Characterizing replenishment water,lake water and groundwater interactions by numerical modelling in arid regions: a case study of Shahu Lake |
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| Authors: | Jie Chen |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an, China;2. Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in Arid Area, Ministry of Education, Chang’an University, Xi’an, China |
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| Abstract: | In order to maintain the scenic and eco-environmental values of a lake, we need to characterize its water interactions. Shahu Lake was used as a case study to show the interactions among replenishment water, lake water and groundwater in an arid region. Shahu Lake is located in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of northwest China and has an area of 13.96 km2 and an average depth of 2.2 m. The groundwater modelling software MODFLOW was used. The analysis results show that hydraulic connectivity among replenishment water, lake water and groundwater is the crucial driving factor that affects the water level in Shahu Lake. The lake water level is highly sensitive to the volume of replenishment water. The groundwater is of great importance in balancing the water level in the lake and preventing it from drying up. It was determined that 13.8 × 106 m3/yr is the optimal volume of replenishment water for Shahu Lake in order to maintain the lake level at its normal state and also to make the best use of available water resources on a long-term basis. Understanding of the water interactions can promote effective management of water resources in Shahu Lake. EDITOR D. KoutsoyiannisASSOCIATE EDITOR D. Hughes |
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| Keywords: | lake level replenishment water groundwater interactions arid region modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater model |
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