A root zone modelling approach to estimating groundwater recharge from irrigated areas

In irrigated semi-arid and arid regions, accurate knowledge of groundwater recharge is important for the sustainable management of scarce water resources. The Campo de Cartagena area of southeast Spain is a semi-arid region where irrigation return flow accounts for a substantial portion of recharge. In this study we estimated irrigation return flow using a root zone modelling approach in which irrigation, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture dynamics for specific crops and irrigation regimes were simulated with the HYDRUS-1D software package. The model was calibrated using field data collected in an experimental plot. Good agreement was achieved between the HYDRUS-1D simulations and field measurements made under melon and lettuce crops. The simulations indicated that water use by the crops was below potential levels despite regular irrigation. The fraction of applied water (irrigation plus precipitation) going to recharge ranged from 22% for a summer melon crop to 68% for a fall lettuce crop. In total, we estimate that irrigation of annual fruits and vegetables produces 26 hm3 y1 of groundwater recharge to the top unconfined aquifer. This estimate does not include important irrigated perennial crops in the region, such as artichoke and citrus. Overall, the results suggest a greater amount of irrigation return flow in the Campo de Cartagena region than was previously estimated.

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Jiménez Martínez J. Skaggs T.H. Van Genuchten M.Th. y Candela L. A root zone modelling approach to estimating groundwater recharge from irrigated areas. Elsevier B.V., 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.01.002

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Tipo de recurso Artículo
Fecha de creación 05-11-2024
Fecha de última modificación 22-01-2025
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Identificador de los metadatos 43a60faa-d694-5da4-80da-694e4d32cf5f
Idioma de los metadatos Español
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Categoría del conjunto de alto valor (HVD) Observación de la Tierra y medio ambiente
Categoría temática ISO 19115 biota
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Nombre del autor Jiménez Martínez, J., Skaggs, T.H., Van Genuchten, M.Th. y Candela, L.
Nombre del editor Elsevier B.V.
Identificador alternativo DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.01.002
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Email del autor joaquin.jimenez@upc.edu
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