Average Groundwater Discharge Research Articles

Estimating exploitable groundwater for agricultural use under environmental flow constraints using an integrated SWAT-MODFLOW model

Traditionally, the impact of groundwater abstraction on streamflow and aquifers has been assessed primarily in terms of water availability and depletion, often neglecting critical environmental flow (Eflow) requirements. To address this gap, our study employed an Eflow perspective to evaluate exploitable groundwater for agricultural use at a watershed scale using an integrated modeling approach. We used the SWAT-MODFLOW model, integrating the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Modular Finite-Difference Flow Model (MODFLOW), to analyze water balance segments and stream-aquifer interactions in the study region. Eflow for different management classes was determined using the flow duration curve (FDC) approach. The FDC method classifies Environmental Flow Management Classes (EMC) from “A” (natural or minor alteration) to “F” (critically modified). The relationship between the selected EMC and simulated streamflow, under the pressure of agricultural groundwater pumping, served as a constraint in evaluating exploitable groundwater alongside groundwater level fluctuations. As the traditional approach depends on average recharge for determining exploitable groundwater, this study also assessed the spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater recharge. Simulation periods were aligned with agricultural pumping schedules. Results indicated that groundwater pumping significantly impacts streamflow at the start of the irrigation period. Under moderately affected EMC and with an average groundwater level fluctuation of one meter, the exploitable groundwater during the irrigation period can reach up to 2.96 Mm3/day. With this amount of pumping, the average groundwater discharge to streams declined by around 13 %. While groundwater level fluctuations near the watershed outlet were minimal, in the upstream area, levels could decrease by as much as 2.5 m. The groundwater level fluctuation underscores the necessity of accounting for both spatial and temporal factors, particularly in highly affected regions.

Surface Water and Groundwater Recharge Modeling in Sunsari District using Integrated SWAT-MODFLOW Model

This study employs an integrated groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) model, using SWAT-MODFLOW, to assess groundwater recharge and withdrawals at a regional scale in eastern Nepal. The model components were calibrated and validated using monthly river flow and hydraulic head data for the 1979-2017 period. Our results demonstrate that the average annual groundwater discharge is 2.43 m3/s. Seasonally, the average groundwater discharge is 2.73 m3/s during Summer and is 2.13 m3/s during winter. We observe that the maximum (6.9 m3/s) and minimum (0.036 m3/s) rates occurred in September-October and March-April, respectively. We also find that the average runoff fraction (i.e., runoff/ precipitation) varied from 0.34 to 0.72, and the ET component varied from 0.24 to 0.547 of the total precipitation within the SWAT model. The yearly fluctuation in TWS varied from ± 9.9% to ± 58% of the total precipitation. The Aquifer thickness varies from 16m to 57 m, and the specific yield in the Sunsari district varied from 0.12 lps to 890 lps. In the southern part, we see the water level declines from 2-4 m from July to August, where the bottom water slowly declines in September. The recharge of 1380 l/sec is observed in the Sapta Koshi area in the Bhabar zone. There is substantial underflow from hills simultaneously, resulting in the total recharge in the Sunsari district of 1.98 MCM/yr. At the same time, the total discharge, including surface, sub-surface, and spring water discharge, is nearly 29.2 MCM/yr. This study shows that the Sunsari district’s water resources have many groundwater and surface water, properly managed for future use.

Analysis of groundwater resources in densely populated urban watersheds with a complex tectonic setting: Shenzhen, southern China

Shenzhen is the major financial and high-tech center in southern China. The megacity has grown rapidly in the last 40 years with the population increasing from about 30,000 in 1979 to 20 million in 2016. The study area (2,015 km2) is about 42% urban and 58% undeveloped land. The rapid development of the megacity has resulted in severe degradation of the groundwater and surface-water resources and has created a nearly insatiable demand for water, with an average consumption of 2000 × 106 m3/year. Groundwater is an important component of the baseflow of the many streams in the area and is used for potable water supply and irrigation in some of the rural parts of the municipality. This study develops a conceptual model and quantitative framework for assessing the groundwater resources of Shenzhen. The groundwater system consists of shallow aquifers of alluvium and weathered bedrock overlying low permeability igneous and sedimentary rocks. The complex geologic setting was conceptualized as a block structure with blocks bounded by high-angle faults. The water budget in Shenzhen was quantified. The estimated average groundwater discharge is about 12% of annual precipitation. The study provides a starting point to investigate how a megacity such as Shenzhen should manage and protect its groundwater as a strategic resource and environmental asset. It is also a basic management tool for analyzing and contributing to urban drainage concepts such as the “sponge city”.

