Potential Detection of Groundwater Resources Using AHP Model and GIS Technique (Case Study: Shahroud-Bastam Basin)

In recent decades, growing trend of Shahroud city has implied the strategy of groundwater resources management in the region more than before. One of the strategies of water resources management is the identification of zones with various potential and utilization from them with attention to their capacity. The aim of this study is the zoning of Shahroud-Bastam basin using effective factors in nutrition of groundwater through AHP model and GIS technique. To achieve the goals, we used geology, climatology, geomorphology and hydrology criteria. We recognized five potential areas such as high, good, moderate, low and no potential regions. Finally, to ensure final results, potential layer of study area was prepared by three ways of raster calculator, weighed overlay and weighted sum. The results show that among five defined zones, area maximum and minimum of high potential zones have been given in the first and second methods, respectively. But the third method is between previous methods, and its results have the higher reliability. The zones with high potential are coincident on coarse alluvial deposits of Quaternary era and alluvial fans. The zones with no potential are coincident with the maximum elevation areas having clay and marl depositions. The results of this research can be fruitful in plans of environment management of groundwater resources and preventing from -overexploitation of their power.