Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability in Upper Betwa River Watershed using GIS based DRASTIC Model

Groundwater, the most vital water resource being used for irrigation, domestic and industrial purposes is nowadays under severe threat of contamination. Groundwater contamination risk assessment is an effective tool for groundwater management. In the study, a DRASTIC model which is based on the seven hydrogeological parameters viz: depth of water, net-recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity was used to evaluate the groundwater pollution potentiality of upper Betwa watershed. ArcGIS was used to create the ground water vulnerability map by overlaying the seven layers. Based on groundwater vulnerability map, the watershed has been divided in three vulnerable zones viz; low vulnerability zone with 42.83 km² of area, moderate with 369.21 km² area and high having 270.96 km² of area. Furthermore, the DRASTIC model has been validated by nitrate concentration over the area. Results of validation have shown that in low vulnerable zone, no nitrate contamination has been recorded. While in the moderate zone nitrate has been found in the range of 1.6-10ppm. However, in high vulnerable zone 11-40ppm of nitrate concentration in groundwater has been recorded, which proves that the DRASTIC model is applicable for the prediction of groundwater vulnerability in the watershed and in similar areas too.     

Assessment of aquifer vulnerability based on GIS and DRASTIC methods: a case study of the Senirkent-Uluborlu Basin (Isparta, Turkey)

Aquifer vulnerability has been assessed in the Senirkent-Uluborlu Basin within the Egirdir Lake catchment (Turkey) using the DRASTIC method, based on a geographic information system (GIS). There is widespread agriculture in the basin, and fertilizer (nitrate) and pesticide applications have caused groundwater contamination as a result of leaching. According to hydrogeological data from the study area, surface water and groundwater flow are towards Egirdir Lake. Hence, aquifer vulnerability in the basin should be determined by water quality in Egirdir Lake. DRASTIC layers were prepared using data such as rainfall, groundwater level, aquifer type, and hydraulic conductivity. These data were obtained from hydrogeological investigations and literature. A regional-scale aquifer-vulnerability map of the basin was prepared using overlay analysis with the aid of GIS. A DRASTIC vulnerability map, verified by nitrate in groundwater data, shows that the defined areas are compatible with land-use data. It is concluded that 20.8% of the basin area is highly vulnerable and urgent pollution-preventions measures should be taken for every kind of relevant activity within the whole basin.     

KARSTIC: a sensitivity method for carbonate aquifers in karst terrain

. Groundwater in karstic aquifers can be dangerously sensitive to contamination. Many cities in the western USA rely on karstic carbonate aquifers for municipal water supplies. For example, Rapid City, South Dakota, pumps more than half of its drinking water from wells in the Madison Limestone. This work examined the sensitivity of karstic aquifers to surface contamination in mountainous terrain. Where karstic carbonate aquifers are exposed at their outcrop areas, they are particularly susceptible to the introduction of contamination through diffuse recharge or through point recharge at swallow holes along streams. Residential developments in mountainous regions of the western USA are encroaching on the recharge areas of karstic aquifers. Many of these residential developments are served by onsite wastewater disposal systems such as septic tanks and drain fields, with the attendant danger of introduction of pathogens from malfunctioning treatment systems above fractured limestone which offers little filtering. Where streams disappear into karstic aquifers at swallow holes, microbial contaminants such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium are a concern, as well as potential spills, leaks, or accidents along roads near these streams. The KARSTIC method developed and modified in this work puts greater emphasis on karst features than previous sensitivity procedures such as the US Environmental Protection Agency's DRASTIC method. The modified method gives increased attention to highly sensitive areas of karstic carbonate aquifers by weighting the synergistic effects of fracturing, karst development, and swallow holes of recharging streams. In a field application, hydrogeologic maps of a watershed in the Black Hills, USA, were digitized into a geographic information system. The resulting sensitivity map and report can be used by planners, managers, and the public as a screening tool for assessing groundwater sensitivity in regions which include karstic aquifers.     

