Ground water system evaluation for Wadi Nisah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A detailed study of the Biyadh sandstone aquifer in the Wadi Nisah graben was conducted primarily to adopt a simple ground water model that could be used for evaluation and management of the aquifer and to study the feasibility of additional ground water withdrawal. The model developed by Prickett has been adapted to fit the Wadi Nisah aquifer since it is simple to operate, requires less computer memory, and provides fast program execution. In light of the results obtained during the calibration, it was concluded that the model could be used for future management of the aquifer. This study also indicated that further development of the aquifer is possible through the construction of an additional new well field at the lower end of the aquifer. A prediction analysis of the water level decline was made for the proposed well field and also for the other well fields in the area, which indicated that over a 30-year period the expected drawdown would constitute 20-30 percent of the available saturated thickness. The simulation technique used in generalizing data for rainfall, runoff, and infiltration for the Wadi Nisah area demonstrated that this procedure could be used in other areas of Saudi Arabia where only limited data are available.