The implementation of a geographic information system (GIS)/fuzzy spatial decision support system in the selection of sites for drinking-water pumping boreholes is described. Groundwater is the main source of domestic supply and irrigation in Korinthia prefecture, south-eastern Greece. Water demand has increased considerably over the last 30 years and is mainly met by groundwater abstracted via numerous wells and boreholes. The definition of the most “suitable” site for the drilling of new boreholes is a major issue in this area. A method of allocating suitable locations has been developed based on multicriteria analysis and fuzzy logic. Twelve parameters were finally involved in the model, prearranged into three categories: borehole yield, groundwater quality, and economic and technical constraints. GIS was used to create a classification map of the research area, based on the suitability of each point for the placement of new borehole fields. The coastal part of the study area is completely unsuitable, whereas high values of suitability are recorded in the south-western part. The study demonstrated that the method of multicriteria analysis in combination with fuzzy logic is a useful tool for selecting the best sites for new borehole drilling on a regional scale. The results could be used by local authorities and decision-makers for integrated groundwater resources management.

Intense rainstorms in 2008 resulted in wide-spread flooding across the Midwestern United States. In Wisconsin, floodwater inundated a 17.7-km²area on an outwash terrace, 7.5 m above the mapped floodplain of the Wisconsin River. Surface-water runoff initiated the flooding, but results of field investigation and modeling indicate that rapid water-table rise and groundwater inundation caused the long-lasting flood far from the riparian floodplain. Local geologic and geomorphic features of the landscape lead to spatial variability in runoff and recharge to the unconfined sand and gravel aquifer, and regional hydrogeologic conditions increased groundwater discharge from the deep bedrock aquifer to the river valley. Although reports of extreme cases of groundwater flooding are uncommon, this occurrence had significant economic and social costs. Local, state and federal officials required hydrologic analysis to support emergency management and long-term flood mitigation strategies. Rapid, sustained water-table rise and the resultant flooding of this high-permeability aquifer illustrate a significant aspect of groundwater system response to an extreme precipitation event. Comprehensive land-use planning should encompass the potential for water-table rise and groundwater flooding in a variety of hydrogeologic settings, as future changes in climate may impact recharge and the water-table elevation.