Assessment of application of gridding technique and AHP method for zonation of artificial recharge (Case Study: Chamshor watershed, Kurdistan)

One of the techniques to eliminate groundwater resources crisis is to carry out artificial recharge projects, which cause infiltration of water from the surface into the aquifer and balance of the water table. An appropriate site selection for artificial recharge is one of the most important steps in implementation of these projects, itself. In this study, capability of gridding technique and AHP method was evaluated for zonation of artificial recharge potential. Accordingly, a grid, with cell size 0.1 km2, was defined for rangelands of Chamshor watershed and geological parameters, slope, thickness of unsaturated layer, electrical conductivity and transmissivity were selected for entry into the model. Finally, potential zonation map of artificial recharge project, using gridding technique, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and weighting linear combination methods were produced for implementation of artificial recharge. In order to assess the model, the project of artificial recharge in the study area was used which has had a successful performance on balancing the water table level, reducing destructive floods and increasing vegetation. Finally, the accuracy of the gridding technique and AHP method was 87.5 percent. In conclusion, the zonation of artificial recharge potential which was obtained by gridding technique and AHP method was reliable and it is recommended to be used in the site selection of flood spreading systems to be able to carry out artificial recharge projects.