和60%;而兰州以下到花园口之间的上、中游地区,地下水对黄河水的贡献很小.1990年前后,黄河干流与支流河段的基流量发生了很大变化.除玛多以上的源头段基流量衰减率较大外(衰减率为0.38),兰州以上的干流河段基流量衰减率较小(0.08～0.20),而兰州以下的黄河干流基流量衰减率都很大(0.22～0.31).基流量的剧烈衰减是天然和人类活动(如地下水开采)共同作用下地下水资源量减少的结果.从流域水循环的观点考虑,黄河流域的区域地下水资源由参与黄河水循环的地下水资源、未参与黄河水循环的地下水资源和流域地下水的开采等3大部分构成.1990年6月-2000年6月近10年黄河流域地下水天然资源量平均值为353.9 亿m~3/a,比多年地下水资源量平均值减少了15 % .     

Groundwater flow systems in turbidites of the Northern Apennines (Italy): natural discharge and high speed railway tunnel drainage

Turbidites crop out extensively in the Northern Apennine mountains (Italy). The huge amounts of groundwater drained by tunnels, built for the high speed railway connection between Bologna and Florence, demonstrate the aquifer-like behaviour of these units, up to now considered as aquitards. A conceptual model of groundwater flow systems (GFS) in fractured aquifers of turbidites is proposed, taking into account both system natural state and the perturbation induced by tunnel drainage. Analysis of hydrological data (springs, streams and tunnel discharge), collected over 10 years, was integrated with analysis of hydrochemical and isotopic data and a stream-tunnel tracer test. Hydrologic recession analysis of undisturbed conditions is a key tool in studying turbiditic aquifer hydrogeology, permitting the discrimination of GFS, the estimation of recharge relative to the upstream reach portion and the identification of springs most vulnerable to tunnel drainage impacts. The groundwater budgeting analysis provides evidence that the natural aquifer discharge was stream-focused through GFS, developed downslope or connected to main extensional tectonic lineaments intersecting stream beds; now tunnels drain mainly active recharge groundwater and so cause a relevant stream baseflow deplenishment (approximately two-thirds of the natural value), possibly resulting in adverse effects on local ecosystems.     

A groundwater salinity hotspot and its connection to an intermittent stream identified by environmental tracers (Mt Lofty Ranges,South Australia)

High and variable levels of salinity were investigated in an intermittent stream in a high-rainfall area (～800 mm/year) of the Mt. Lofty Ranges of South Australia. The groundwater system was found to have a local, upslope saline lens, referred to here as a groundwater salinity ‘hotspot’. Environmental tracer analyses (δ¹⁸O, δ²H, ^87/86Sr, and major elements) of water from the intermittent stream, a nearby permanent stream, shallow and deep groundwater, and soil-water/runoff demonstrate seasonal groundwater input of very saline composition into the intermittent stream. This input results in large salinity increases of the stream water because the winter wet-season stream flow decreases during spring in this Mediterranean climate. Furthermore, strontium and water isotope analyses demonstrate: (1) the upslope-saline-groundwater zone (hotspot) mixes with the dominant groundwater system, (2) the intermittent-stream water is a mixture of soil-water/runoff and the upslope saline groundwater, and (3) the upslope-saline-groundwater zone results from the flushing of unsaturated-zone salts from the thick clayey regolith and soil which overlie the metamorphosed shale bedrock. The preferred theory on the origin of the upslope-saline-groundwater hotspot is land clearing of native deep-rooted woodland, followed by flushing of accumulated salts from the unsaturated zone due to increased recharge. This cause of elevated groundwater and surface-water salinity, if correct, could be widespread in Mt. Lofty Ranges areas, as well as other climatically and geologically similar areas with comparable hydrogeologic conditions.     

