Schmidt et al. (2025) Effectiveness of Irrigation Tanks for Enhancing Groundwater Recharge

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-27
• Authors: Isabelle Schmidt, Stephan Schulz, Kristina Gumgowski, Juan Carlos Richard‐Cerda, Arumugam Gurunathan, K. Brindha, Michael Schneider
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70328

Research Groups

Not specified in abstract.

Short Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of traditional Indian irrigation tanks in facilitating groundwater recharge using numerical modeling and satellite data, confirming their significant contribution, especially in cascade systems, and identifying key influencing factors for optimizing their dual function.

Objective

• To evaluate the effectiveness of traditional Indian irrigation tanks in facilitating groundwater recharge.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Local to regional scale, focusing on individual irrigation tanks and cascade systems within India. The numerical model Hydrus 2D suggests a cross-sectional or localized domain.
• Temporal Scale: Time series analysis of tank water levels, with findings indicating recharge throughout the year, implying at least an annual cycle of observation and simulation.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Hydrus 2D (numerical modelling).
• Data sources: Satellite images from Planet Labs (for reconstructing tank water level time series).

Main Results

• Irrigation tanks significantly contribute to groundwater recharge.
• This contribution is particularly effective when tanks are constructed in a cascade system, where water flows from upstream to downstream tanks.
• Cascade systems, being almost constantly filled by river supply, facilitate year-round groundwater recharge, with exceptions only on some dry season days.
• Groundwater recharge rates are strongly dependent on the aquifer's hydraulic conductivity and the characteristics of the tank floor.
• The study demonstrates the impact of maintenance measures, such as the removal of accumulated sediments, on recharge effectiveness.

Contributions

• Quantifies and clarifies the role of traditional irrigation tanks, especially cascade systems, in groundwater recharge, addressing a previously not fully understood aspect.
• Provides actionable insights for optimizing the dual function of these tanks as both reservoirs for irrigation and structures for aquifer recharge.
• Highlights the importance of tank floor characteristics and sediment management for enhancing recharge.

Funding

Not specified in abstract.

Citation

@article{Schmidt2025Effectiveness,
  author = {Schmidt, Isabelle and Schulz, Stephan and Gumgowski, Kristina and Richard‐Cerda, Juan Carlos and Gurunathan, Arumugam and Brindha, K. and Schneider, Michael},
  title = {Effectiveness of Irrigation Tanks for Enhancing Groundwater Recharge},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70328},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70328}
}