An alternative approach to control saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers using a freshwater surface recharge canal

Abstract

Aquifers are a major source of freshwater in many parts of the world. Saltwater intrusion from the sea or saline lakes into freshwater aquifers degrades the potable quality of these resources. Various methods have been introduced to mitigate saltwater intrusion, such as recharge wells and physical subsurface barriers. This paper presents an alternative approach to control saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers using a surface water recharge canal. In this paper, the effectiveness of a recharge canal at mitigating saltwater intrusion is evaluated numerically using SEAWAT. The results indicate that the recharge canal leads to a reduction in the extent of the saltwater intrusion. Under a fixed hydraulic gradient, the extent of this reduction is dependent on the location of the recharge canal relative to the saltwater source. As the hydraulic gradient increases, with the optimum location of the recharge canal approaches the saltwater source location. The results also indicate that more effective saltwater repulsion is achieved when the recharge canal is located near the toe of the saltwater wedge. The results of a field scale case study indicate that a recharge canal with relatively small dimensions could have a significant effect on reduction in the extent of the saltwater intrusion.