黑河上游高寒山区降雨-径流形成过程的同位素示踪

为揭示中、低纬度高寒山区降雨-径流的形成过程,指导水资源的合理开发利用,选择黑河上游红泥沟小流域为研究区,基于河道径流量及雨水和河水稳定同位素的观测数据,构建二元混合模型,计算了2013年7月23日及8月21日两次典型降雨-径流事件中事件水（降雨）和事件前水（流域前期储水）对河道径流的贡献及其动态变化.结果显示:两次降雨事件中事件前水的贡献比例分别为68.69%和54.46%;事件前水的贡献比例在涨水阶段减小,在退水阶段增大.结合河水电导率的观测结果,进一步分析了降雨-径流的形成过程:河道径流的形成主要受饱和区蓄满产流、河岸带地下径流和山坡地下径流3种产流机制控制;事件水主要源于蓄满产流,事件前水主要源于河岸带和山坡地下径流;事件初期和末期以河岸带地下水补给为主,涨水阶段后期和退水阶段前期转为以蓄满产流和山坡地下水补给为主,洪峰期间蓄满产流的贡献达到最大.两次事件的对比表明,事件前的湿度条件和降雨强度对降雨-径流的形成过程有着重要影响:前期越湿润,流域储水能力越弱,导水能力越强,事件水的贡献越大,河道径流对降雨的响应越迅速;降雨强度越大,蓄满产流及其中的事件水比例越高,河道径流中事件水的比例也越高.      

Relationship between electrical conductivity, <Superscript>18</Superscript>O of water and NO<Subscript>3</Subscript> content in different streamflow stages

The Ballenera Creek has 160 km² being a small catchment in the Pampa Plain in Argentina. This area has been deeply modified by human action through agricultural activities. From 2013 to 2017, electrical conductivity, stable isotopes of water and nitrate concentration monitoring program were conducted. The sampling included weekly and bimonthly samples in two sites along the stream, several groundwater wells and monthly precipitation. Chemical and isotopic tracers are used to discriminate the streamflow components and to evaluate their incidence in the nitrate concentration. The easiest conceptual model for gaining streams contemplates two main elements: direct runoff and groundwater (baseflow and pre-event water). The direct runoff has the lowest electrical conductivity and ¹⁸O_w variable content. The baseflow component is characterized by the highest electrical conductivity and isotope composition quite constant. Finally, pre-event water has an intermediate electrical conductivity and isotopic content close to the rainfall-weighted average composition. The nitrate concentration obtained was in general related to the different stream stages and was a useful indicator to evaluate the fertilization in agricultural zones.     

Spatial and temporal variation of groundwater recharge in shallow aquifer in the Thepkasattri of Phuket,Thailand

Whether groundwater resources can be sustainably utilized is largely determined and characterized by hydrogeological parameters.Estimating the groundwater recharge is one of the essential parameters for managing water resources and protecting water resources from contamination.This study researched the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater recharge in the Thepkasattri sub-district through integrating chloride mass balance(CMB)and water table fluctuation(WTF)methods.The chloride content of representative rainfall and groundwater samples was analyzed.Besides,WTF method was adopted from groundwater level data from 2012 to 2015.According to the CMB method,the mean recharge was estimated to be 1172 mm per year,accounting for 47%of the annual rainfall.Moreover,the estimated recharge from the WTF method took 26%of annual rainfall in 2015.The recharge was underestimated according to the WTF method,because of the uncertainty in specific yield estimates and the number of representative wells in the study area.Moreover,the correlation between rainfall and water table fluctuation data indicated the positive linear relationship between two parameters.The spatial recharge prediction indicated that recharge was higher(1200-1400 mm/yr)in the eastern and western catchment,while that in the central floodplains was between 800 mm/yr and 1100 mm/yr.In addition,low recharge value between 450 mm/yr and 800 mm/yr was observed in the south-west part of Thepkasattri.The spatial variation of recharge partly reflects the influences of land use and land cover of the study area.     

Complex baseflow in urban streams: an example from central Ohio, USA

Baseflow in urban streams remains an under-researched topic, given the critical roles it plays and the extensive and ever-increasing pace of urbanization and its impacts on stream ecosystems. This study is designed to characterize the complexity of baseflow in Dry Run, an urban stream in Columbus, Ohio. A hierarchical modeling approach combined with observations of streamflow discharge (Q) and specific conductance (SC) of the stream water was applied. The streamflow measurements showed that baseflow in Dry Run is small (below 1 m³ s^?1) and being impacted by anthropogenic activities that directly discharge water into the stream. Model analyses using IHACRES and SWMM showed that baseflow is mainly composed of two different components—groundwater inflow and slowly released flows from storm-water detention ponds. The complex origins of baseflow are exemplified by hysteresis, which can be described with a plot of SC versus discharge. Overall, the study shows the value of geochemical measurements that constrain conceptual models of source-water inflows to the stream.     