Determination of water balance equation components in irrigated agricultural watersheds using SWAT and MODFLOW models : A case study of Samalqan plain in Iran

Increasing water demands,especially in arid and semi-arid regions,continuously exacerbate groundwater as the only reliable water resources in these regions.Samalqan watershed,Iran,is a groundwater-based irrigation watershed,so that increased aquifer extraction,has caused serious groundwater depletion.So that the catchment consists of surface water,the management of these resources is essential in order to increase the groundwater recharge.Due to the existence of rivers,the low thickness of the alluvial sediments,groundwater level fluctuations and high uncertainty in the calculation of hydrodynamic coefficients in the watershed,the SWAT and MODFLOW models were used to assess the impact of irrigation return flow on groundwater recharge and the hydrological components of the basin.For this purpose,the irrigation operation tool in the SWAT model was utilized to determine the fixed amounts and time of irrigation for each HRU(Hydrological Response Unit)on the specified day.Since the study area has pressing challenges related to water deficit and sparsely gauged,therefore,this investigation looks actual for regional scale analysis.Model evaluation criteria,RMSE and NRMSE for the simulated groundwater level were 1.8 m and 1.1%respectively.Also,the simulation of surface water flow at the basin outlet,provided satisfactory prediction(R²=0.92,NSE=0.85).Results showed that,the irrigation has affected the surface and groundwater interactions in the watershed,where agriculture heavily depends on irrigation.Annually 11.64 Mm3 water entered to the aquifer by surface recharge(precipitation,irrigation),transmission loss from river and recharge wells 5.8 Mm3 and ground water boundary flow(annually 20.5 Mm³).Water output in the watershed included ground water extraction and groundwater return flow(annually 46.4 Mm³)and ground water boundary flow(annually 0.68 Mm³).Overally,the groundwater storage has decreased by 9.14 Mm3 annually in Samalqan aquifer.This method can be applied to simulate the effects of surface water fluxes to groundwater recharge and river-aquifer interaction for areas with stressed aquifers where interaction between surface and groundwater cannot be easily assessed.     

Compilation simulation of surface water and groundwater resources using the SWAT-MODFLOW model for a karstic basin in Iran

Modeling of karstic basins can provide a better understanding of the interactions between surface water and groundwater, a more accurate estimation of infiltrated water amount, and a more reliable water balance calculation. In this study, the hydrological simulation of a karstic basin in a semiarid region in Iran was performed in three different stages. In the first stage, the original SWAT model was used to simulate surface-water flow. Then, the SWAT-MODFLOW conjunctive model was implemented according to the groundwater characteristics of the study area. Finally, due to the karstic characteristics of the region and using the CrackFlow (CF) package, the SWAT-MODFLOW-CF conjunctive model was developed to improve the simulation results. The coefficient of determination (R²) and the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) as error evaluation criteria were calculated for the models, and their average values were 0.63 and 0.57 for SWAT, 0.68 and 0.61 for SWAT-MODFLOW, 0.73 and 0.7 for SWAT-MODFLOW-CF, respectively. Moreover, the mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) of the calibration for groundwater simulation using the SWAT-MODFLOW model were 1.23 and 1.77 m, respectively. These values were 1.01 and 1.33 m after the calibration of the SWAT-MODFLOW-CF model. After modifying the CF code and keeping the seams and cracks open in both dry and wet conditions, the amount of infiltrated water increased and the aquifer water level rose. Therefore, the SWAT-MODFLOW-CF conjunctive model can be proposed for use in karstic areas containing a considerable amount of both surface water and groundwater resources.

     

基于GIS的农业面源硝酸盐地下水污染动态风险评价

地下水中的硝酸盐污染具有全球性,这不仅是一个环境问题,也是一个经济和人类健康问题。DRASTIC方法可以进行地下水污染的脆弱性评价,但是却没有涵盖风险的概念,也忽视了污染物随地表水流运动的动态特性。因此,所得结果可能有碍于“欧洲水管理框架指南”在地下水水质管理中的执行。笔者基于DRASTIC方法开发了一个动态风险评价方法,并将其运用于英国北爱尔兰Upper Bann流域中的一个小流域。研究区地下水硝酸盐污染风险评价结果表明,此方法将有效地帮助决策者在流域范围内开展农业面源地下水污染预防措施。“非常高风险”和“高风险”区分别占研究区面积的5.1%和10.5%。此结果可帮助当地政府针对流域内这些“非常高风险”和“高风险”区的特点制订地下水质保护政策。此方法同样适用于任何面源可溶性污染物的地下水污染动态风险评价。     

Chemical parameters as natural tracers in hydrogeology: a case study of Louros karst system,Greece

