Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Professor, Shahrekord University
Abstract
Population growth has resulted in increase in water use, which in turn has led to a decline in quantity and quality of groundwaters. Therefore, quantitative and qualitative assessment of groundwater resources is crucial for sustainable agriculture. This research was conducted to evaluate the spatio-temporal variation (18 years) of groundwater table and the quality of groundwater resources of Darab plain. To this end, data of 39 piezometers in the plain were selected to evaluate the groundwater table fluctuations during an 18-year period, while qualitative characteristics were determined for 2008-2012. Results showed that the mean groundwater level depletion was 27.23 m during the studied period. Also, qualitative dynamics indices of water showed that EC, pH, and nitrate of the groundwater increased annually during the study period. Overall, the water budget of the region, the lowering of water table, and the increase in water salinity and acidity indicate the unsustainability risk of the ground water of the studied region.
Keywords
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