Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones Research Articles

Predicting groundwater recharge potential zones using geospatial technique

Rapid urbanization increases impervious surfaces, thus interrupting natural groundwater recharge, and finally poses serious threat to the city water demands due to groundwater level depletion. In this context, artificial ground water recharge (GWR) using excess rainfall is getting interest among the urban areas. This study selected Chittagong, the second largest and commercial capital city of Bangladesh, is facing issues with groundwater level lowering. Potentialities of GWR were assessed using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in association with the geospatial techniques. After evaluating primary and secondary datasets, eight thematic layers, i.e., urban storm water logging depth, drainage density, slope, rainfall/runoff, soil texture, existing groundwater level, lineament and land use/land cover, were used to locate the potential areas for GWR. Using reclassification techniques, the thematic layers were individually classified into five categories and assigned a specific normalized weighted value using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in ArcGIS environment. Then, weighted linear combination method was employed to predict the potential GWR areas. The whole study area was then divided into five categories, viz. low, medium, medium–high, high and very high potential zone. Analysis showed that 5.5% of the total area is highly potential for GWR. In this analysis, expertise knowledge and practical experiences were used to analyze the data and map preparation. Therefore, along with the high-resolution ground data, findings of this paper envisaged to provide useful information to the decision support system.

Delineation of groundwater potential zones in Sathyavedu area, Chittoor District (Andhra Pradesh), South India, using geospatial technologies

Assessment of the potential zone of groundwater recharge is extremely important for the protection of water quality management in groundwater systems. Groundwater potential areas are identified with the help of RS and GIS techniques. In this study, a standard methodology was used for the determination of groundwater potential areas by using the integration of RS and GIS techniques. The composite maps (geology, geomorphology, lineaments, slope, soils and drainage) were generated using GIS tools. The accurate information to obtain the above parameters can be considered for the identification of the groundwater potential areas. The maps are generated using satellite data (LISS-III IRS-P6) and Survey of India (SOI) toposheet of scale 1:50,000. Then, it was integrated with Arc GIS Software for the evaluation of various geomorphic units and demarked the groundwater availability. The groundwater potential zones are classified into five categories like very poor, poor, moderate, good and excellent. In overall, the study area predominately is occupied with denudation hills and pediment slope and contains the less groundwater potential. This groundwater potential information will be useful for the effective identification of a suitable location for the extraction of groundwater.

Delineation of potential groundwater recharge zones using analytic hierarchy process-guided GIS in the semi-arid Motloutse watershed, eastern Botswana

Study regionThe Motloutse Watershed is located in eastern Botswana. Study FocusThis study investigates the spatial distribution of recharge in the semi-arid watershed using Weighted Overlay Analysis.The overuse of groundwater in the Motloutse catchment to support domestic and industrial expansion has generated the need for the determination of areas where renewable storage to groundwater may occur. A select of parameters known to have influence on recharge were considered for input into the analytic process and included lithology, lineament density, ground slope, soil type, soil thickness, and drainage density. A thematic map for each parameter was prepared, reclassified into high, moderate and low potential for recharge. Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied to rank the importance of each parameter relative to one another concerning groundwater recharge. Potential groundwater recharge sites were delineated using Weighted Overlay tool of ArcGIS software. New Hydrological Insights for the RegionHigh recharge sites cover 8% of the catchment and correspond to places underlain by sandstones and fractured basaltic outcrops as well as areas covered by thick sandy soils. Moderate recharge occurs in 78 % and low recharge in 14 % of the catchment area. The results from this study are useful for selecting areas for more focused studies on recharge and also form a significant decision support tool for sustainable and equitable utilization of groundwater resources within the Motloutse catchment.