Estimation of groundwater discharge and associated chemical fluxes into Poyang Lake, China: approaches using stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) and radon

Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China and is well known for its ecological and economic importance. Understanding the contribution of groundwater to Poyang Lake is important for the lake’s protection and management. In this study, stable isotopes (δD and δ18O), 222Rn measurements, and corresponding models (222Rn and 18O mass balance models) were employed to evaluate the groundwater discharge and associated chemical inputs to Poyang Lake. The results showed that the distribution of δ18O in the lake water reflects the groundwater discharge into the lake. The groundwater discharge estimated using the 222Rn mass balance model was in reasonable agreement with the groundwater discharge derived from the 18O mass balance model. The 222Rn mass balance model showed that the groundwater discharge rate was 24.18 ± 6.85 mm/d with a groundwater discharge flux of (2.24 ± 0.63) × 107 m3/d, which accounts for 6.52–11.14% of river-water input in the Poyang Lake area. The groundwater discharge flux estimated using the 18O mass balance model was 3.17 × 107 m3/d, and the average groundwater discharge rate was 26.62 mm/d. The estimated groundwater discharge was used to estimate the associated chemical fluxes. It was found that groundwater-derived heavy metals such as iron and manganese are potential threats to the lake ecological system because of their large inputs from groundwater discharge.

Numerical modelling assessment of climate-change impacts and mitigation measures on the Querença-Silves coastal aquifer (Algarve, Portugal)

Predicted changes in climate will lead to seawater intrusion in the Querenca-Silves (QS) coastal aquifer (south Portugal) during the coming century if the current water-resource-management strategy is maintained. As for much of the Mediterranean, average rainfall is predicted to decrease along with increasing seasonal and inter-annual variability and there is a need to understand how these changes will affect the sustainable use of groundwater resources. A density-coupled flow and transport model of the QS was used to simulate an ensemble of climate, water-use and adaptation scenarios from 2010 to 2099 taking into account intra- and inter-annual variability in recharge and groundwater use. By considering several climate models, bias correction and recharge calculation methods, a degree of uncertainty was included. Changes in rainfall regimes will have an immediate effect on groundwater discharge; however, the effect on saltwater intrusion is attenuated by the freshwater–saltwater interfaces’ comparatively slow rate of movement. Comparing the effects of adaptation measures demonstrates that the extent of intrusion in the QS is controlled by the long-term water budget, as the effectiveness of both demand and supply oriented measures is proportional to the change in water budget, and that to maintain the current position, average groundwater discharge should be in the order of 50 × 106 m3 yr−1.

