Applying isotopic techniques and remote sensing for water resources management an a lake catchment

Abstract

Tracing groundwater flows and understanding the recharge regime of karstic springs is a difficult but necessary task for quantifying groundwater storages and developing water management scenarios. The area of the present study is Trichonis Lake catchment, in western Greece, which incorporates a deep and large water body, tectonic in origin, with complex hydrogeologic conditions. The potential hydrogeologic interactions between the lake, various aquifers and surface water bodies in the catchment area have been identified in order to design a sustainable water management scheme for the lake. For this purpose, state-of-the-art techniques have been used such as remote sensing, GIS applications, and isotopic surveys, to analyze and present the dominant groundwater flow routes inside and outside the study catchment area, and to identify the recharge areas of karstic springs. The results indicate that the combination of the techniques used is useful to analyze the hydrogeologic regime in geologically complex catchments. © 2007 International Water Resources Association.