Geological and hydrological investigation of a water collection system in arid Jordanian lands

With the increase in population of developing and under developed countries, and with the availability of water resources strained and in many areas deficient, it is quite evident that water conservation and distribution programs need to be adopted on a scale far greater than any yet in use. This requires a more detailed evaluation and development of any water resource. In this study, the geology and geomorphology of the Safawi area northeast of Jordan and the climatic conditions were evaluated as an aid in determining the potential for the collection of surface water. The runoff coefficient, flood frequency, and runoff volumes from some selected valleys were determined through the use of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) method and other known techniques. The results of this study indicated that the collection of surface water in this arid region is feasible. Estimates were made for the runoff coefficient and annual runoff volumes through the application of the accepted hydraulic engineering methods.