Locating Artificial Aquifer Feeding Using (GIS) (Case Study: Garbayegan Basin, Fars)

Groundwater is the single water resource in many regions of Iran. This is considered to be a major limitation in the social and economic development of the country. Destructive floods and water shortage necessitate suitable strategies against flood control. Selecting suitable areas for artificial recharge and directing the floodwater into permeable formations are amongst the most effective strategies in flood spreading projects. Having combined GIS and MCDA approaches, the present study sought to locate the most suitable areas for artificial groundwater recharge operation in the Garabaygan Basin of Iran. To this end, the data layers relating to the eight effective factors were prepared in GIS environment. This stage was followed by elimination of the exclusionary areas for artificial recharge while determining the potentially suitable ones. Having closely examined the potentially suitable areas using the PROMETHEE II-SAW and Fuzzy-AHP methods, the land suitability map for artificial groundwater recharge was produced. The results of the study showed that most suitable areas for the artificial groundwater recharge are located in Quaternary Qg and Qgsc geologic units and in geomorphological units of pediment and Alluvial fans with slopes not exceeding 3 percent. Furthermore, significant correspondence between the produced map and the control areas, where the artificial groundwater recharge projects were successfully performed, provided further evidence for the acceptable efficiency of the integrated PROMETHEE II-SAW method in comparison with Fuzzy-AHP in locating suitable artificial recharge areas.