Delineation of potential groundwater recharge zones using analytical hierarchy process (AHP)

ABSTRACT In the present study, an effort was made in Kashmir Valley, NW-Himalayas to delineate potential groundwater areas using GIS and Analytical Hierarchy method (AHP) by incorporating remote sensing data with data from other sources. These data sets were used to prepare eight thematic layers of slope, soil texture, drainage density, land/land cover (LULC), lithology, geomorphology, lineament density, and rainfall. The analytical method of AHP pair wise matrix was used to evaluate the normalized weight of these thematic layers. All the thematic layers and their corresponding classes were allocated ranks and weights based on their impact on groundwater potential. The study area has been classified into five different potential groundwater recharge zones — excellent (28.97%), good (19.99%), moderate (21.70%), poor (27.16%) and very poor (2.15%). The groundwater potential map prepared for the study area has been validated with 245 existing bore-wells and flow direction of basin. The validation of results was in agreement with the evidence obtained as Area Under Curve (AUC) was calculated to be 79.69% and flow computational investigations which suggest groundwater flows north-eastward from south of basin up to central Kashmir, and south-westward from North towards Jhelum River. The validation suggests that the applied method proves to give us a very significant and reliable result for the study area.

Mapping Ground Water Potential Recharge Zones in Parts of Akwa Ibom State Using Geographic Information System (G.I.S)

The study was conducted to map ground water potential recharge zones based on physical parameters in southern parts of Akwa Ibom State using Geographical information system (GIS). The aim was to produce ground water recharge potential map for the protection of water quality and the management of ground water systems. Thematic maps of lithology, land cover/ land use, lineaments, drainage, and slope of the study area were produced from various sources. The influence of each factors to groundwater recharge and interaction between the factors were examined and ranks were assigned. Weighting values were assigned according to the degree of the Multiple Influencing Factors (MIF). All the thematic maps or layers were integrated applying weighted overlay analysis in a GIS environment (Arc Map 10.5 software) to produce the resultant map. The study produced a ground water recharge potential map of parts of Akwa Ibom State. The resultant map indicated that the most effective groundwater recharge potential zone was trending in the NW – SE direction. In this region, the coastal plain sands of the Benin Formation, the agricultural land and forest possesses high infiltration ability. Additionally, the concentration of drainage also indicates the ability of stream-flow to recharge the groundwater system. The downstream region is least effective for groundwater recharge, mainly due to its elevation being as low as sea level. Keywords: Mapping, Groundwater, GIS, Lineament, Drainage, Recharge DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-2-08 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Toward mapping potential groundwater recharge zones across Viti Levu and Vanua Levu (Fiji islands)

Water access in Fiji is a critical issue as not everyone can access reticulated water sources which poses heavy dependence on groundwater sources. Along with its various uses, groundwater sources have been left vulnerable to contamination and depletion over the years due to changes in climatic patterns and human influence. Traditional hydrometric groundwater survey is performed monthly to help determine recharge potential areas in Fiji but doesn’t cover all the water sources nor considers all the factors contributing to groundwater recharge. GIS, presents a contemporary approach to identify potential recharge areas which has been used in this study. In this study, the Multi Influencing Factor technique was used to determine the weightage of the factors aspect, slope, soil drainage, drainage density, parent materials and rainfall which are believed to have potentially contribute to groundwater recharge. The basic GIS tools of overlaying and reclassification was used to denote the relationships between the factors and groundwater recharge and the potential groundwater recharges areas for Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Results have shown that higher potential areas are mostly areas with lower altitudes such as plains, wet areas (windward side), water bodies, excessively drained soils and parent materials with high exposure to weathering. Low ground water recharge potential areas are mostly mountainous, poorly drained soils, dense vegetation and poorly permeable bedrocks. These information is compared against existing boreholes and findings are to assist the government to invest more in those areas that have high recharge areas.

