Aquifer Parameters Estimation from Natural Groundwater Level Fluctuations at the Mexican Wine-Producing Region Guadalupe Valley, BC

Determining hydrogeological properties of the rock materials that constitute an aquifer through stress tests or laboratory tests presents inherent complications. An alternative tool that has significant advantages is the study of the groundwater-level response as a result of the pore-pressure variation caused by the internal structure deformation of the aquifer induced by barometric pressure and solid Earth tide. The purpose of this study was to estimate the values of the physical/hydraulic properties of the geological materials that constitute the Guadalupe Valley Aquifer based on the analysis of the groundwater-level response to barometric pressure and solid Earth tide. Representative values of specific storage (1.27 × 10−6 to 2.78 × 10−6 m−1), porosity (14–34%), storage coefficient (3.10 × 10−5 to 10.45 × 10−5), transmissivity (6.67 × 10−7 to 1.29 × 10−4 m2∙s−1), and hydraulic conductivity (2.30 × 10−3 to 2.97 × 10−1 m∙d−1) were estimated. The values obtained are consistent with the type of geological materials identified in the vicinity of the analyzed wells and values reported in previous studies. This analysis represents helpful information that can be considered a framework to design and assess management strategies for groundwater resources in the overexploited Guadalupe Valley Aquifer.

Allocation of Groundwater Recharge Zones in a Rural and Semi-Arid Region for Sustainable Water Management: Case Study in Guadalupe Valley, Mexico

Around the world, groundwater constitutes approximately 94% of the total volume of freshwater, providing a wide range of economic and environmental services. In Baja California, Mexico, groundwater provides around 60% of the required demand and has become an essential source for agriculture, industry and domestic use. Particularly, in the Guadalupe Valley, in the municipality of Ensenada, the development of diverse activities depends on the water stored in the aquifer. Among these activities, agroindustry stands out; due to its high value, it represents a regional development factor. The objective of this research consisted of identifying potential aquifer recharge sites as tools for the planning process for regional socio-economic development. The study consisted of four fundamental parts: (1) Compilation and identification of entry data of the recharge model; (2) identification and evaluation of the sites that have a greater or lesser capacity of water recharge, using a geographic information system (GIS); (3) comparison of the model results with the piezometric data of two wells in the study area and their relationship with precipitation events; (4) finally, the development planning instruments of the study area were identified, and the relevance of the present study as a planning tool was evaluated. The results obtained showed that 16.31% and 3.64% of the area presents a high and very high recharge potential, respectively. This article is useful for the authorities and users to develop projects for aquifer recharge in the Guadalupe Valley.

Numerical understanding of regional scale water table behavior in the Guadalupe Valley aquifer, Baja California, Mexico

A regional groundwater flow model was developed, in order to evaluate the water table behavior in the region of the Guadalupe Valley, in Baja California, Mexico. The State of Baja California has been subject to an increment of the agricultural, urban and industrials activities, implicating a growing water-demand. However, the State is characterized by its semi-arid climate with low surface water availability; resulting in an extensive use of groundwater in local aquifer. Based on historic piezometric information of the last two decades, however, a negative evolution could be observed, resulting a negative storage volume. So far, there is not an integral hydrogeological evaluation that determine the real condition of the groundwater resource, and that permit to planning a management of the Guadalupe Valley Aquifer. A steady-state calibration model was carried out in order to obtain the best possible match to measured levels at the Guadalupe Valley Aquifer. The contours of calculated water table elevations for January 1983 were reproduced. Generally, the comparison of the observed and calculated water table configurations have a good qualitative and quantitatively adjustment. Nowadays, it is count with a hydrogeological model that can be used for simulates the groundwater flow in the region of the Guadalupe Valley.