Journal of Aquifer and Qanat
In collaboration Iranian Hydraulic Association

Evaluation of surface and groundwater resources management in the Sefidrud Watershed under land use change

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Tahereh Gohari 1
Mostafa Naderi 2

1 Ph.D. Student in Geophysics (Gravimetry), Faculty of Earth Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Hydrogeology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22077/jaaq.2025.10135.1128
Abstract
Land use changes in the Sefidrud watershed over the past two decades have significantly altered patterns of water resource utilization. This study aims to quantitatively assess the level of surface and groundwater resource management in response to land use changes within the basin. To achieve this, the SWAT hydrological model was employed, and the study area was divided into 15 sub-basins. Climatic, topographic, soil, and water withdrawal data from 1995 to 2017 were utilized. The management level index was calculated by considering environmental water requirements and the volume of available water for both surface and groundwater resources. The results indicate that, under the actual scenario, eight sub-basins exhibit negative management levels for surface water, identifying them as ecological crisis zones. Additionally, three sub-basins show negative management levels for groundwater, reflecting overexploitation of aquifers. Southern and some central regions demonstrate the lowest river water availability and withdrawal, whereas northern and eastern regions show the highest volumes of accessible and extracted river water. During the study period, the Sefidrud basin experienced a decline in rangelands and forests, alongside an expansion of urban and agricultural areas. These findings suggest that land use changes have led to a relative improvement in river management, while simultaneously reducing the management level of groundwater resources. The study highlights that land use transformation redistributes available water between sources, exerting contrasting impacts on surface and groundwater resources.

Keywords

Groundwater
Land use change
Level of Management
River
Sefidrud watershed
Subjects
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Journal of Aquifer and Qanat
Volume 6, Issue 2
December 2025
Pages 199-236

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