Assessment of Groundwater Resources in the Jurassic Horst (Western Algeria)
The karst aquifers of the Tlemcen Mountains are the region’s main groundwater resource. More than 270 boreholes have been drilled in this region and have a total production capacity of 40 million m3/year.
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oula (*) and M. Adjim Hydraulic Department, Faculty of Technology, Tlemcen University, Tlemcen, Algeria e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] B. Collignon Hydroconseil, Chateauneuf de Gadagne, France e-mail: [email protected] Abdelazim Negm, Bouderbala Abdelkader, Haroun Chenchouni, and Damia Barcelo (eds.), Water Resources in Algeria - Part I: Assessment of Surface and Groundwater Resources, Hdb Env Chem, DOI 10.1007/698_2019_406, © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
F. Bensaoula et al. 5.5 Future Proposals for the Integrated Management of Groundwater Resources 5.6 Vulnerability Mapping and Protection Perimeters for Vulnerable Water Resources 6 Conclusions 7 Recommendations References
Abstract The karst aquifers of the Tlemcen Mountains are the region’s main groundwater resource. More than 270 boreholes have been drilled in this region and have a total production capacity of 40 million m3/year. Surface karstic forms are not very developed. However, the numerous boreholes drilled in the region showed that the carbonate reservoirs are well karstified (and this to a depth of more than 500 m). The increasing demand for water, combined with insufficient rainfall over the last few decades, has led to groundwater mining and a significant drop in the piezometric level. This problem was solved by using desalinated seawater as an alternative water source to reduce groundwater abstraction. A more successful Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) would aim to abstract less water than the average annual recharge, by modulating abstraction according to seasonal recharge. In addition, it would be advisable to study the feasibility of artificial recharge of these aquifers during periods of heavy rainfall. Groundwater quality is generally quite good, but these aquifers are vulnerable. Mapping intrinsic vulnerability to pollution is therefore necessary to improve water resource protection. Karst vulnerability mapping methods (such as the RISK method) have proven useful in documenting decisions related to drilling location and wastewater collection and treatment. Résumé Les aquifères karstiques des Monts de Tlemcen constituent la principale ressource en eau souterraine de la région. Plus de 270 forages ont été réalisés dans cette région et ont une capacité de production totale de 40 millions de m3/an. Les formes karstiques de surface ne sont pas très développées. Cependant, les nombreux forages réalisés ont démontré que les réservoirs carbonatés sont bien karstifiés (et cela jusqu’à plus de 500 m de profondeur). La demande en eau croissante, conjuguée à l’insuffisance des précipitations au cours des dernières décennies, a entraîné la surexploitation de ces ressources et une baisse significative du niveau piézométrique. Ce problème a été résolu en utilisant l’eau de mer dessalée comme source d’eau alternative afin de réduire les prélèvements d’eau souterraine. Une gestion intégrée des ressources en eau (GIRE) plus aboutie viserait à prélever moins d’eau que la recharge interannuelle moyenne, en modulant les prélè
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