Modeling the impact of groundwater harvesting on the hydro-salinity of a saline catchment in southeastern Australia

Recharge to a saline, unconfined shallow-water-table aquifer is normally considered as an irrecoverable loss of water, but such thinking could be reviewed empirically. The use of an appropriate groundwater harvesting system does not only provide an opportunity to recover this lost water, but can also help in catchment salinity management and improvement. Agricultural-based land-drainage systems such as those that use serial biological concentration (SBC) of salts, provide examples of such harvesting methods. The impact of groundwater harvesting has been assessed on the hydro-salinity of a saline catchment in southeastern Australia through modeling. For both the below average rainfall and very wet years, the “do nothing” scenario resulted in increasing salinization in the catchment. However, after introducing a SBC system, groundwater salinity showed a decreasing trend while hydraulic heads tended to stabilize around the depth of subsurface collector wells. However, for a successful groundwater harvesting system, proper understanding of the groundwater flows and salt mobilization associated with a catchment is necessary. The outcomes of this modelling study have the potential to address similar issues (salinization) and/or needs (water harvesting) existing elsewhere in the world, particularly in semi-arid regions.

Temporal variability of nitrate concentration in a schist aquifer and transfer to surface waters

Nitrate concentrations monitored for 2.5 a in the stream water and groundwater of a small catchment, 86.5% of which is devoted to intensive agriculture, show temporal variations with a maximum during winter (as much as 200 mg l⁻¹ in groundwater and 100 mg l⁻¹ in stream water) and a minimum at the end of summer/beginning of autumn. Variations were also observed in the stream water and shallow groundwater after rainfall. The processes involved to explain these variations, determined mainly from NO₃⁻ Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, piezometric and streamflow data, are: (a) variability of the relative contributions to stream water and shallow groundwater by upward fluxes of deeper groundwater which, as demonstrated previously, is denitrified mainly as a result of reaction with pyrite. (b) Denitrification of shallow groundwater during summer with organic matter acting as the electron donor. (c) Dilution by rain water. Nitrate concentrations in both stream water and shallow groundwater depend on the amount of precipitation, with an increased contribution from deep denitrified groundwater during dry periods. The temporal variations in NO₃⁻ concentration observed several metres below the water table are related to the preferential and rapid movement of NO₃⁻-polluted water through fractures and large fissures, which has been estimated at 1 m day⁻¹. Nitrate pollution in the catchment, because of the interaction with pyrite, also increases the net chemical weathering rate to values exceeding the world average.     

Inferring groundwater contributions and pathways to streamflow during snowmelt over multiple years in a discontinuous permafrost subarctic environment (Yukon, Canada)

Research on large northern rivers suggests that as permafrost thaws, deeper groundwater flowpaths become active, resulting in greater baseflow, increased concentrations of weathering ions and reduced concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in the streamflow. In contrast, at the headwater-catchment scale, where understanding of groundwater/surface-water interactions is developed, inter-annual variability in climate and hydrology result in complex hydrological and chemical responses to change. This paper reports on a 4-year runoff investigation in an alpine discontinuous permafrost environment in Yukon, Canada, using stable isotopes, major dissolved ions and hydrometric data, to provide enhanced insight into the inter-annual-variability runoff-generation processes. Stable isotope results suggest that pre-event (old) water stored within the catchment dominates the snowmelt hydrograph, and dissolved ion results reveal that groundwater pathways occur predominantly in the near-surface during freshet. Dissolved organic carbon varies inter-annually, reflecting changing melt patterns, whereas weathering ions generated from deeper flowpaths become diluted. The total snow-water equivalent does not have a major influence on the fraction of snowmelt water reaching the stream or the runoff ratio. Results from multiple years highlight the considerable variability over short time scales, limiting our ability to detect climate-change influences on groundwater at the headwater scale.     

Shallow groundwater in a middle mountain catchment of Nepal: quantity and quality issues

The use of shallow groundwater in middle mountain catchments of Nepal is a recent development. It was only in early 1998 that a number of dug wells had been constructed in the Jhikhu Khola catchment. But their numbers are rapidly increasing. While it seems to be a good way of accessing additional water resources both for domestic (current) and agricultural purposes (future), it is very important that the groundwater resources are not overexploited. Current dug wells are used to abstract groundwater, which is seasonally being recharged by the abundant monsoon rainfall. The water levels responded rapidly to the rainfall and differed according to the location of the well. The water quality parameters indicated that the water of most of the wells was not suitable for drinking purposes without prior treatment. Microbiological contamination is of particular concern, in addition to the high nitrate and phosphate levels. Some wells show elevated turbidity levels, indicating that there is an interaction between the muddy surface water and the water in the well.