Groundwater Flow and Solute Transport Simulation in Eastern Al Batinah Coastal Plain, Oman: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 21, Issue 2
Abstract
The Al Batinah coastal plain in the Sultanate of Oman is one of the area’s most treasured regions for the existence of fresh groundwater and agriculture. Growth of irrigation, urbanization, and industrial endeavors have resulted in a severe decline in groundwater levels in the Al Batinah coastal aquifer, leading to significant seawater intrusion in recent decades. This study examines the groundwater and seawater intrusion pattern in the eastern Al Batinah coastal plain using a groundwater flow model along with a solute transport model. Both steady and transient calibration was carried out using data from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources. The calibrated model was then utilized to simulate two scenarios to mitigate seawater intrusion: (1) reduction in pumping rate; and (2) artificial recharge with constant pumping. Model predictions suggest that the effect of optimizing the pumping rate and artificial recharge reducing seawater intrusion would prove to be effective in the eastern Al Batinah coastal plain.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR) in Oman for providing data useful for research. The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 21 • Issue 2 • February 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 15, 2015
Accepted: Jun 26, 2015
Published online: Aug 18, 2015
Discussion open until: Jan 18, 2016
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
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