Case Study: The Water Balance of the Aquifer in Borkhar Area, Isfahan

The average annual precipitation in Iran is only about 250 mm and the performance of other factors involved does not allow for the losses in our reservoirs to be compensated for.Climatic conditions, spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation, increasing water use, disproportionate withdrawals in violation of laws and regulations for the equitable use and distribution of water are the causes for the water crisis Iran is facing and the great danger our groundwater resources are encountering.Investigations on the ground water resources in Borkhar plain in Isfahan show an annual withdrawal of 45 MCM in excess of the quantity the resources can provide. This rate of water withdrawal has caused a corresponding annual decline of 0.5 meter in the aquifer water level. This is while the inflow from neighboring basins and from branching channel from the Zayandeh Rood River have been recharging the aquifer.