Impact of artificial recharge on groundwater and springs: Jinan, China, case study

Baotu spring, known widely as the most famous spring in China, has experienced continuous water level drops, especially during the dry season. Artificial recharge (AR) to groundwater via the Yufu river has been conducted to maintain the required water level to keep regional springs flowing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of recharge on groundwater. A three-dimensional numerical model was built to simulate groundwater level changes after recharge was applied to the Yufu river. The model was calibrated using hydraulic heads measured at multiple monitoring wells. The results showed that AR is an effective way to maintain the groundwater level in a region where groundwater was excessively exploited for irrigation and industry use. In the studied region, the response of groundwater level to AR near the Yufu river was faster in the west than that in the east as a result of different hydrogeologic conditions. Furthermore, different springs responded differently to AR. For example, the water level increases at the Baotu and Heihu springs were 0.06 m and 0.04 m, respectively, whereas other springs experienced decreases. This implies that a more detailed hydrogeologic characterization is necessary to determine the preferential flow paths and low permeability layers in order to maximize the effect of AR for sustainable groundwater management.