Evaluation of Artificial Recharge on Groundwater Using MODFLOW Model (Case Study: Gotvand Plain-Iran)

Manouchehr Chitsazan, Ali Movahedian^*

Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran.

DOI: 10.4236/gep.2015.35014                

Abstract

The managed recharge of groundwater is a stable and newfound technique which has already produced successful results and is expected to solve many of the problems of water resources, particularly in arid and semiarid areas. The aquifer artificial recharge is considered as a strategy for the improvement and development of groundwater resources and their storage to compensate for the damage to them. In this regard, the advanced models of groundwater offer suitable tools for the management and assessment of aquifers. The main objective of this research is Simulation of Gotvand Plain aquifer using MODFLOW code of GMS software is the primary objective of this research. The other objective is assessing the artificial recharge project of Abbid-Sarbishe located in north of Gotvand. For this purpose, the study area was discretized in GMS software and the initial and boundary conditions were specified. Then, the model was calibrated from September 2009 to August 2010 in an unsteady state during 12 stress periods. After the optimization of hydrogeologic parameters, the model was validated from September 2009 to August 2010 and then it was used to assess the artificial recharge. By analyzing the water budget model, the behavior of piezometers and the observed data, the hydraulic of groundwater was evaluated. The results indicate that artificial recharge has been effective in the western parts of the project and the most effective recharge has occurred during 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 around the piezometer G19. This project has a positive effect on the aquifer, but due to seasonal water-flood spreading, sedimentation, and drought in the past years, its effect is not sufficient.

Keywords

Artificial Recharge Evaluation, Modeling, MODFLOW, Groundwater, GMS

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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