Evaluation of MAR Methods for Semi-Arid, Cold Regions

Mongolia is a semi-arid, highly continental region with highly variable precipitation and river discharge. The groundwater aquifer located near Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, is the only one source for city water supply consumption, and it is important to ensure that groundwater is available now and in the future. The main watercourse near the capital city is the Tuul River, fed by precipitation in the Khentii Mountains. The semi-arid and cold environment shows high variability in precipitation and river discharge. However, due to absence of precipitation in winter and spring, the riverbed usually runs dry during these times of the year, and weather observations show that the dry period has been extending in recent years. However, in parallel with urban development, the extended groundwater aquifer has shown a clear decline, and the groundwater levels have dropped significantly. Therefore, a groundwater management system based on managed aquifer recharge is proposed, and a strategy to implement these measures in the Tuul River valley is presented in this paper. This strategy consists of the enhancement of natural recharge rates during the wet summer from the northern drainage canal, an additional increase in groundwater recharge through melting the ice storage in the dry period, as well as the construction of underground dams to accumulate groundwater and a surface water reservoir that releases a constant discharge in the outlet. To increase natural recharge rates of groundwater during the early dry period through the melting ice storage period, the MATLAB icing code, which was written for ice storage for limited and unlimited areas, was considered through finite element subsurface FLOW (FEFLOW) simulation scenarios as a water source in ice form on the surface. A study of the artificial permafrost of underground as an ice dam was processed in FEFLOW simulation scenarios for accumulating groundwater resources. The results of these artificial recharging methods were individually calculated, combined, and compared with the surface reservoir, which releases a constant discharge through the dam. In this paper, new ideas are presented involving managed aquifer recharge—MAR methods, and include application to aufeis, a mass of layered ice for groundwater recharge by melting. Additionally, the accumulation of groundwater using artificial permafrost is used as an underground dam. In addition, was considered recharging scenario only with constant release water amount from water reservoir also with all MAR methods together with reservoir combination.

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Icing phenomena for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and it’s feflow simulation result

Proceedings of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences ◽

10.5564/pmas.v59i1.1134 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 16-31

Author(s):

Nasanbayar N

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Recharge ◽

Water Availability ◽

Water Source ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Cold Period ◽

Early Winter ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Winter Cold ◽

Recharge Rates ◽

Natural Recharge

Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, shows a highly dynamic urban and industrial development, with a strong increase of population. Thus, water demand is continuously rising while water availability is in general low and less reliable. The semi-arid and cold environment shows a high variability in precipitation and river discharge, with a general tendency towards decreasing water availability due to increasing air temperatures and thus rising potential evaporation. In parallel with the city’s development, the extended groundwater aquifer shows a clear decline, and the groundwater levels drop significantly. Therefore, a groundwater management system based on managed aquifer recharge is proposed and a strategy to implement these measures in the Tuul valley is presented. In this study considered enhancement of natural recharge rates during the early winter cold period, an increase of groundwater recharge through creating ice storages, due to keep water source as in ice form on surface. In dry season March to May ice storage recharge surface and groundwater by melting where Tuul River is non-flow condition. In this paper also written matlab icing code in water supply wells location, limited and unlimited area. The study of icing was processed in feflow simulation scenarios for artificially recharging groundwater resources.In this study considered feflow simulation scenarios for artificially recharging groundwater resources like enhancement of natural recharge rates during the early winter cold period, an increase of groundwater recharge through creating ice storages, due to keep water source as in ice form on surface, drainage canal recharging aquifer from opposite side, constructing underground dam that accumulates groundwater behind. The result shown that one of the possibilities recharge groundwater in dry season is icing method which creates ice sheets over ice and build ice storages in winter, keep water in ice form.

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Review of GIS Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Managed Aquifer Recharge in Semi-Arid Regions

Groundwater Resources Development and Planning in the Semi-Arid Region ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-68124-1_2 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 19-52

Author(s):

Sajad Fathi ◽

Jenny Sjåstad Hagen ◽

Alessia Matanó ◽

Guilherme E. H. Nogueira

Keyword(s):

Decision Analysis ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Multi Criteria Decision Analysis ◽

Semi Arid

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Prioritization of sites for Managed Aquifer Recharge in a semi-arid environment in western India using GIS-Based multicriteria evaluation strategy

Groundwater for Sustainable Development ◽

10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100501 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 100501

Author(s):

Amit Vishwakarma ◽

Ajanta Goswami ◽

Benudhar Pradhan

Keyword(s):

Arid Environment ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Western India ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Evaluation Strategy ◽

Multicriteria Evaluation ◽

Semi Arid

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Assessment of clogging of managed aquifer recharge in a semi-arid region

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139107 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 730 ◽

pp. 139107

Author(s):

Mohammed Zaidi ◽

Nasre-Dine Ahfir ◽

Abdellah Alem ◽

Bouabid El Mansouri ◽

Huaqing Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arid Region ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Semi Arid Region ◽

Semi Arid

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Focused groundwater recharge in a dryland environment: hydrometric and isotopic evidence from central Tanzania

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-12214 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

David Seddon ◽

Japhet J. Kashaigili ◽

Richard G. Taylor ◽

Mark O. Cuthbert ◽

Lucas Mihale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Recharge ◽

Surface Waters ◽

Poverty Alleviation ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Ephemeral Stream ◽

