Groundwater development using geographic information system

Abstract

The Beles River Basin is one of the major river basins of the upper Blue Nile Basin. This paper deals with the demarcation of favorable groundwater potential zones in the Beles River Basin, Ethiopia, using geographic information system. The various determinant factors of groundwater potential (slope, drainage density, stream power index, fault density, hydrological soil groups, soil texture, saturated hydraulic conductivity, available water capacity, soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, soil depth, soil erodibility, and soil type) were analyzed based and reclassified according to their potential of infiltration and groundwater potential. All the determinant factors were overlaid using “Weighted index overlay analysis” tool in geographic information system domain. The final groundwater prospectus map shows the areas of very low, low, moderate, and high groundwater potential areas. 19.34% of total area was found to have high groundwater potential. While as 41.82%, 32.06%, and 6.79% of the total area represent moderate, low, and very low groundwater potential areas.