The Pros and Cons of Encouraging Shallow Groundwater Use through Controlled Drainage in a Salt-Impacted Irrigation Area

Encouraging shallow groundwater use through water table management or controlled drainage in irrigated areas can relief crop water stress under water shortage condition. But substituting fresh irrigation water with saline groundwater may speed up salinity buildup in the crop root zone, and consequently increase water use for salt leaching. With a proposed analytical model, this paper presents a case study demonstrating the effect of encouraging shallow groundwater use through controlled drainage on salt and water management in a semi-arid irrigation area in northwestern China. Based on the average rainfall condition, the model assumes that salt accumulates in the crop root zone due to irrigation and shallow groundwater use; till the average soil salinity reaches the crop tolerance level, leaching irrigation is performed and the drainage outlet is lowered to discharge the salt-laden leaching water. For the relatively salt tolerant crop–cotton in the study area, the predicted leaching cycle was as long as 751 days using the fresh water (with salinity of 0.5 g/L) irrigation only; it was shortened to 268 days when the water table depth was controlled at 2 m and 23% of the crop water requirement was contributed from the saline groundwater (with salinity of 4.43 g/L). The predicted leaching cycle was 140 days when the water table depth was controlled at 1.5 m and groundwater contribution was 41% of the crop water requirement; it was shortened to 119 days when the water table depth was controlled at 1.2 m and the groundwater contribution was 67% of the crop water requirements. So the benefit from encouraged shallow groundwater use through controlled drainage is obtained at the expense of shortened leaching cycle; but the shallow groundwater use by crops consists of a significant portion of crop water requirements, and the leaching cycle remains long enough to provide a time window for scheduled leaching in the off season of irrigation. Weighing the pros and cons of the encouraged shallow groundwater use may help plan irrigation and drainage practices to achieve higher water use efficiency in saline agricultural areas.     

Basement Groundwater as a Complementary Resource for Overexploited Stream-Connected Alluvial Aquifers

The use of groundwater from alluvial aquifers largely affects stream discharge by capturing the stream resources. This affects hydrological processes and riparian biodiversity. In this study, complementary water resources are investigated in an effort to ease human pressure on alluvial systems and, eventually, on stream-aquifer relationships. Discharge and hydrochemical data along a 5 km reach of the Tordera River (NE Spain) provide evidence that groundwater fluxes, associated with a regional hydrogeological system related to the basement fracture network, contribute to alluvial recharge and to stream flow. End-member mixing analysis considering upstream discharge, groundwater flows, and human inputs to the stream as major flow sources shows that regional basement groundwater fluxes are responsible for as much as 20 % of the total discharge, which also explains unexpected rises in stream flow. This suggests a possible new approach to local water resources planning, indicating that conjunctive use might actually be feasible.     

昆明盆地地下水超采区水资源评价

随着经济快速发展,昆明盆地淡水资源供需矛盾日益加剧,部分地区地下水超采严重。为合理开发、利用与保护地下水资源,根据地下水位动态变化以及其引发问题等因素评价了昆明盆地地下水超采情况,并划定了超采区域。评价结果表明至2010年底,昆明盆地地下水总超采区面积为128 km²,属于中型超采区,且各超采区均为禁采区。同时提出了治理超采区的措施和建议,可为区域地下水资源的科学管理提供技术支撑。     

Estimation of Groundwater Balance Using Soil-Water-Vegetation Model and GIS

This study concerns the development of a methodology using modern techniques of data generation (Modeling) and interpretation (GIS) to compute groundwater plausibly at regional scale, alternate to previously established norms. The approach is centered on quantitative estimation of two main parameters-input and output. GIS techniques along with soil vegetation model (CropSyst) have been demonstrated for the calculation of groundwater balance components. Using the developed methodology water resources of the Ludhiana district for the period between, 2000 and 2010 were estimated. The temporal changes in water balance components indicated that the major inputs to the hydrologic system are rainfall and canal water and the major out component are evapotranspiration (ET). Multi-annual (2000 to 2010) average of 719 mm rainfall, 88 mm canal water, 74 mm of groundwater inflow, with annual loss 974 mm as ET, caused 123 mm of net negative groundwater recharge in Ludhiana district. The annual computed rise/fall with the developed methodology closely matched the observed values.     

