Hydrogeological investigation of an oasis-system aquifer in arid southeastern Morocco by development of a groundwater flow model

Bouaamlat, Ilias; Larabi, Abdelkader; Faouzi, Mohamed

Hydrogeological investigation of an oasis-system aquifer in arid southeastern Morocco by development of a groundwater flow model | Investigation hydrogéologique du système aquifère des oasis du Sud-Est marocain aride par le développement d’un modèle d’écoulement des eaux souterraines Investigación hidrogeológica del sistema acuífero de oasis en el sudeste árido de Marruecos mediante el desarrollo de un modelo de flujo de agua subterránea 建立地下水流模型对摩洛哥东南部干旱地区绿洲系统含水层进行水文地质调查 Investigação hidrogeológica de um aquífero de sistema-oásis no sudeste árido do Marrocos pelo desenvolvimento de um modelo de fluxo de águas subterrâneas

2016

Bouaamlat, Ilias | Larabi, Abdelkader | Faouzi, Mohamed

Groundwater of the Tafilalet oasis system (TOS) is an important water resource in the lower Ziz and Rheris valleys of arid southeastern Morocco. The unconfined aquifer is exploited for domestic consumption and irrigation. A groundwater flow model was developed to assess the impact of climatic variations and development, including the construction of hydraulic structures, on the hydrodynamic behavior of the aquifer. Numerical simulations were performed by implementing a spatial database within a geographic information system and using the Arc Hydro Groundwater tool with the code MODFLOW-2000. The results of steady-state and transient simulations between 1960 and 2011 show that the water table is at equilibrium between recharge, which is mainly by surface-water infiltration, and discharge by evapotranspiration. After the commissioning of the Hassan Addakhil dam in 1971, hydraulic heads became more sensitive to annual variations than to seasonal variations. Heads are also influenced by recurrent droughts and the highest water-level changes are recorded in irrigated areas. The model provides a way of managing groundwater resources in the TOS. It can be used as a tool to predict the impact of different management plans for the protection of groundwater against overexploitation and deterioration of water quality.

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