Groundwater potentiality delineation in Moghra, Egypt
Heba Abd el-Aziz Abu-Bakr, Manal Abdelmoniem
Abstract
To enhance the role of groundwater and to improve its management, a methodology for assessing groundwater potential is applied to many regions of Egypt with shared and non-shared aquifers. Groundwater potentiality refers to the amount of storage that exists in the aquifers. In this research, delineation of groundwater potential zones mapping methodology was applied to the West Delta fringes up to El-Dabaa road and Moghra region as a case study. Currently, in West Nile Delta fringes, existing land reclamation projects depending on non-renewable groundwater faced various environmental management issues, as a result of the dynamic agricultural and urbanization process in the area such as a decline in groundwater levels and deterioration of its quality. In the study, field investigations and GIS (geographic information system) were utilized to generate the main hydrogeological parameters; lithology, geomorphology, topography, soil classification, drainage density, land use, saturated thickness, groundwater levels, and groundwater salinity. The results indicated that the groundwater potential zones were delineated moderate potential, low, and very low. The results are helpful tools for planning and management of groundwater sources. The study recommended continuous monitoring the change in hydrogeological parameters in the study area especially depth to water, salinity and groundwater extraction due to continues development. The total and available potentials should also be estimated, using numerical model to evaluate those potentials now and in the future.