Comparing various approaches for assessing groundwater recharge at a regional scale in the Canadian Shield |
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| Authors: | Maryline Huet Marie-Amélie Boucher Charles Poirier |
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| Institution: | 1. CERM (Centre d’études sur les Ressources Minérales), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec, Canada;2. Centre d’Expertise Hydrique du Québec, Ministère du développement durable, de l’environnement et de la lutte contre les changements climatiques, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACTEstimating groundwater recharge is crucial to ensuring the proper management of aquifers. In this study, net regional recharge and spatial potential recharge are estimated at four watersheds within the Charlevoix–Haute-Côte-Nord (CHCN) regions, Quebec Province, Canada. Four methods are applied based on available data. The first two approaches are regional water budget methods. These two methods differ in their estimation of vertical inflow (VI), which is estimated from two hydrological models: GR4J and HYDROTEL. The third method estimates potential recharge spatially over the study area. Finally, the streamflow data are analysed using the Eckhardt baseflow separation method to obtain an estimation of recharge, assuming that discharge is equal to recharge. According to the results of all investigated methods, the mean annual recharge for the CHCN region is approximately 183 mm, which is 18% of the total annual precipitation (P). The discussion section highlights uncertainties due to the assumptions of each method and the reliability of the data. |
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| Keywords: | recharge assessment water budget hydrogram separation Canadian Shield |
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