Water Distribution and Silt Clogging in the Strong-Seepage Zone Infiltration Process of Yufuhe River from Yellow River Water Based on the Two-Dimensional Sand Tank Model

Weidong Zhao,Yujie Meng,Shisong Qu,Shuai Liu,Weiping Wang,Xiuxiu Sun

doi:10.3390/w13091200

Abstract

A two-dimensional sand tank experiment was designed to explore the mechanism of water distribution and silt clogging of Yellow River water whilst replenishing groundwater in ‘open window’ reach of the piedmont river and strong seepage area consisting of a gravel and karst layer from top to bottom. Water released through the reach was divided into surface, pore and fracture karst water, of which karst water was an effective recharge from the surface water. A reasonable released water plan is necessary in recharging to avoid invalid recharge. The karst water accounted for 60–70% of the amount of water released before clogging, and this value was reduced to approximately 10–20% whilst a thin clay layer formed from suspended particles on the surface layer of the medium after clogging. The removal rate of suspended solids along vertical and lateral directions in the medium can reach over 96%. The retained amount of suspended particles was mainly distributed on the surface and upper layer region of the medium. A rubber dam can improve effective infiltration whilst promoting suspended solid deposition in the medium. The fitting degree of the numerical simulation and measured results was above 0.9, which proves the reliability of the sand tank model results.

Highlights

The continuous occurrence of clogging in the infiltration medium during the period of groundwater recharge is due to the use of surface water, reclaimed water, urban stormwater runoff, etc. as source water can seriously impact the efficiency of the recharge process [5]
Water released during the entire experiment was divided into karst, pore, and surface water (Figure 5)
Effects of water release rate, a rubber dam, and suspended particles on the water distribution and sediment blockage were fully considered in the experiment

Summary

Introduction

A series of groundwater recharge projects has been established in the Yufuhe Basin in the southwest of Jinan City to solve the contradiction between water supply and spring preservation caused by the rapid increase in water demand during the development of. MAR is widely applied in Europe and America, and especially Australia, where relevant national guidelines have been issued to ensure the efficient operation of MAR projects for groundwater recovery because of its multiple positive effects [3,4]. The continuous occurrence of clogging in the infiltration medium during the period of groundwater recharge is due to the use of surface water, reclaimed water, urban stormwater runoff, etc. Artificial recharge projects in Maryland, USA involved 207 stormwater underground water projects in 1986, of which 30% operated for less than 2 years before cancellation due to clogging.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion