Groundwater flow modeling for impact assessment of port dredging works on coastal hydrogeology in the area of Al-Wakrah (Qatar)

Abstract

This paper presents the impact assessment of the port dredging works on aquifer’s hydrogeology in the area of Al-Wakrah Economic Port Zone 3 in Qatar (QEZ3) project using groundwater numerical model (MODFLOW-3D). The QEZ3 model is used to estimate the groundwater flow system and the groundwater levels in the study area, during the dredging and dewatering period. Specially, we focused on the impact of dredged and dewatering water stored in two programmed stilling basins. The modeling period is about 6 years from August 2010 to May 2015 according to the available data and the project phasing. Three scenarios are chosen according to the time schedule of QEZ3 project. The model gives a high piezometric level of more than 2.5 m CD (chart datum) located in stilling basins area, which can will cause water resurgence and groundwater flooding. As solution, using the model results we proposed to change the programmed discharge areas.