Abstract
An estimate of the groundwater budget at the catchment scale is extremely important for the sustainable management of available water resources. Water resources are generally subjected to over-exploitation for agricultural and domestic purposes in agrarian economies like India. The double water-table fluctuation method is a reliable method for calculating the water budget in semi-arid crystalline rock areas. Extensive measurements of water levels from a dense network before and after the monsoon rainfall were made in a 53 km2 watershed in southern India and various components of the water balance were then calculated. Later, water level data underwent geostatistical analyses to determine the priority and/or redundancy of each measurement point using a cross-validation method. An optimal network evolved from these analyses. The network was then used in re-calculation of the water-balance components. It was established that such an optimized network provides far fewer measurement points without considerably changing the conclusions regarding groundwater budget. This exercise is helpful in reducing the time and expenditure involved in exhaustive piezometric surveys and also in determining the water budget for large watersheds (watersheds greater than 50 km2).
Résumé
L’estimation du bilan en eau à l’échelle du bassin versant est essentielle pour une gestion durable des ressources. Dans des économies agraires comme en Inde, les ressources en eau souterraine sont généralement surexploitées pour des usages agricoles et domestiques. La méthode de double fluctuation du niveau piézométrique, est une methode fiable pour calculer le bilan en eau en contexte cristallin semi-aride. Plusieurs campagnes piézométriques détaillées ont couvert un réseau dense sur un bassin versant de 53 km2, au sud de l’Inde, avant et après la mousson, et ont permis de calculer plusieurs composantes du bilan en eau. Les données piézométriques ont ensuite été soumises à des analyses statistiques, afin de déterminer les priorités et redondances sur chaque point de mesure par une méthode de validation croisée. De ces analyses est né un réseau optimal, à partir duquel les composantes du bilan en eau ont été recalculées. Il a été mis en évidence qu’un tel réseau optimisé, s’il nécessitait beaucoup moins de points de mesure, ne changeait pas fondamentalement les conclusions sur le bilan en eau. Cet exercice est utile pour réduire le temps et le coût qu’impliquent la réalisation de campagnes piézométriques exhaustives, mais aussi pour déterminer le bilan en eau sur des bassins versants étendus (surface supérieure à 50 km2).
Resumen
Una estimación del balance de aguas subterráneas a escala de cuenca es muy importante para la gestión sostenible de los recursos disponibles de agua. Los recursos hídricos están generalmente sujetos a sobreexplotación para la agricultura y el uso doméstico en economías agrarias como es el caso de la India. El método de fluctuación doble del nivel piezométrico, es metodo fiable para el cálculo del balance hídrico en áreas semiáridas de rocas cristalinas. Se han llevado a cabo medidas extensivas de niveles de agua procedentes de una densa red de control antes y después de las lluvias monzónicas en una cuenca al sur de India y se han calculado varios componentes del balance de agua. Posteriormente, se llevaron a cabo análisis geoestadísticos con los datos de nivel de agua para determinar la prioridad y/o redundancia de cada punto de medida usando el método de validación cruzada. A partir de estos análisis se obtuvo una red de control óptima. La red de control fue entonces utilizada para recalcular los componentes del balance hídrico. Se ha establecido que una red de control optimizada da lugar a muchos menos puntos de medida sin cambiar considerablemente las conclusiones que tienen que ver con el balance hídrico. Este ejercicio ayuda a reducir el tiempo y el costo de campañas piezométricas exhaustivas y también a determinar el balance hídrico para grandes cuencas (cuencas mayores de 50 km2).
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Acknowledgements
The authors express their thanks to the Director, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad for his kind permission for carrying out the study. The first author would like to thank the University Grants Commission for providing scholarship under the Junior Research Fellowship Program and also the French Embassy in India as a part of the work was carried out in France under the Sandwich Fellowship Program.
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Zaidi, F.K., Ahmed, S., Dewandel, B. et al. Optimizing a piezometric network in the estimation of the groundwater budget: a case study from a crystalline-rock watershed in southern India. Hydrogeol J 15, 1131–1145 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-007-0167-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-007-0167-z