Assessment of recharge potential zones for groundwater development and management using geospatial and MCDA technologies in semiarid region of Western India

Groundwater recharge potential (GWRP) plays a vital role as it directly or indirectly supports domestic, agriculture and industrial activities by infiltrating the rainwater. The present paper touches upon the methodology delineating groundwater recharge potential zones by applying geospatial and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to the derived thematic layers based on significant influence of occurrence of groundwater in semiarid watershed of Western India. The satellite imageries and other ancillary data were utilized to generate various thematic layers, viz. slope, geology, drainage density, surface run off, geomorphology, land use/land cover soil and vadose zone. The outcome of study shows that about 24.69% is having high GWRP and 24.17% of the area is moderate for recharge of groundwater, while the low and poor groundwater recharges potential area is about 44.34% and 6.80% of total area, respectively. The validation of the study was done by overlaying point data groundwater well yield on the output final map; it shows good correlation with result. Also, the surplus water availability was calculated based on vadose calculation according to CGWB method; it shows 17.12 MCM vadose region having artificial recharge of 22.77 MCM. The total recharge is about 117.41 MCM, about 30% of the total runoff, i.e. 35.22 MCM is considered as surplus monsoon runoff available for artificial recharge. The result shows that the use of remote sensing, geospatial and MCDA technologies are promising and efficiently recognize the suitable regions for groundwater recharge over other conventional techniques.

Correction to: Investigating groundwater recharge potential zones using a cross-correlation technique in a part of Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP), Central India

Unfortunately, in the original article the e-mail ids of Ajay Kumar Venkatarao and Shakeel Ahmed were published wrongly.

GIS-based multi-criteria analysis for identification of potential groundwater recharge zones - a case study from Ponnaniyaru watershed, Tamil Nadu, India

Groundwater is one of the most vital natural resources; spatially varying in quality and quantity. Increased urbanisation and population creates tremendous pressure on the quality and quantity of the groundwater resources. In this study, Ponnaniyaru watershed of Cauvery basin was considered for this research. Geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) plays a vital role in preparing various thematic layers for targeting the groundwater potential zones (GWPZ). This study adopts the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Multi influence factor (MIF), multi-criteria decision-making approaches to determine the weights for the influencing factors. Weighted linear overlay analysis was carried out to determine the GWPZ. Further, the resultant GWPZ map has been reclassified into five different classes, namely Very good, Good, Moderate, Poor and Very poor. The results were validated with observed well-yield data, and the predictive precision for AHP and MIF was found to be 75%, and 71% respectively.

Mapping of Potential Groundwater Recharge Zones in the Kolleru Lake Catchment, India, by Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Water scarcity is the major problem in India where the population has been tremendously increasing, which results in invading natural resources, thus affects on hydrological processes. Because of this, significant surface water bodies have been disappearing continuously. Therefore, more pressure on groundwater resources is a consequence of that. The integration of remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS), which helps in groundwater research for the investigation of potential groundwater availability, is essential to assess, monitor, and conserve groundwater resources. This analysis reports on the mapping of various potential groundwater resources in the Kolleru Lake catchment, India, by using remote sensing and GIS techniques. For this, a survey of India toposheets and IRC-1C satellite imageries was used to prepare thematic layers of geomorphology, drainage density, lineament, slope, land-use, soil, rainfall, and NDVI converted into raster format in ArcGIS. The raster maps of these thematic layers were assigned to a weight-based factor depending on the catchment characteristics and its topographic influence. The results demonstrated that about 7% of the area is under excellent groundwater potential recharge. Good, moderate, and lower potential conditions are 42%, 38%, and 13%, respectively. The results indicated that the management of groundwater potential zones should be targeted on the middle-catchment region. Further, the results were validated with the borehole data obtained from the Government of Andhra Pradesh-Groundwater Department. These results are useful for better both planning and groundwater management sources in the Kolleru Lake catchment.

Mapping of Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones and Identification of Suitable Site-Specific Recharge Mechanisms in a Tropical River Basin

