An assessment of recharge estimates from stream and well data and from a coupled surface-water/groundwater model for the des Anglais catchment, Quebec (Canada)

Chemingui, Asma; Sulis, Mauro; Paniconi, Claudio

An assessment of recharge estimates from stream and well data and from a coupled surface-water/groundwater model for the des Anglais catchment, Quebec (Canada) | Une estimation de la recharge à l’aide de données de rivière et puits ainsi qu’à partir d’un modèle couplé eau de surface/eau souterraine pour le bassin des Anglais, Québec (Canada) Una evaluación de la estimación de la recarga con datos de cursos de agua y pozos a partir de modelo acoplado de aguas superficiales/aguas subterráneas para la cuenca des Anglais, Quebec (Canadá) 对(加拿大)魁北克省des Anglais汇水区河流和水井资料及耦合地表水/地下水模型得出的补给估算数进行评价 Uma avaliação das estimativas de recarga a partir de dados de fluxo e de poço e de um modelo águas superfíciais/subterrâneas acoplado para a bacia des Anglais, Quebec (Canadá)

2015

Chemingui, Asma | Sulis, Mauro | Paniconi, Claudio

Estimation of groundwater recharge is of critical importance for effective management of freshwater resources. Three common and distinct approaches for calculating recharge rely on techniques of baseflow separation, well hydrograph analysis, and numerical modeling. In this study, these three methods are assessed for a watershed in southwestern Quebec, Canada. A physically based surface–subsurface model provides estimates of spatially distributed recharge; two baseflow separation filters estimate recharge from measured streamflow; and a well hydrograph master recession curve technique calculates recharge from water-table elevation records. The recharge results obtained are in good agreement over the entire catchment, producing an annual aquifer recharge of 10–30 % of rainfall. The annual average estimated across all methods is 200 mm/year. High variability is obtained for the monthly and seasonal recharge patterns (e.g. respectively, 0–30 mm for September and 0–95 mm for the summer), in particular between the baseflow filters and the well hydrograph technique and between the hydrograph technique and the simulated estimates at the observation wells. Recharge occurs predominantly in the spring months for the different approaches, except for the master recession curve method for which the highest recharge estimates are obtained during the summer. The recharge distribution obtained with the model shows that the main recharge area of the aquifer is the Covey Hill region. The use of a fully integrated physically based model enables the construction of an arbitrary number of well hydrographs to enhance the representativity of the master recession curve technique.

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