Location detection of underground dams, by using a combination of GIS and AHP (Case study: The edge of the Loot Desert, Kerman)

In recent decades, controlling and extraction of water using underground dams have been developed by water resources researchers. In this research, to detect the proper location for constructing an underground dam, a compound method is used. Firstly, by using of GIS, the shape files of geology, earth slope, distance from fault, vegetation areas, and hydrological streams for every sub-catchment generated. Secondly, the provided shape files were overlaid and appropriate regions were defined throughout of each catchment. Then, trough field visit in the appropriate regions, a place was selected as the best place for underground dam constructing. Ultimately, considering to criteria such as alluvium thickness, cistern levels, axis length of underground dam, water usage, and water accessing, the best location to establish underground dam was obtained using Analytic Hierarchy Process, AHP, of three specified places. The results represented that, the synthesis method is more accurate, and consumes less time compare to classical methods. Moreover, Samoon-Jahr is the first priority for groundwater control and its abstraction. Furthermore, parameters of the mean annual rainfall, the reservoir volume of groundwater, upper land basin area, and water harvesting method are more efficient on grading the proper places for constructing underground dams. Also, similarity between proper location characteristics and many of existing choices in edge of the desert, shows that using underground dams capability to prevent groundwater flow from catchment to desert, one could able to provide a considerable water at where is needed.