Understanding groundwater table using a statistical model

In this study, a statistical model was established to estimate the groundwater table using precipitation, evaporation, the river stage of the Liangduo River, and the tide level of the Yellow Sea, as well as to predict the groundwater table with easily measurable climate data in a coastal plain in eastern China. To achieve these objectives, groundwater table data from twelve wells in a farmland covering an area of 50 m × 150 m were measured over a 12-month period in 2013 in Dongtai City, Jiangsu Province. Trend analysis and correlation analysis were conducted to study the patterns of changes in the groundwater table. In addition, a linear regression model was established and regression analysis was conducted to understand the relationships between precipitation, evaporation, river stage, tide level, and groundwater table. The results are as follows:(1) The groundwater table was strongly affected by climate factors(e.g., precipitation and evaporation), and river stage was also a significant factor affecting the groundwater table in the study area( p 0.01, where p is the probability value).(2) The groundwater table was especially sensitive to precipitation. The significance of the factors of the groundwater table were ranked in the following descending order:precipitation, evaporation, and river stage.(3) A triple linear regression model of the groundwater table, precipitation, evaporation, and river stage was established. The linear relationship between the groundwater table and the main factors was satisfied by the actual values versus the simulated values of the groundwater table(R~2 = 0.841, where R~2 is the coefficient of determination).     

Numerical Simulation of Submarine Groundwater Flow in the Coastal Aquifer at the Palmahim Area, the Mediterranean Coast of Israel

The lower sub-aquifers of the Mediterranean coastal aquifer of Israel, at the Palmahim area, are hypothesized to be laterally blocked to connection with the sea, and thus to seawater intrusion. This is mostly due to the detection of fresh water bodies at these sub-aquifers. This study examine this hypothesis by using two dimensional numerical model simulations of the groundwater flow system at this area, which conducted in order to reveal which hydrogeological setting enables the existence of these fresh water bodies in the lower sub-aquifers and to assess the on-land pumping rates that will prevent their salinization. The hydrogeological settings were examined by steady state simulations followed by simulations of the last 15,000 years sea level changes. These simulations imply that the presence of fresh water in the lower sub-aquifer, whether blocked or connected to the sea, requires offshore separation between the upper and lower sub-aquifers. On-land pumping simulations, with a well located inside the lower sub-aquifers at the shoreline, show a maximum pumping rate of 250 m³/m strip width/year, hereafter m²/year, to prevent the salinization of the lower sub-aquifers. The various pumping scenarios revealed differences in salinization trends between the scenarios with impermeable separating layers and those with semi permeable layers. Scenarios with extreme pumping rates emphasize these differences, and together with field test, can allow assessing the amount of separation between the sub-aquifers.     

High frequency radar and its application to fresh water

High frequency (HF) radar has become an important tool for remotely mapping the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of waves and currents of the nearshore coastal ocean. Its acceptance along ocean coasts has resulted in the development of several commercially available systems and a planned nationwide coastal network to routinely measure coastal currents. Because HF radiation is known to propagate less efficiently over fresh water than seawater, it has been largely overlooked as a viable tool for freshwater application. However, its potential utility in freshwater was clearly demonstrated by a deployment along Lake Michigan as part of the 1999–2001 Episodic Events Great Lakes Experiment. As part of this experiment, the University of Michigan Multi-frequency Coastal Radar consistently produced reliable near surface current measurements to a range of approximately 25 km offshore showing strong correlation with both in-situ measurements and numerical hind-casts. This paper provides background on HF radar technology, a summary of the current state of the art with respect to freshwater and describes the results of a recent experiment to measure the propagation of HF radar signal over freshwater using CODAR Ocean Sensors SeaSondes, operating at 5 and 42 MHz with 21 W and 90 W average radiated powers, respectively. The effective offshore range for these radars was found to be 18 km at 5 MHz and 4–5 km at 42 MHz. These findings are consistent with currently available models for the prediction of propagation loss, verifying that they can reliably be used to estimate ranges in freshwater settings.     

