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Aquifer characterization and groundwater budget estimation of the Upper Mille River catchment, Lower Awash Basin, Ethiopia; an integrated approach for groundwater potential evaluation

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Abstract

The present study is conducted in the Upper Mille River catchment of the Lower Awash Basin in Ethiopia. The main aim of the study is to investigate the groundwater potential of a complex fractured volcanic and unconsolidated Quaternary sediment aquifer system using integrated hydrogeological approaches. To estimate the hydrological components of the catchment, the soil water balance (SWB) method and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling techniques are employed. The SWB method and the SWAT model indicate that the long-term average annual groundwater recharge of the catchment is 105 mm and 150 mm, respectively, which accounts for 9.3% and 13.8% of the mean annual precipitation. Conventional hydrogeological investigation techniques are used to evaluate the spatial variability and flow dynamics of the groundwater system, as well as the various natures of the aquifers. Based on aquifer productivity, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and discharge values, the aquifer system is classified into three different hydrogeological units: a highly productive intergranular aquifer, a medium productive fractured aquifer, and a low-productive aquifer. Lithological logs of deep boreholes, pumping test results, stratigraphic settings, water balance components, and the topographic position of each unit are also used to classify the aquifers. Schematic hydrogeological cross-sections, total dissolved solid (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) distribution maps, and groundwater head distribution contour maps are produced using lithological logs of drilled deep boreholes, field-measured inventory water points, and water level measurements, respectively. Based on converging evidence from geological, hydrogeological, and topographic settings, a conceptual model that approximates the groundwater system of the Upper Mille River catchment is developed, and the groundwater potential of the catchment is evaluated.

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Data will be made available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the National Meteorology Agency of Ethiopia, Amhara Water Works Construction Enterprise (AWWCE), and Woreda Water Bureaus for providing the necessary data for this study.

Funding

This research work is partially funded by Addis Ababa University and self-sponsored by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

    Amanuel Godie Gigar

  2. School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Amanuel Godie Gigar, Dessie Nedaw & Belay Molla Sisay

  3. Department of Geology, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia

    Belay Molla Sisay

Authors
  1. Amanuel Godie Gigar
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  2. Dessie Nedaw
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  3. Belay Molla Sisay
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Correspondence to Amanuel Godie Gigar.

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We, the authors, declare and confirm that this work is our own original work and is part of the MSc thesis of the principal author. We have followed all ethical and technical research principles in the preparation, data collection, data analysis, and compilation of the research.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Amjad Kallel

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Gigar, A.G., Nedaw, D. & Sisay, B.M. Aquifer characterization and groundwater budget estimation of the Upper Mille River catchment, Lower Awash Basin, Ethiopia; an integrated approach for groundwater potential evaluation. Arab J Geosci 17, 96 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-024-11886-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-024-11886-8

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