The Louros Basin hosts one of the most important karst systems of Epirus Prefecture (Greece) and plays a key role in supplying three counties with drinking water. Aiming to investigate the origin of groundwater and its flow patterns, a multi-tracer approach was used to describe and evaluate the hydrogeology of the system. Therefore, 271 surface water and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical parameters, major ions, and trace and rare earth elements, as well as stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H). These data provided meaningful tracing of the water origin, water–rock interaction processes, and relationships among the aquifers. In particular, the elaboration of the major ions supported by the distribution of rare earth elements indicated that there are three aquifers located at different levels hosted in the Senonian and Pantokrator limestone formations. These aquifers are hydraulically interconnected by a cascade and constitute the Louros karst system which is drained by the homonymous river. Hydrochemical and isotopic data revealed that the Louros karst system is isolated from the adjacent northern Ioannina Basin and it is being recharged by precipitation. Higher groundwater salinity, where present, is mainly associated with increased water–rock interaction due to longer and deeper hydrologic flow, favoring the dissolution of evaporitic, carbonate and phosphate minerals.     

Groundwater flow and solute transport at the Mourquong saline-water disposal basin, Murray Basin, southeastern Australia

Saline groundwater and drainage effluent from irrigation are commonly stored in some 200 natural and artificial saline-water disposal basins throughout the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia. Their impact on underlying aquifers and the River Murray, one of Australia's major water supplies, is of serious concern. In one such scheme, saline groundwater is pumped into Lake Mourquong, a natural groundwater discharge complex. The disposal basin is hydrodynamically restricted by low-permeability lacustrine clays, but there are vulnerable areas in the southeast where the clay is apparently missing. The extent of vertical and lateral leakage of basin brines and the processes controlling their migration are examined using (1) analyses of chloride and stable isotopes of water (²H/¹H and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O) to infer mixing between regional groundwater and lake water, and (2) the variable-density groundwater flow and solute-transport code SUTRA. Hydrochemical results indicate that evaporated disposal water has moved at least 100 m in an easterly direction and that there is negligible movement of brines in a southerly direction towards the River Murray. The model is used to consider various management scenarios. Salt-load movement to the River Murray was highest in a "worst-case" scenario with irrigation employed between the basin and the River Murray. Present-day operating conditions lead to little, if any, direct movement of brine from the basin into the river. Electronic Publication     

The Basin of Mexico and its metropolitan area: water abstraction and related environmental problems

The Basin of Mexico is a closed basin of lacustrine character, with an average elevation of 2200 m above sea level. The watershed covers a vast extension in five states. Mexico City and its metropolitan area are located within this basin. The aquifer system is the main source of water supply for more than 20 million people. Water consumption is about 60 m³/s. The aquifer supplies about 43 m³/s from around 1000 wells at 70–200 m depth. Pumping policies have generated subsidence and degradation of the ground water quality in the Basin of Mexico The lacustrian clay layers play an important role in the local hydrogeology, protecting the aquifer from pollution, but the transition and piedmont areas are highly vulnerable to surface pollutants.     

重工业区高脆弱岩溶含水层中多环芳烃污染的初步研究

以西南岩溶地区某市重工业区为研究对象,采集水文地质单元内地下水和土壤样品,利用气相色谱-质谱法（GC-MS)测试美国环保署16 种多环芳烃（PAHs）优控物。初步研究表明,研究区地下水16种PAHs均被检出,浓度为1 135.79～1 361.26 ng/L,以菲、蒽、萘、屈、芘为主;地下水处于中等污染程度,其中苯并[a]蒽、屈、苯并[b]荧蒽、苯并[k]荧蒽4种浓度超过美国EPA2009《国家推荐的优先有毒污染物水质标准》标准;PAHs特征比值显示含水层中的PAHs来源于燃煤和炼焦污染源,与钢铁厂和化肥厂排放的特征有机污染物一致。研究区污染源下游大面积区域地下水已经受到PAHs污染,且出现排泄区PAHs浓度高于径流区的现象,岩溶含水层PAHs的污染主要受两方面影响:一是洼地、裂隙发育,断层破碎带和强风化白云岩等为PAHs在含水层中的运移提供了有利条件,同时污染源区内地下水大量开采加速了污染物向地下水的入渗;二是水电站建坝蓄水发电,江水水位抬高,河岸地下水排泄速度减慢,可能致使岩溶含水层中PAHs的自净能力减弱。生态风险评价显示地下水中菲、蒽、芘、苯并[a]蒽、苯并[b]荧蒽处于重污染风险,应采取措施降低污染风险。      