Sensitivity of a Groundwater Flow Model to Both Climatic Variations and Management Scenarios in a Semi-arid Region of SE Spain

Since 1980, southern Spain has registered a cycle of drought with magnitudes consistent with forecasts by the European Environment Agency on climate change for a 20 % decrease in precipitation in southern Europe due to the acceleration of global warming. The impact of this climatic event has been taken into account in drawing up water management plans for the basins affected. However, it has barely been considered in terms of the evolution of groundwater reserves or in their modelling, possibly because the effects are often masked by intensive anthropic withdrawals from regional water resources. This research uses a mathematical groundwater flow model to evaluate the reserve evolution in the Mancha Oriental aquifer system (SE Spain) due to impacts from this drought cycle. Its influence has been quantified (from 1980 to 2008) in the aquifer's storage deficit 23 Mm³/year and in the discharge volume of the Júcar River of 21 Mm³/year. Finally, three plausible scenarios are modelled with respect to 2027, the end date of the planning horizons proposed by Directive 2000/60/EC. These scenarios examine the economic repercussions on current groundwater resource management measurements. If the drought was to persist, the costs involved in the storage deficit were calculated in the range from 21.7 to 34.9 M€.     

Investigation of Stream Temperature Response to Non‐Uniform Groundwater Discharge in a Danish Lowland Stream

Non‐uniform groundwater discharge into streams influences temperature, a vital stream physical property recognized for its dominant controls on biological processes in lotic habitats at multiple scales. Understanding such spatially heterogeneous processes and their effects is difficult on the basis of stream temperature models often calibrated with discrete temperature measurements. This study focused on examining the effect of groundwater discharge on stream temperature using a physically based stream temperature model calibrated on spatially rich high‐resolution temperature measurements. A distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system with a 1.8‐km fibre optic cable was used to collect temperature measurements for every 1 m of the reach length at 3‐min temporal resolution in the stream Elverdamsåen. The groundwater inflow locations identified using DTS data and 24‐h temperature measurements (14:00 h 6 May 2011 to 14:00 h 7 May 2011) were used for further calibration of the stream temperature model. With 19 inflow locations, the model simulated temperature trends closely mirroring the observed DTS profile with a root mean square error of 0.85 °C. The aggregation of inflows at specific locations forced the model to simulate stepwise inflow signals and small change in downstream temperature. In turn, the DTS data exemplified spiked signals with no change in downstream temperature, a typical characteristic of lowland streams. In spite of the difference in modelled and measured inflow signals, the results indicate that the represented groundwater inflows imperatively controlled the spatial variations of temperature within the study reach, creating three unique thermal zones. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alternatives to Reduce Pumping Effects in Glacial Stratified Drift Aquifers During Periods of Low Stream Flow

Low stream flows in the Fenton River, part of a hydrogeological setting characterized by glacial stratified drift, forces the University of Connecticut to frequently reduce groundwater withdrawals during the months of June–October. The objective of this study was to investigate stream/aquifer interactions in such a hydrogeologic system in order to increase water withdrawals while minimizing adverse impacts to in-stream flow. A groundwater flow model was developed using MODFLOW to investigate the influence of well location and pumping timing on in-stream flow in the vicinity of the water supply wells. The numerical model comprised detailed geophysical data and decadal hydrologic data (2000–2009) to assess well placement, rest periods and cyclical pumping. The relocation of a water supply well up to 228 m from the river had a positive but minimal improvement to stream flows (<2.83 L/s). When the well field was shut off for more than 45 days, stream flows returned to the no pumping condition with only slight impact at 30 days, whereas a 30 day rest period gave 4 weeks of dampened pumping influence on stream flows. A management scenario of 1 week cyclical pumping between two water supply wells following a 45 day rest period can allow for current restriction thresholds to be reduced by 28.3 L/s with minimal impact to stream flows (7.36 L/s) and would allow additional water to be pumped for all years in which there was a demand for water.     

