Abstract
Despite the widespread presence of groundwater recharge check dams, there are few studies that quantify their functionality. The objectives of this study are (i) to assess groundwater recharge in an ephemeral river with and without a check dam and (ii) to assess sediment build-up in the check-dam reservoir. Field campaigns were carried out to measure water flow, water depth, and check-dam topography to establish water volume, evaporation, outflow, and recharge relations, as well as sediment build-up. To quantify the groundwater recharge, a water-balance approach was applied at two locations: at the check dam reservoir area and at an 11 km long natural stretch of the river upstream. Prediction intervals were computed to assess the uncertainties of the results. During the four years of operation, the check dam (storage capacity of 25,000 m3) recharged the aquifer with an average of 3.1 million m3 of the 10.4 million m3 year−1 of streamflow (30%). The lower and upper uncertainty limits of the check dam recharge were 0.1 and 9.6 million m3 year−1, respectively. Recharge from the upstream stretch was 1.5 million m3 year−1. These results indicate that check dams are valuable structures for increasing groundwater resources in semi-arid regions.
Highlights
Groundwater is an important source of water supply in semi-arid regions because it is protected from high evaporation rates that affect surface water bodies
Martin-Rosales et al [6] quantified recharge by estimating the infiltration capacity of the reservoir bed of existing check dams by infiltrometer tests in south-eastern Spain
We found found that mm an ephemeral river of of a 105-kmwatershed watershed
Summary
Groundwater is an important source of water supply in semi-arid regions because it is protected from high evaporation rates that affect surface water bodies. Under climate change conditions, managed aquifer recharge systems could be more effective than increasing surface reservoir capacities [4] and could be the most economically and socially feasible solution for the integrated management of water resources [5]. A recharge check dam is a barrier that is placed across a river or channel to slow the movement of water, encouraging groundwater recharge. Several authors studied the groundwater recharge efficiency of check dams. Martin-Rosales et al [6] quantified recharge by estimating the infiltration capacity of the reservoir bed of existing check dams by infiltrometer tests in south-eastern Spain.
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