Groundwater Levels ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Semi Arid

<p>Groundwater, and its replenishment via recharge, is critical to livelihoods and poverty alleviation in drylands of sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, yet the processes by which groundwater is replenished remain inadequately observed and resolved. Here, we present three lines of evidence, from an extensively-monitored wellfield in central semi-arid Tanzania, indicating focused groundwater recharge occurring via leakage from episodic, ephemeral stream discharges. First, the duration of ephemeral streamflow observed from daily records from 2007 to 2016 correlates strongly (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.85) with the magnitude of groundwater recharge events observed and estimated from piezometric observations. Second, high-resolution (hourly) monitoring of groundwater levels and stream stage, established in advance of the 2015-16 El Ni&#241;o, shows the formation and decay of groundwater mounds beneath episodically inundated adjacent streambeds. Third, stable-isotope ratios of O and H of groundwater and precipitation as well as perennial and ephemeral surface waters trace the origin of groundwater to ephemeral stream discharges. The identification and characterisation of focused groundwater recharge have important implications not only, locally, for protecting and potentially augmenting replenishment of a wellfield supplying the capital of Tanzania through Managed Aquifer Recharge but also, more widely, in understanding and modelling groundwater recharge in dryland environments.</p>

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Evolution of water recycling in Australian cities since 2003

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2010.362 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 792-802 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

J. C. Radcliffe

Keyword(s):

Water Quality Management ◽

Water Reservoir ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Water Recycling ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Recycled Water ◽

Government Grants ◽

Desalination Plants ◽

National Water

The prolonged Australian drought which commenced in 2002, and the agreement between Australia's Commonwealth and States/Territories governments to progress water reform through the National Water Initiative, has resulted in many new recycling projects in Australia's capital cities. Dual reticulation systems are being advanced in new subdivision developments in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Brisbane has installed three large Advanced Water Treatment Plants that are designed to send indirect potable recycled water to the Wivenhoe Dam which is Brisbane's principal water reservoir. Numerous water recycling projects are serving industry and agriculture. Experimental managed aquifer recharge is being undertaken with wetland-treated stormwater in Adelaide and reverse osmosis treated wastewater in Perth. New National Water Quality Management Strategy recycled water guidelines have been developed for managing environmental risks, for augmentation of drinking water supplies, for managed aquifer recharge and for stormwater harvesting and reuse. Many recent investments are part-supported through Commonwealth government grants. Desalination plants are being established in Melbourne and Adelaide and a second one in Perth in addition to the newly-operational plants in Perth, South-East Queensland and Sydney. Despite there being numerous examples of unplanned indirect potable recycling, most governments remain reluctant about moving towards planned potable recycling. There is evidence of some policy bans still being maintained by governments but the National Water Commission continues to reinforce the necessity of an even-handed objective consideration of all water supply options.

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Identification of suitable sites for managed aquifer recharge under semi-arid conditions employing a combination of numerical and analytical techniques

Environmental Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12665-021-09797-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (17) ◽

Author(s):

Jafar Alkhatib ◽

Irina Engelhardt ◽

Martin Sauter

Keyword(s):

Empirical Equation ◽

Surface Characteristics ◽

Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽

Specific Yield ◽

Multiple Model ◽

Aquifer Recharge ◽

Suitability Maps ◽

Aquifer Characteristics ◽

Groundwater Mound ◽

Semi Arid

AbstractOverpumping or overexploitation of groundwater is one of the major threats for aquifer systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been suggested by many researchers as a sustainable and effective method to alleviate negative impacts of overpumping. Optimizing artificial recharge considers the selection of suitable MAR sites in terms of surface and subsurface characteristics. While surface characteristics at potential MAR sites could be modified (e.g. slope, soil texture, etc.), subsurface characteristics cannot be changed through engineering work. Characteristics of the aquifer, such as depth to groundwater, play an important role in determining the capability of an aquifer to store a specific volume of infiltrated water. Currently, only a limited number of quoted researches are available that consider factors related to aquifer characteristics and the range of these factors to identify optimal MAR sites. In this study, a new approach is presented, that employs numerical groundwater modeling to generate MAR suitability maps considering sub-surface characteristics, such as depth-to-groundwater, aquifer transmissivity and specific yield. Multiple model-runs are conducted to simulate groundwater table response with respect to the volume of infiltrated water. Simulation results are used to calibrate a groundwater mound empirical equation that calculates the groundwater level increase as a function of the transmissivity and infiltrated water volume for a given value of aquifer’ specific yield, range of vertical hydraulic conductivities and a specific design and operation conditions of the MAR system. The empirical equation is employed in GIS to spatially calculate the height of groundwater mound beneath a hypothetical MAR site and to generate, based on that, suitability maps for MAR implementation. Assuming that MAR structures capture the median of monthly surface runoff rates at the respective wadi (catchment area), suitability maps are generated for different configurations/scenarios of aquifer hydraulic conductivity in a parameter study. The results highlight the importance of integrating aquifer characteristics (geometry and hydraulic parameters) and expected magnitudes and fluxes of infiltration water in delineating suitable sites for MAR.

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