An Investigation into Groundwater Exploitation in Abhar Plain and Determination of Maximum Well Deepening

Limitated fresh water resources in Iran and increasing need for sustainable water resources have attracted great attention to groundwater. However, the renewability of aquifers has worsened owing to drought and climate changes. Groundwater supplies in Abhar plain which provide water for Abhar and Khorramdareh cities have been dramatically affected by over-drilling, which resulted in a sharp drop in the water level. Consequently, deepening of wells has been applied in this area. In this study, the groundwater resources of Abhar plain were investigated to determine the optimum depth in well deepening. To this end, Abhar plain aquifer volume was determined using ArcGIS software. Considering the current conditions of the plain and water resources management policies, three different scenarios were used to predict and evaluate the future conditions of the plain aquifer. The results of these scenarios demonstrated that in the case of current exploitation method, a large area of the western part of the plain would thoroughly dry over the next 25 years, and the saturated aquifer extent will diminish to 65% of the current level. The study findings illustrated the critical role of limiting the agricultural well depth as a management strategy in retarding the aquifer drying trend and slowing down the decreasing rate of the saturated aquifer level.