The increasing demands for the groundwater resources along with decreasing availability, especially in the hard-rock aquifers, call for sustainable groundwater management in India. The present study attempts to identify the potential zones for groundwater recharge, through water conservation measures, in a tropical river basin of Kerala (India), viz., Ithikkara River Basin. The approach enables us to locate the areas suitable for different groundwater recharge structures using remote sensing, geospatial data, and multi-influencing factor technique in the GIS environment. The geo-environmental variables used in the study are lithology, geomorphology, available space for recharge, slope angle, lineament density, soil texture, rainfall, percentage of sand fraction in soil, land use/land cover, and drainage density. The results indicate that lithology, available space for recharge and geomorphology, is the significant variables controlling the groundwater recharge of the study area. The estimated recharge potential zones of the basin are classified into four different classes based on their suitability for groundwater recharge, viz., very good, good, moderate, and least recharge potential zones. Roughly, 50% of the basin area belongs to very good and good recharge zones and is suitable for implementing various groundwater-recharging mechanisms. Based on the variability in the geo-environmental factors of the study area, different artificial groundwater recharge structures (i.e., rainwater infiltration pits, percolation ponds/trenches, injection wells/pond-cum-injection wells and check dams) are suggested using a rule-based approach. The results of the study will be beneficial to the formulation of sustainable groundwater management plans for the region.

Investigating groundwater recharge potential zones using a cross-correlation technique in a part of Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP), Central India

Groundwater recharge potential zones were identified using a cross-correlation assessment to determine how depths to groundwater levels varied with rainfall in a part of Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP), Central India. The estimated correlation coefficients at 38 well sites vary from − 0.18 to − 0.83, and there is typically a 0–2-month lag between water-level responses with rainfall. The magnitude of water-level responses generally decreases with the decreasing suitability of potential groundwater zones, which were determined using remote-sensing and GIS techniques. The calculated coefficients range from − 0.83 to − 0.67, − 0.66 to − 0.60, − 0.59 to − 0.53, − 0.52 to − 0.45, and − 0.44 to − 0.18 in the “very good”, “good”, “moderate”, “poor”, and “very poor” groundwater potential zones, respectively. A good correlation has been observed between the cross-correlation coefficients and the groundwater potential index with the value of R2 = 0.84. Therefore, the specific emphasis needs are explored in both groundwater potential and recharge potential zones, where groundwater levels are declining, and water scarcity is being experienced for constructing artificial recharge structures and planning for sustainable groundwater management.

Combination of GIS and fuzzy-AHP for delineating groundwater recharge potential zones in the critical Goghat-II block of West Bengal, India

This study tries to show the groundwater recharge potential zones in groundwater-stressed Goghat-II block, using fuzzy-AHP technique. According to the central ground water board of India, Goghat-II is the only critical block of West Bengal. Fuzzy-AHP is one of the widely accepted techniques for multi-criteria decision making. Factors like geology, geomorphology, slope, soil texture, land use land cover, net recharge and pond frequency are controlling the recharge potentiality in this region. Groundwater recharge potentiality has been identified by integrating these factors. Very low, low, moderate, high and very high potentiality represent 8.98%, 34.58%, 33.51%, 12.80% and 10.13% respectively. Low lying flat plain of the north-eastern part is favourable for groundwater recharge, whereas upland plain of the western part is less suitable for recharge. The result has been validated with the groundwater depth data of the post-monsoon season, which depicts that the approach is suitable for this region.

Assessment of groundwater recharge and its potential zone identification in groundwater-stressed Goghat-I block of Hugli District, West Bengal, India

This study is an attempt to demonstrate the actual groundwater recharge and groundwater recharge potential zones in semi-critical Goghat-I Block, using quantitative as well as geospatial techniques. Modelling groundwater recharge is necessary for optimum utilization of the resource, especially in a water-scarce region. According to the development of groundwater and long-term declining trend, Goghat-I is one of the semi-critical blocks of West Bengal. Water-level fluctuation method is applied to quantify the actual groundwater recharge, which shows significant micro-level variations in recharge rate. Inter-seasonal water-level fluctuation and specific yield are controlling the actual recharge rate. Increase in the post-monsoon water table from the pre-monsoon directly indicates the recharge. Identification of groundwater recharge potential zones (GWRPZ) is essential for water-scarce region, so that the policymakers can formulate effective plans to increase the recharge in favourable potential areas. GWRPZ have been identified through weighted overlay method, where the weight has been given through the analytical hierarchy process. Thematic layers of geology, geomorphology, slope, soil texture, land use land cover and pond frequency have been taken for identifying the recharge potential zones. These are the major controlling factors in this particular region behind the potential groundwater recharge zone. GWRPZ show that the major percentage of area is under the low potential zone. GWRPZ have been validated with groundwater recharge to observe the applicability of this approach. Favourable zones should be used for increasing the groundwater recharge with proper planning. This is necessary for the sustainability of the resource, especially in this region.

