GROUNDWATER LEVEL RISING AND RELATED HAZARDS IN ASTANEH-KOUCHESFAHAN PLAIN, IRAN

Groundwater is one of the major supplies of water resource in Astaneh-Kouchesfahan Plain, which supports human health, socio-economic development and ecological diversity. Groundwater level information of 59 observation wells from October 1998 to March 2004 indicates the shallow groundwater is mostly situated maximum 3 meters below ground surface and the plain would be in subject to water logging, soil salinity and contamination. In this study, a 2-Dimentional groundwater numerical flow model was calibrated and used for prediction of groundwater flactuations according to present recharge and discharge conditions. The predictive simulation for three years shows that according to present recharge and discharge conditions, the average weighted groundwater levels show an increase about 0.34 m and groundwater salinities increased by approximately 2% over the period. The results confirm if the natural conditions prevail, in the mid and long-term, groundwater consumers of the aquifer will be facing a worse situation than the present.