Temporal changes in Groundwater Recharge in the Upper Awash Basin with particular emphasis to Becho and Koka areas, Central Ethiopia
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Date
2016-05
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
An estimate of groundwater recharge is important for water resources planning and management to determine the sustainability of groundwater resources. Estimates of groundwater recharge can be made using river discharge records. In this study baseflow separation excel spread sheet program and water balance method using long term meteorological data has been utilized. The study area Becho plain and Koka plain is located in upper Awash basin, in the central part Ethiopia. Awash River at Bello, and Hombole, Mojo and Teji River catchments of upper Awash River basin have been identified as focal areas for assessing the recharge process. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the temporal changes of groundwater recharges which will be vital information for future sustainable use of the groundwater resource. The mean annual recharge of the Becho and Koka areas using the water balance method was found to be 319.5 mm and 49.5 mm and using baseflow separation excel spread sheet program it was found to be 81.4 mm and 104.3mm respectively. A trend analysis of long term and recent hydrometeoroligical variables for the study area was conducted to detect possible effects of climate changes and human activities in the area. Long term river flow and baseflow in the Mojo and Teji Rivers have a slightly decreasing trend but the main Awash River at Bello and Hombole shows increasing trend. The recent trends of river flow and baseflow except the Awash River at Bello the other rivers in the study area shows decreasing trends. The possible reason for this is slightly decreasing trend of precipitation, increasing of evapotranspiration and excessive human activity in the study area.
Key words: Baseflow, Ethiopia, Excel Spread Sheet, River Flow, Upper Awash River Basin and Water Balance.
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Keywords
Baseflow, Ethiopia, Excel Spread Sheet, River Flow, Upper Awash River Basin and Water Balance