An assessment of potential groundwater recharge zones in Bulgaria

Groundwater resources on the territory of Bulgaria are unevenly distributed in both spatial and temporal aspects. The effective usage of these valuable assets is of paramount importance, since any over-exploitation would eventually lead to their depletion. Remote sensing data and satellite images have increasingly been used in groundwater exploration and management. An integrated approach was applied in the present study in order to delineate potential groundwater recharge zones on the territory of Bulgaria. Data from various sources were used to prepare different thematic layers. These layers were then transformed into raster data of 1×1 km. Lineament and drainage density maps of the research area were made with the help of GIS technology. In addition, a map was made for the annual total precipitation for the period from 1931 to 1985. DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data on a global scale at 90 m horizontal resolution were used for the slope analysis. A groundwater potential map was produced, which integrates several thematic maps, such as annual rainfall, geology, lineament density, land use, slope, soils, and drainage density. The thematic maps were then converted into a raster graphic format in order to be easily integrated into a GIS platform. The raster maps of these factors were then allocated a fixed score and weight-computed. The weights of those factors contributing to the groundwater recharge were derived by using the following components: geological map, lineament-length density map, land cover data base, soil data base, drainage-length density map, and slope gradient map. Subjective weights were assigned to the respective thematic layers, and they were overlaid in a GIS platform for the identification of potential groundwater recharge zones within the study area. These potential recharge zones were then categorized as being very good, good, moderate, poor, and very poor.

Influence of groundwater recharge in Vaniyar sub-basin, South India: inference to socioeconomic benefits

In recent decades, increasing population activities are a complex task throughout the world. The scarcity of water in southern India is high as compared to the global average. Progressive development of the aquifer system by artificial recharging can be considered as a tool for increasing groundwater resource. The water conservation techniques had been used for increasing groundwater storage in the hard rock. ‘This research focuses on estimation of groundwater recharges using empirical model through artificial recharge structures, which plays a major role to enhance recharge. The groundwater recharge by water table fluctuation is estimated in context of recharge structures. It is an important role as sustainable development of groundwater resources. The normal groundwater renews by an annual rainfall varied from 11 to 16%. The total recharge is estimated 173.12 ha m in which the influence by conservation recharge structures varies from 0.34 to 26.33 which indicates the groundwater storage optimal maintained in the Pappireddipatti watershed (total number of structures is 22), whereas Vaniyar sub-basin groundwater recharge is estimated 530.30 ha m (total number of structures is 138). The performance of artificial recharge structures is to reduce extra surface runoff in the watershed. The optimal performances need to maintain for continuous withdrawal of groundwater through natural and artificial recharge structures. An empirical approach is used for the assessment of the recharge from rainfall with reasonable accuracy on the periodic groundwater recharge in the hard rock aquifer. The rainfall based on Thiessen polygon method was prepared by annual fall from three-gauge station in the watershed. The effective depth of precipitation of the rainfall is 915.31 mm. Hence, the recharge rate could be increased in close to suitable recharge site in the watershed. A GIS approach was utilized to incorporate six contributing variables: lithology, land use/land cover, soil types, geomorphology, drainage, and slope. The outcome of benefits showed that around 72% of the evaluation zone is assigned as good to moderate potential groundwater recharge whereas low bring down potential groundwater energize ranges with poor potential groundwater recharge covers 38% in the area. The outcomes demonstrate that the groundwater recharge potential zone is focusing on sustainable groundwater development. Further, there is improved in water level in low recharge area to moderate recharge with respect to rainfall influence at recharge structures. It confirms the interconnection of the aquifer.