Development of a Rainfall-Recharge Relationship for a Fractured Basaltic Aquifer in Central India

Groundwater being an important component of the hydrological cycle, estimation of its annual replenishment is essential to evolve a plan for optimum utilization. Groundwater balance approach, which is used extensively for the quantification of recharge and discharge components has been adopted for the rainfall-recharge estimation. Various inflow and outflow components have been identified and estimated for Sagar block in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, which faces acute water scarcity and continuous decline in groundwater levels. The computed recharge from rainfall varies between 122.45 and 183.71 MCM. The computed rainfall-recharge is compared with the Chaturvedi (1973), Kumar and Seethapathi (2002), Krishna (1987), and U.P. Irrigation Research Institute models. Models have also been developed to estimate rainfall-recharge for varying ranges of the annual rainfall and have been compared with the existing models. The relative error in estimation of rainfall-recharge from proposed models varies between 0.03 and 9.24%. The overall scenario is net decline in groundwater storage to an extent of ?31.31 MCM over a period of 16 years from 1985–1986 to 2000–2001. The trend analysis by Kendall’s rank correlation test, regression test for linear trend and Mann–Kendall test also clearly suggests falling trends in groundwater storage at 5% significant level, thereby demonstrating over-exploitation of the groundwater aquifer. This has subsequently led to progressive decline in groundwater table in the study area. Efforts should be initiated to tap the surface water by creating storages at suitable sites and artificial recharge practices should be encouraged after identifying suitable recharge zones. Conjunctive use of the surface and groundwater along with water conservation practices and groundwater management measures should be taken up to arrest the progressive decline in groundwater levels and over-exploitation of groundwater aquifer.     

Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Indicators of Environmental Degradation in the Southern Nearshore Zone of the Central Basin of Lake Erie

The benthic macroinvertebrates of the central basin of Lake Erie were sampled with a Ponar grab in the summers of 1978 and 1979 along a 155-km reach of the nearshore zone (≤ 12 km offshore) in Ohio, U.S.A., at depths of less than 20 m. The major groups and their most abundant species were, in order of overall abundance, Oligochaeta (Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, L. cervix-L. claparedeianus group, L. maumeensis), Sphaeriidae (Pisidium casertanum, P. henslowanum, Sphaerium corneum, Musculium transversum), and Chironomidae (Procladius sp., Chironomus spp.). The average abundance of oligochaetes in the harbors was 21,000 individuals m^?2 in 1978 and 12,700 m^?2 in 1979, compared with 1,500 m^?2 and 1,200 m^?2, respectively, in the areas outside of harbors. Comparison of the macrobenthic assemblages with those in other regions of the Great Lakes, using several numerical indices as well as indicator species distributions, indicated that the general area of the nearshore zone outside of harbors possesses a moderate degree of organic enrichment, with a gradient of decreasing pollution in an offshore direction. The harbors appeared to be severely degraded, as reflected by the high densities of oligochaetes and the almost complete absence of all but the most pollution-tolerant species. The documentation of species distributions will enable future assessments of changes in the nearshore benthic communities.     

Effects of cluster land reclamation projects on storm surge in Jiaojiang Estuary,China

Variations in coastline geometry caused by coastal engineering affect tides, storm surges, and storm tides. Three cluster land reclamation projects have been planned for construction in the Jiaojiang Estuary during the period from 2011 to 2023. They will cause significant changes in coastline geometry. In this study, a surge-tide coupled model was established based on a three-dimensional finite-volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM). A series of numerical experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of variations in coastline geometry on tides, storm surges, and storm tides. This model was calibrated using data observed at the Haimen and Ruian gauge stations and then used to reproduce the tides, storm surges, and storm tides in the Jiaojiang Estuary caused by Typhoon Winnie in 1997. Results show that the high tide level, peak storm surge, and high storm tide level at the Haimen Gauge Station increased along with the completion of reclamation projects, and the maximum increments caused by the third project were 0.13 m, 0.50 m, and 0.43 m, respectively. The envelopes with maximum storm tide levels of 7.0 m and 8.0 m inside the river mouth appeared to move seaward, with the latter shifting 1.8 km, 3.3 km, and 4.4 km due to the first project, second project, and third project, respectively. The results achieved in this study contribute to reducing the effects of, and preventing storm disasters after the land reclamation in the Jiaojiang Estuary.     

