Assessing Karst Aquifers in Switzerland: The 2010/2013 Swisskarst Project

Abstract

As karst groundwater represents a significant part of the Swiss water reserve (120 km³) and resource (6.6 to 9.1 km³), the Swisskarst project (01/2010–12/2013) was included as a component of the National Research Program 61 dedicated to the sustainable management of water. Karst aquifers are sensitive to contamination and they may be disturbed by land management or civil construction. Furthermore their evolution according to climate changes strongly depends on contexts (low-land or alpine karts). In order to improve the management of karst aquifers, the project focused on two aspects: (i) the documentation of karst aquifers through a dedicated and systematic approach, maps and 3D models and (ii), the comparison and selection of applicable hydrological simulation tools, including karst recharge and karst hydraulics, which can adequately address pragmatic topics in karst such as flood hazards, low-flow recessions, etc., as well as mid-term behavior (climate changes, glaciers melting,…). Between 2010 and 2013 it was possible to document about one third of karst areas in Switzerland, including nearly one hundred karst systems. Water authorities at federal, cantonal and community levels were directly involved. This documentation clearly improved the understanding of karst aquifers and the way to manage them. Results of the project are available on www.swisskarst.ch. The work will continue along the coming years. Only results concerning the characterization of karst aquifers and systems, as well as some mapping procedures are discussed here.