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Groundwater salinization in semi-arid zones: an example from Nador plain (Tipaza, Algeria)

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Abstract

The groundwater of Nador plain has been overexploited during the last two decades. The goal was to meet the demands of intensive agricultural activities and at the same time the supply of drinking water. As a result, the dynamic balance between freshwater and seawater has been disturbed and the quality of the groundwater has deteriorated. The degradation of the groundwater quality is characterized by salinization phenomena. In this project, the analysis of the piezometric map indicates a piezometric water level of 0 m inside the plain. The chemical analysis of major ions in the groundwater was carried out on the water samples of 24 wells: it indicates an electrical conductivity of water exceeding 1,500 µS/cm, and chloride concentrations exceeding 500 mg/L in the downstream of the plain. Presently, the groundwater in this coastal sector is used neither for drinking water nor for irrigation. In this study, 35 vertical electrical soundings (VES) were carried out in the area, with geoelectrical sections and maps of iso-resistivity created to delineate the zones that are affected by saltwater intrusion. The findings suggest that saltwater intrusion has reached a distance of approximately 1,600 m inside the aquifer.

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Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges three anonymous reviewers for their critical evaluation and suggestions, which greatly helped to improve the manuscript. The author also acknowledges Brian Oberlander from Northwestern University for his assistance with the article’s English.

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  1. Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Khemis Miliana, Route Soufay, Thneit Had, 44000, Khemis Miliana, Algeria

    Abdelkader Bouderbala

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Correspondence to Abdelkader Bouderbala.

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Bouderbala, A. Groundwater salinization in semi-arid zones: an example from Nador plain (Tipaza, Algeria). Environ Earth Sci 73, 5479–5496 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3801-9

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