The Effect and Sustainable Management of Simply Overdraft in Two Different Groundwater Observation Wells

Abstract

The term overdraft has been defined as a situation in which groundwater extraction by pumping
exceeds the aquifer charge over an extended period of time. Groundwater is the main source of
drinking and utility water in rural areas, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The aquifer is
recharged by precipitation, rivers, and lakes. Causes such as the increase in temperatures due to
climate change, decrease in precipitation, pollution of aquifers with wastes negatively affect the
recharge of groundwater. When unlicensed wells and unconscious use of water in agriculture are
added to all these reasons, which increase overdraft, the future of groundwater is endangered. For this
reason, the sustainable management of groundwater is of great importance. In this study, changes in
water levels were investigated by using the data of some observation wells within the borders of
Uluova micro-basin in Elazig Province, one of the sub-basins of the Fırat basin, one of the important
basins of Turkey. The study was carried out by comparing the seasonal water level measurements of
two different observation wells drilled at the same ground level in Yurtbaşı and Yazıkonak towns
within the borders of the Uluova basin in 2011-2018. Seasonal water level measurements for each
year in the relevant observation wells were made in September when the water level is the lowest and
in April when the water level is the highest. In both observation wells, it was observed that
groundwater levels dropped significantly in September, the end of the dry period. Except for 2018, it
was observed that the water levels in the Yurtbaşı observation well in September and April decreased
much more than the water levels in the Yazıkonak observation well. In the September 2018
measurement, the measurement could not be made because the water in the Yazıkonak observation
well was completely exhausted. When the seasonal water changes in the wells are examined, it can
be said that the seasonal water level change in the Yurtbaşı observation well is more pronounced,
except for 2018. As a result, it was observed that the water level in both wells decreased with each
passing year compared to the previous year. This shows that overdraft results should be investigated
in more detail by examining different observation wells in the region. In addition, it has been
understood that it is very important to create a management model for the sustainability of
groundwater resources by using the data of other observation wells in the basin.

Keywords: Groundwater, Overdraft, Well, Sustainable management

*This study has been produced from the PhD research titled “Uluova Mikro Havzası Yeraltı Sularının
Sürdürülebilir Yönetimi (Sustainable Management of the Uluova Micro Basin)” which is being
prepared in the Graduate School of Sciences Fırat University, Department of Civil Engineering,
Hydraulic Doctorate Program