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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346151
Title: Flood effect on groundwater recharge on a typical silt loam soil

Author
item ZHANG, GUOHUA - China Irrigation And Drainage Development Center
item Feng, Gary
item LI, XINHU - China Agriculture University
item XIE, CONGBAO - China Agriculture University
item PI, XIAOYU - Beijing Titan Instruments Co

Submitted to: Water
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2017
Publication Date: 7/14/2017
Citation: Feng, G.G. 2017. Flood effect on groundwater recharge on a typical silt loam soil. Water. 9:523.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/w9070523

Interpretive Summary: Floods are important sources of recharge ground water in most regions of the world. Determining the relation between the flood ponding depth and change in ground water table in river floodplain of the Tarim River is critical to assess the contribution of natural or artificial planned overflow to groundwater recharge. This study aimed to investigate flood effect on ground water using lysimeters and a numerical model. Lysimeter experiment study established a quantitative relationships between flood water ponding depth and height of groundwater table rise. Simulation study develop a relationship between time interval, initial groundwater table, initial soil water content, flood water amount and ground water table rise.

Technical Abstract: Floods are of great concern as the global climate changes, and investigations of flood water infiltration and groundwater recharge are important for water resource management worldwide, especially under conditions of global climate changes. However, information on the relationship between the flood water and groundwater recharge is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the flood water depth and the height of groundwater rise using lysimeters and numerical modeling in the floodplain of the Tarim River in northwestern China. The experimental results suggested that the rise in height of the groundwater table was closely related to the flood water ponding depth, and the groundwater depth decreased quickly after flooding due to the high infiltration rate of water originating at the Tarim River. The water table falling velocity was significantly less than the water table rising velocity. If the initial groundwater table was deeper, the variation in the water table rise depth was smaller and the water table falling velocity was slower. The numerical simulation results showed good agreement with the observed data, with a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.87 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 63.91 cm. A good relationship (R2 = 0.789) between the initial groundwater table depth (H0), initial soil water content (W0), flood water depth (h), and height of the water table rise (H) was established. Considering that natural and artificial flood frequencies are related to flood time interval (dt), a relationship (R2 = 0.892) was developed between them. These results can enhance the understanding of flood recharge characteristics in the floodplains of inland rivers.