Estimation of Groundwater Recharge from the Rainfall and Irrigation in an Arid Environment Using Inverse Modeling Approach and RS

Quantifying recharge from agricultural areas is important to sustain long-term groundwater use, make intelligent groundwater allocation decisions, and develop on-farm water management strategies. The scarcity of data in many arid regions, especially in the Middle East, has necessitated the use of combined mathematical models and field observations to estimate groundwater recharge. This study was designed to assess the recharge contribution to groundwater from rainfall and irrigation return flow in the Mosian plain, west of Iran. The Inverse modeling approach and remote sensing technology (RS) were used to quantify the groundwater recharge. The recharge for steady–state conditions was estimated using the Recharge Package of MODFLOW. The land-use map for the research area was produced using remote sensing and satellite images technology. According to results, groundwater recharge from the rainfall and irrigation return flow was at the rate of 0.15 mm/day. The recharge to the groundwater from rainfall was about 0.08 mm/day (10.8 % of total rainfall). The average of groundwater recharge contribution in the study area was about 0.39 mm/day that include 15.2 % of the total water used in the irrigated fields. We can conclude that irrigation water is the most important resource of groundwater recharge in this area, consequently, it should be integrated into relevant hydrological models as the main source of groundwater recharge.     

Recent Sediment Stratigraphy and Geotechnical Characteristics of Foreset and Bottomset Beds of the Niagara Bar

Forest beds of the Niagara Bar are composed of fine sands and sandy silts. Their thickness is uncertain, but probably 6 to 8 m have accumulated on the upper slope since the last low water stage in Lake Ontario. The maximum thickness of these beds occurs near the foot of the outer slope (water depths 80 to 90 m) where accumulation exceed 20 m north of the present river mouth, and 10 to 12 m to the northwest. The bottomset beds of fine silt and silty clay thin rapidly offshore and decrease to as little as 0.5 m, at about 5 km northwest of the Outer Bar. There is a fining upward lithology in many cores, and this is consistent with continuing deposition under rising water levels. Geotechnical measurements indicate that bottomset and lower foreset beds have low undrained shear strengths (typically less than 4 kPa) and high water contents. Upper foreset beds, of coarser composition, have somewhat higher, undrained shear strengths (20 to 90 kPa, and greater) and much lower water contents. The steepest parts of the Outer Bar lie between 20 and 60 m water depth, where slope angles vary between 2 and 10°; maximum local values reach 14 to 15°. Despite the presence of gas in sediments of the lower foreset beds the slope shows no evidence of slumping.     

Delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones of Coastal Groundwater Basin Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making Technique

Delineation of groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) has been performed for a coastal groundwater basin of eastern India. The groundwater potential zone index (GWPZI) map is generated by using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) from different influencing features, e.g., Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC), soil (S), geomorphology (GM), hydrogeology (HG), surface geology (SG), recharge rate (RR), drainage density (DD), rainfall (RF), slope (Sl), surface water bodies (SW), lineament density (LD), and Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI). Recharge rate values are estimated from hydrological water balance model. Overlay weighted sum method is used to integrate all thematic feature maps to generate GWPZ map of the study area. Four zones have been identified for the coastal groundwater basin [very good: 36.39 % (273.53 km², good: 43.57 % (327.47 km²), moderate: 18.27 % (137.30 km²), and poor: 1.77 % (13.27 km²)]. Areas in north to south-west and south-east direction show very good GWPZ due to the presence of low drainage density. GWPZ map and well yield values show good agreement. Sensitivity analysis reveals that exclusion/absence of rainfall and lineament density increases the poor groundwater potential zones. Omission of hydrogeology, soils, surface geology, and NDVI show maximum increase in good GWPZ. Obtained GWPZ map can be utilized effectively for planning of sustainable agriculture. This analysis demonstrates the potential applicability of the methodology for a general coastal groundwater basin.     