Application of GIS Techniques to Determine Suitable Areas for Artificial Groundwater Recharge in Kollimalai Hills

The groundwater is taken into consideration because the foremost source of ninety nine % of all retrievable clean water, optimization of its utilization could be very essential. Identity of potential zones for groundwater recharge has end up an essential occasion to fill up the groundwater sources. The recharge ability is ruled by various functions of surface, subsurface and hydro meteorological parameters. Remote sensing approach is observed to be very powerful device for the combination of various functions of these elements. In this work, an try has been made to identify groundwater recharge potential zones in Kollimalai hill. Namakkal district which is located in Tamilnadu , India. Evaluation (WIOA) changed into done in this study using the software Arc GIS by using integrating the thematic layers of geology, soil, geomorphology, land use/ land cowl geology, geomorphology, lineament, land use/ land cowl, groundwater degree and slope, rainfall. The groundwater potentials were described as suitable, moderately suitable and unsuitable.

Potential groundwater recharge zones within New Zealand

Water resources in New Zealand are not evenly distributed across the country which makes it difficult to adequately allocate the use of water resources in every basin. Groundwater is a fundamental water resource in New Zealand for agricultural, industrial and domestic use. Detailed knowledge regarding groundwater recharge potential is a pre-requisite for sustainable groundwater management, including the assessment of its vulnerability to contamination by pollutants. In this study, a comprehensive GIS approach was used to map the potential groundwater recharge zones across New Zealand. National data sets of lithology, slope, aspect, land use, soil drainage and drainage density were converted to raster data sets with a spatial resolution of 500 m × 500 m and superimposed to derive groundwater potential zones. The resultant maps demonstrate that the potential is low in urban and mountainous areas, such as the Southern Alps, whereas the highest potential can be found in regions with large lakes and in the lower elevation plains areas, where Quaternary sediments prevail. The resulting maps can be used to identify areas of high nutrient leaching in zones where high groundwater recharge potential exists.

Integrating GIS and multi-influencing factor technique for delineation of potential groundwater recharge zones in parts of Ilesha schist belt, southwestern Nigeria

In this study, the multi-influencing factor (MIF) technique was implemented through geographical information system to delineate potential zones of groundwater recharge. The hydrogeological factors influencing groundwater recharge namely lineament, drainage, lithology, slope, land use, rainfall and soil were classified and integrated based on weight derived through the MIF technique. Integration of these factors enabled the generation of potential groundwater recharge zone map which was classified into four categories namely high, moderate, low and very low occupying areas of 214.9 km2 (14.6%), 599.2 km2 (40.8%), 502.3 km2 (34.2%), and 152.4 km2 (10.4%), respectively. A total of 55.43% of the study area was found to have moderate to high recharge potential. Areas of high recharge potential lies majorly within the quartzite lithology and parts of undifferentiated migmatite-gneiss bordering the highly fractured quartzite. Estimation of the infiltration rate based on the potential recharge zone map classes revealed that approximately 27% of the precipitated rainfall volume is probably infiltrated into the subsurface; however, the actual percentage reaching the underlying aquifer is expected to be lower due to losses through subsurface flow intercepting river channels. Yields of wells within the study area revealed that recharge has significant influence on well yields. Wells within the zones of high to moderate recharge potential were found to have substantial yields while the well located within the zone of low recharge potentiality was found to have negligible yield. Negligible yield is also expected in areas with very low recharge potential. The result portrays the potential groundwater recharge zones in the study area and is found to be helpful in better planning and management of groundwater resources to maintain a proper balance between the groundwater quantity and its exploitation.

Mapping groundwater recharge potential zones in arid region using GIS and Landsat approaches, southeast Tunisia

ABSTRACTThe rapid growth of population and agricultural and industrial activities has caused an increase in demand on the Jeffara aquifers of Gabes (southeast Tunisia). In fact, the over-pumping of this aquifer system has resulted in water-level declines ranging from 0.25 to 1 m/year during the past three decades. The aim of this study is to identify favourable artificial recharge sites of this aquifer system based on the combined use of remotely sensed data, a geographic information system (GIS), the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) product and a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) technique. The delineation of artificial recharge zones shows high to moderate potential for groundwater recharge (40%) in the Gabes region, with high precision of good potential proposed sites. Recharge processes need to account for natural conditions and ecosystems.