수위-유량 관계곡선을 이용한 수막재배용 지하수 사용량 추정

수위-유량 관계곡선을 이용한 동절기 수막재배기간의 지하수 사용량 추정 방법을 제시하고, 이를 논산 왕전리 수막재배 지역에 현장 적용하였다. 연구지역의 동절기 수막재배 기간의 농수로수의 구성성분은 주로 지하수와 강우의 직접 유출 성분으로 구성된다. 농수로 수위를 관측하고, 강우에 의한 농수로 수위 상승분을 수위 관측 자료로 부터 제거시키기 위해 기저유출분리법을 적용하였다. 강우에 의한 수위 상승분이 제거된 농수로 수위자료에 수위-유랑 관계를 적용하여 연구지역의 수막재배용 지하수 배출량을 산출하였다. 왕전리 지역의 수막재배용 지하수 사용량은 평균 10,900 m³/d, 420 m³/d/ha인 것으로 추정되었다. 추정 지하수 사용량(420 m³/d/ha)과 전국의 수막재배면적(10,746 ha), 그리고 연간 수막재 배일수(120 days/year)을 기준한 전국 규모의 수막재배용 지하수 사용량은 5억 4천만 m³에 이른다. 이는 농업용 지하수 연간 사용량(약 17 억 m³)의 약 32%에 달한다. A method is proposed to estimate groundwater usage for water curtain cultivation (WCC) using a rating curve, and it is applied to field measurements of groundwater discharge used for WCC in Wangjeon-ri, Nonsan. During the winter season, the hydraulic components of irrigation ditches in the study area consist mainly of direct run-off and groundwater discharged from nearby pumping wells. Changes in stage of the ditches were monitored, and a baseflow separation method was applied to remove increments in stage due to direct run-off. The resulting records of stage were translated to groundwater discharge by applying the-stage-discharge relation. The estimated average groundwater discharge for the WCC in Wangjeon-ri was 10,900 m³/d or 420 m³/d/ha when the estimation is normalized by the total area for WCC facilities of this region. Applying this estimation (420 m³/d/ha) to the entire area of the WCC in Korea (10,746 ha),and considering the number of pumping days for the WCC (120 days/year), the total ground water usage for the WCC nation-wide is estimated to be 0.54 billion m³. This is equivalent to 32% of the total groundwater discharge for agricultural use in Korea (1.7 billon m³).

Malibogazi groundwater dam: an alternative model for semi-arid regions of Turkey to store and save groundwater

In central Turkey, there are serious groundwater quality problems in the main river valleys and plains, and even in the lower parts of the secondary basins due to the underlying evaporitic geological formations. Groundwater quality improves towards the upstreams in the alluvium aquifers in most secondary valleys; however, groundwater potential decreases as well due to the reduced basin area, areal extent and thickness of the aquifers. The Malibogazi valley is situated to some 100 km north of Ankara. The dam constructed in the narrowest section of the valley has an average storage coefficient of 0.2 and the total and active storage capacities of 110,000 and 55,000 m3, respectively. The 20-m-thick aquifer extends for 6–7 km till the dam site within valley with an average width of 50–70 m. It mostly comprises sandy–gravely alluvial deposits. Malibogazi groundwater dam is a valve-controlled gravity flow dam. When the valves are opened, the water from the aquifer reservoir flows by gravity through supply pipe to the main irrigation channel, but when the valves are closed the water is stored in the aquifer and groundwater level begins to rise. Average groundwater discharge was about 20 l/s in 2005–2006 irrigation period. In this period, groundwater levels were about 2 m higher compared to the groundwater levels in the same seasons before the construction of the groundwater dam. Because the dam is of gravity flow type, it means an important contribution to the farmers since the operation cost is quite low. Malibogazi groundwater dam represents one of the first experiences of Turkey in the field of groundwater storage. Although the dam has small storage capacity, it may be a model for Turkey from the viewpoints of investigation, construction, dam wall, intake facility and measurements etc.

Radon tracing of groundwater input into Par Pond, Savannah River Site

The groundwater contribution into Par Pond, a former cooling reservoir for two nuclear reactors located on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (South Carolina), was estimated using a standard hydrologic budget as well as one augmented by a natural tracer approach. We determined a geochemical budget for 222Rn, normally found at much higher concentrations in groundwater than surface waters, to assist in constraining the hydrologic estimates. The radon budget accounted for all quantifiable surface sources and sinks including the flux across the sediment-water interface which was determined by application of an advection-diffusion model. All hydrologic parameters and radon concentrations were monitored seasonally from February 1994 to August 1995. Using the water balance approach alone, the average groundwater discharge entering the lake was estimated to have an upper limit of approximately 0.95 ± 0.13 m 3 s −1. The groundwater contribution obtained using the combined hydrologic/ 222Rn approach ranged from 0.17 to 0.76 m 3 s −1 with a best estimate of 0.35 ± 0.16 m 3 s −1. Lake profiles show enhanced 222Rn concentrations in some areas indicating that groundwater enters Par Pond mostly through a small region in the northern portion of the lake, probably via small seeps or springs. Estimates show that groundwater plays a significant role in the overall water budget of the lake, accounting for 10%–33% of the total estimated inflow from all measured sources. Our results show that supplementing a standard hydrological water balance with radon budget considerations helps to constrain estimated groundwater flow into surface reservoirs.