Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry of Lake Ziway Area and the Surrounding
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Date
1998-06
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
The studied area is located in the northen part of the central s!(5ctor of the Main
Ethiopian Rift. It is bounded by 7° 35' N & 812' N latitudes and 38 25' E & 39°15' E
longitudes. It is covered by Pliocene to Recent volcanic rocks and lacustrine sediments.
Volcanic rocks are dominantly acid ignimbrites, pumices and lavas with a few basaltic
lava flows and strombolian scoriae. The maximum altitude in the area is 4080 meters
above sea level at the tip of Chillalo mountain and the lowest point is 1636 meters
above sea level at the western shore of Ziway lake.
The effective annual depth of precipitation in the area is 936.62 mm, the actual and
potential evapotranspirations are 735.87 mm and 893.64 mm respectively in the
lowlands and 639.06 mm and 695.83 mm respectively in the highlfnqs. From the total
mean annual volume of water entering thlla~e about 123.3 x 10 m of water leaves
the lake as surface runoff, about 88.4 x 10m of water leaves the lake as groundwater
outflow and about 643.91 x 106 m3 of water leaves the lake in the form of evaporation.
The main aquifers in the area are coarse grained lacustrine sediments, scoria cones,
hyaloclastites and highly weathered and fractured basalts and ignimbrites. Depth of
ground water level ranges from less than two metres up to 130 meters and the general
groundwater flow direction is towards the lake from east, west and north of the area and
out of the area from the southern part of the lake.
The water in the area is mainly of sodium bicarbonate type and a few are of calciumsodium
bicarbonate type. The chemical analyses of ground waters of the lowlands
show high total dissolved solids and high fluoride concentrations.. High fluoride
concentrations may result from input from fumarolic activity, water-rock interaction and
low Ca concentrations. Generally ground waters from the lowlands have poor quality
while surface waters and ground waters in the highlands have good chemical quality for
different purposes.
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Ziway Area and the Surrounding