泸西喀斯特断陷盆地地表水与地下水流域边界与水动力性质

在详细调查基础上,采用系统科学及水文地质分析方法,依据地形地貌、地层岩性、地质构造、示踪试验、地下水排泄基准面、喀斯特发育条件及发育规律等剖析论证流域边界,并通过钻探及示踪试验进行验证。研究结果:（1）对泸西喀斯特断陷盆地南东部的水系统边界向北移进行了修正,证实了三塘一带深部不发育的喀斯特是地下水分水岭边界,使得泸西喀斯特断陷盆地流域的径流系统和边界圈化更加准确;（2）泸西喀斯特断陷盆地流域地表水、地下水转化频繁,地表水径流特征主要以小江河在水库、河流、伏流间的径流转化过程为体现,地下水在侵溶山区接受大气降水补给后,上层径流以泉、暗河的形式在泸西盆地底面排泄后转化成地表水,最终汇集于盆地南部、通过工农隧洞及落水洞排向小江,而下层径流则以小江水面为基准,通过深层径流排泄。      

岩溶地下河在SWAT中的概化方法——以毕节倒天河流域为例

岩溶地下河的存在严重影响了土壤和水评估工具（SWAT）在岩溶地区的普遍适用性。针对岩溶地下河在SWAT中的概化问题,提出基于数字高程模型（DEM）预处理结合SWAT流域自动识别功能的方法,将岩溶地下河暴露于地表,把岩溶区复杂的地表－地下二元结构简化为地表一元结构,并以贵州毕节地下河发育的倒天河流域为例进行应用。结果表明:① 对比未经概化地下河建立的模型,概化地下河建立的模型识别流域面积增大30.73%,子流域个数增加29.27%,水文响应单元（HRU）个数增加43.82%;② 参数取最大物理意义范围时,未经概化地下河建立的模型p因子=0.64,不满足建模条件,物理模型本身存在问题;③ 概化地下河建立的模型月步长模拟结果:校准期R2=0.96,NS=0.96,验证期R2=0.94,NS=0.93,月尺度模拟效果非常好。岩溶地下河概化方法使SWAT在流域划分方面更加合理,搭建的模型模拟更加合理。该研究拓展了SWAT模型在岩溶区的应用。      

黄河支流汾河流域水资源开发利用现状及生态环境问题

【研究目的】汾河是黄河第二大支流,也是山西省的第一大河,流域内水资源供需矛盾突出,分析水资源开发利用现状及其生态环境问题是进行流域生态修复的前提。【研究方法】本文在分析汾河流域水资源特征及其开发利用现状的基础上,系统总结了汾河径流量衰减、岩溶大泉断流和水质恶化等生态环境问题,并对其成因进行了分析。【研究结果】研究表明：汾河流域多年平均水资源量为33.59亿m³,其中地下水资源是水资源的主要组成部分,约占72%;2005年以后由于跨流域调水、地下水压采等汾河流域综合治理措施的实施,水资源的供水结构发生了较大的变化,地表水的供水比例由最初的30%提高到55%,地下水供水比例由原来的62%降低到目前的37%。整体上,汾河流域的水资源开发利用程度高达80%以上,水资源的过度开发已导致汾河干流断流、入黄径流量大幅衰减、岩溶大泉断流等严重的生态环境问题。其中,汾河流入黄河径流量从1955至2018年衰减程度达63.5%,衰减的原因主要是降水量的减少和岩溶大泉的流量衰减;汾河流域内8个岩溶大泉的总流量从1956至2018年的衰减程度达69%,50%的岩溶大泉已在不同时期断流,岩溶大泉的水质恶化问题也非常严重,如晋祠泉和龙子祠泉的TDS和SO₄^2-呈逐年升高的趋势,煤矿开采是造成岩溶泉水SO₄^2-含量快速升高的主要原因。【结论】汾河流域的水资源供需矛盾十分突出,虽然通过跨流域调水等生态修复措施实现了汾河干流全年不断流、地下水位止降回升和地表水环境质量初步改善,但生态环境恶化的趋势依然严峻。创新点：分析了山西省汾河流域近15年的水资源特征及其供水结构的变化规律;系统总结了汾河流域的生态环境问题,并对其成因进行了探讨。     

