Quantifying irrigation recharge sources using groundwater modeling

摘要

Irrigated agriculture has created artificially high groundwater levels that are now considered the normal condition in some Montana (USA) valleys. Rural housing developments that use wells completed in these shallow aquifers depend upon the annual recharge from irrigation practices and infrastructure. However, water conservation efforts aiming to reduce the volume of irrigation water diverted from streams, by either converting fields from flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation or lining irrigation canals, may reduce recharge to the underlying alluvial aquifers. For resource managers looking to both preserve the groundwater resource for domestic well use and reduce the volume of water diverted from rivers, knowing the primary source of groundwater recharge is key to choosing the most appropriate water-saving method.