Impacts of river recharge on groundwater level and hydrochemistry in the lower reaches of Heihe River Watershed, northwestern China

Xi, Haiyang; Feng, Qi; Si, JianHua; Chang, Zongqiang; Cao, Shengkui

Impacts of river recharge on groundwater level and hydrochemistry in the lower reaches of Heihe River Watershed, northwestern China | Impacts de la recharge de la rivière sur le niveau et l’hydrochimie de la nappe dans les biefs inférieurs du bassin versant de la rivière Heihe, Nord-Ouest de la Chine Impacto de la recarga de un río en el nivel de agua subterránea y la hidroquímica en los sectores más bajos de la cuenca del Río Heihe en el noroeste de China 中国西北黑河流域下游河水补给对地下水水位和水化学的影响 Impactes da recarga fluvial no nível de água subterrânea e na hidroquímica dos troços inferiores da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Heihe, noroeste da China

2010

Xi, Haiyang | Feng, Qi | Si, JianHua | Chang, Zongqiang | Cao, Shengkui

Water resources have been overexploited for agricultural irrigation and industrial production in the upper and middle reaches of the Heihe River, northwestern China. Due to inadequate water resources management, the runoff entering into the lower reaches has been continuously reduced in recent years. The Heihe River is the primary recharge source for the groundwater of the lower reaches, so the decrease in runoff has caused the groundwater level to decline. As a result, a series of ecological and environmental problems has now appeared in the lower reaches, including river-flow interruptions, drying up of associated lakes, degeneration of vegetative cover and so on. In view of these issues, the National Water Diversion Project was put into practice in July 2000. It has significantly increased the quantity and frequency of flows entering into the lower reaches of the Heihe River, and has recharged the groundwater and improved the water quality to some degree along the length of the river. The water deliveries have had obvious influences on the groundwater in the lower reaches. The groundwater level increase and groundwater quality improvement have been of great benefit in restoring the ecological environment that was destroyed in past years.

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