Evaluation of nitrate source in surface water of southwestern China based on stable isotopes

Stable isotope tracing and analysis play an important role in interpretation of hydrological and ecological processes at the watershed scale and can provide information regarding the flow path, water source, nutrient loss and biogeochemical cycles of a system. In this study, environmental isotopes (δ¹⁸O-H₂O, δD, δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^?, δ¹⁸O-NO₃ ^?) and chemical compositions of surface water in Guizhou Province, China, were measured to evaluate the primary sources of nitrate and characterize the processes affecting nitrate as well as its correlation with vegetation cover in karstic areas. The δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O-NO₃ ^? levels ranged from +1.3 to +9.8 ‰ and +4.7 to +16.9 ‰, respectively, which indicated that nitrate in water from the investigated area primarily originated from nitrification of soil organic matter during the sampling period. There was also a wide range of isotopes in the water and high contents of nitrate in karstic areas with poor vegetation cover, indicating that water and nutrient loss were serious problems hindering plant growth in the study areas. For example, there was a positive relationship between isotopic composition and nitrate content in the natural forest and negative relationship in Libo County nearby, which suggested that the nitrate fate was affected by land use and human disturbance.     

Multi-tracer investigation of river and groundwater interactions: a case study in Nalenggele River basin,northwest China

Environmental tracers (such as major ions, stable and radiogenic isotopes, and heat) monitored in natural waters provide valuable information for understanding the processes of river–groundwater interactions in arid areas. An integrated framework is presented for interpreting multi-tracer data (major ions, stable isotopes (²H, ¹⁸O), the radioactive isotope ²²²Rn, and heat) for delineating the river–groundwater interactions in Nalenggele River basin, northwest China. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were undertaken to estimate the bidirectional water exchange associated with small-scale interactions between groundwater and surface water. Along the river stretch, groundwater and river water exchange readily. From the high mountain zone to the alluvial fan, groundwater discharge to the river is detected by tracer methods and end-member mixing models, but the river has also been identified as a losing river using discharge measurements, i.e. discharge is bidirectional. On the delta-front of the alluvial fan and in the alluvial plain, in the downstream area, the characteristics of total dissolved solids values, ²²²Rn concentrations and δ¹⁸O values in the surface water, and patterns derived from a heat-tracing method, indicate that groundwater discharges into the river. With the environmental tracers, the processes of river–groundwater interaction have been identified in detail for better understanding of overall hydrogeological processes and of the impacts on water allocation policies.     

Evaluation of aquifers vulnerability to contamination in the Yarmouk River basin, Jordan, based on DRASTIC method

The existing different human activities and planned land uses put the groundwater resources in Jordan at considerable risk. There are evidences suggesting that the quality of groundwater supplies in north Jordan is under threat from a wide variety of point and non-point sources including agricultural, domestic, and industrial. Vulnerability maps are designed to show areas of greatest potential for groundwater contamination on the basis of hydrogeological conditions and human impacts. DRASTIC method incorporates the major geological and hydrogeological factors that affect and control groundwater movement: depth to groundwater (D), net recharge (R), lithology of the aquifer (A), soil texture (S), topography (T), lithology of vadose zone (I), and hydraulic conductivity (C). The main goal of this study is to produce vulnerability maps of groundwater resources in the Yarmouk River basin by applying the DRASTIC method to determine areas where groundwater protection or monitoring is critical. ArcGIS 9.2 was used to create the groundwater vulnerability maps by overlaying the available hydrogeological data. The resulting vulnerability maps were then integrated with lineament and land use maps as additional parameters in the DRASTIC model to assess more accurately the potential risk of groundwater to pollution. The general DRASTIC index indicates that the potential for polluting groundwater is low in the whole basin, whereas the resulting pesticide DRASTIC vulnerability map indicates that about 31% of the basin is classified as having moderate vulnerability, which may be attributed to agricultural activities in the area. Although high nitrate concentrations were found in areas of moderate vulnerability, DRASTIC method did not depict accurately the nitrate distribution in the area.     