Coupled Quantity-Quality Simulation-Optimization Model for Conjunctive Surface-Groundwater Use

Many water resources optimization problems involve conflicting objectives which the main goal is to find a set of optimal solutions on, or near to, Pareto front. In this study a multi-objective water allocation model was developed for optimization of conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources to achieve sustainable supply of agricultural water. Here, the water resource allocation model is based on simulation-optimization (SO) modeling approach. Two surrogate models, namely an Artificial Neural Network model for groundwater level simulation and a Genetic Programming model for TDS concentration prediction were coupled with NSGA-II. The objective functions involved: 1) minimizing water shortage relative to the water demand, 2) minimizing the drawdown of groundwater level, and 3) minimizing the groundwater quality changes. According to the MSE and R² criteria, the results showed that the surrogate models for prediction of groundwater level and TDS concentration performed favorably in comparison to the measured values at the number of observation wells. In Najaf Abad plain case study, the average drawdown was limited to 0.18 m and the average TDS concentration also decreased from 1257 mg/lit to 1229 mg/lit under optimal conditions.     

Assessing Groundwater Geospatial Variation Using Microgravity Investigation in the Arid Riyadh Metropolitan Area,Saudi Arabia: a Case Study

A combination of relative microgravity measurements at ground surface, and depth to water and water table measurements from adjacent wells were used to estimate geospatial variation of groundwater. A highly accurate portable Grav-Map gravimeter was used for gravimetric measurements at locations nearby a 42 well water table monitoring program. To efficiently correlate the two data sets, wells were clustered into five groups by geological unit and water saturation. Microgravity data was processed, interpreted, and correlated with both the depths to groundwater and the water table levels. Regression analyses revealed a strong negative correlation for microgravity and depth to groundwater in all five clusters; correlation coefficients varied between 0.70 and 0.97, and measured 0.78 over the entire study area. Microgravity values increased as groundwater depth decreased, likely because rising groundwater fills voids and fractures within soil and rocks, increasing rock density and therefore relative gravity. To validate the correlation, we superimposed a map of depths to water on the first derivative of microgravity measurements. The shallowest groundwater depths were positively related to the zero first derivatives, having intersection areas within a 75 % significance interval. Negative first derivatives covered the rest of the study area, with relative gravity decreasing with increasing groundwater depth. This technique can precisely and efficiently determine changes in subsurface geology and geospatial changes in depths to the groundwater table. Distances between microgravity stations should be small, to better detect small changes in gravity values, reflecting density contrasts underground.     

Impact of Urbanization on the Hydrodynamics of a Water Table in a Floodplain with High Potential for Renaturation

Large river basins influence the development of human populations either by interfering with population growth or by providing a valuable resource that supports population growth. The Paraíba do Sul River catchment (55,400 km²) in southeastern Brazil supplies more than 14-million people with water, and is located in a region of Brazil with the highest Gross National Product (GNP). This catchment contains 77 floodplains (2156 km²) whose waters are highly regulated, and has a medium urbanization index (18.9%). Fifty-two of these floodplains (67.5%) have characteristics that make them suitable for the implementation of management practices that seek renaturation of the floodplain to ensure the sustainability of regional economic development. The floodplain examined in this study is highly managed and has a great potential for renaturation. We examined variations in groundwater level from the control section (lowest cross-section of the floodplain) to the propagation zone for flooding (9.43 km upstream) from January to December of 2013. The elevation of the water table near the structural control point had less seasonal oscillation than a distant area (p = 0.036). There was also a significant difference in the depth of the water table within the interior of the floodplain (urban area: 3.13 m, non-urban area: 0.49 m, p < 0.001). These results demonstrate that water regulation has been compromised in the study area due to the reduced connection between the river channel and floodplain in the urban region. Thus, land use in this floodplain has interfered with water storage capacity and the connectivity between sub-surface flows. These results suggest that this area is suitable for the implementation of techniques that seek renaturation of the floodplain, so that humans can continue to use this water and so that the effects of climatic changes can be mitigated.