桂江流域地下水污染途径及防控措施研究

对桂江流域开展岩溶地下水污染调查发现:流域内地下水污染源分为“三氮”污染源、重金属污染源、有机污染源三类;“三氮”污染源主要包括工业、养殖和生活三类污水、生活垃圾渗滤液、农业施用氮肥等;重金属污染主要来自工矿企业;有机污染来自工业、养殖业。污染途径主要有孤峰平原的分散入渗式、孤峰平原的脚洞灌入式、峰丛洼地的消水洞灌入式、溶丘谷地的入渗式和峰丛峰林谷地的天窗灌入式等五类。并对88组地下水样品测试结果进行多指标地下水污染综合评价,结果表明36.5%的水点为“三氮”污染,多以分散入渗进入地下水,其污染形态呈面状分布;15.3%的水点为重金属污染,主要通过峰丛洼地消水洞灌入式补给和溶丘谷地入渗补给两种途径,呈点状分布于污染场地附近;3.49%的水点为有机污染,主要为分散入渗补给途径,污染呈短线状或点状分布。      

Assessment of groundwater vulnerability based on a modified DRASTIC model, GIS and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method: the case of Egirdir Lake basin (Isparta, Turkey)

A DRASTIC-model method based on a geographic information system (GIS) was used to study groundwater vulnerability in Egirdir Lake basin (Isparta, Turkey), an alluvial area that has suffered agricultural pollution. ‘Lineament’ and ‘land use’ were added to the DRASTIC parameters, and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method determined the rating coefficients of each parameter. The effect of lineament and land-use parameters on the resulting vulnerability maps was determined with a single-parameter sensitivity analysis. Of the DRASTIC parameters, land use affects the aquifer vulnerability map most and lineament affects it least, after topography. A simple linear regression analysis assessed the statistical relation between groundwater nitrate concentration and the aquifer vulnerability areas; the highest R ² value was obtained with the modified-DRASTIC-AHP method. The DRASTIC vulnerability map shows that only the shoreline of Egirdir Lake and the alluvium units have high contamination potential. In this respect, the modified DRASTIC vulnerability map is quite similar. According to the modified-DRASTIC-AHP method, the lakeshore areas of Senirkent-Uluborlu and Hoyran plains, and all of the Yalvaç-Gelendost plain, have high contamination potential. Analyses confirm that groundwater nitrate content is high in these areas. By comparison, the modified-DRASTIC-AHP method has provided more valid results.     

Supervised committee fuzzy logic model to assess groundwater intrinsic vulnerability in multiple aquifer systems

Groundwater vulnerability modeling is an alternative approach to evaluate groundwater contamination especially in areas affected by intensive anthropogenic activities. However, the DRASTIC model as a well-known method to assess groundwater vulnerability suffers from the inherent uncertainty associated with its seven essential parameters. In this study, three different fuzzy logic (FL) models (Sugeno fuzzy logic, Mamdani fuzzy logic, and Larsen fuzzy logic) are adopted to improve the DRASTIC system to be more realistic. The vulnerability map of groundwater from multiple aquifer systems (i.e., karstic, alluvium, and complex) in Basara basin, Iraq, was created using the FL models. Validation of the FL models results using NO₃-N concentration obtained from wells and springs of the study area indicating that all of the three FL models are applicable for improving the DRASTIC model. However, each of the FL models has its own advantages for groundwater vulnerability estimation in different types of aquifer systems in the Basara basin. Therefore, this study proposes the supervised committee fuzzy logic (SCFL) as a multimodel method to combine the advantages of individual FL models. The SCFL method confirms that no water well with high NO₃-N levels would be classified as low risk and vice versa. The study suggests that this approach has provided a convenient estimation of pollution risk in the study area and therefore, a more accurate prediction of the intrinsic vulnerability to pollution in the multiple aquifer system can be achieved through SCFL method.     

Assessment of groundwater vulnerability in the Río Artiguas basin, Nicaragua

The Río Artiguas basin in central Nicaragua shows a distinctive case of environmental deterioration due to anthropogenic activities. Heavy metals used in gold mining and other wastes are continuously released into the rivers, representing a threat to the water quality. This article aims to evaluate the groundwater intrinsic vulnerability in the Río Artiguas basin and to provide information for sustainable use of water resources. The DRASTIC and GOD methods were used to analyse the relative pollution potential within the basin. DRASTIC was modified to include the degree of influence that geological structures have on the vulnerability. Moderate vulnerability areas cover most of the basin along stream valleys and lowlands, increasing downstream in the basin. The resulting vulnerability maps show that the limited groundwater resources are susceptible to surface water pollution as high vulnerability areas converge along the river valleys.