The Hydraulic Simulation of the Effects of New Dikes to Reduce the Evaporation Area; Case study: Urmia Lake, Iran

In this paper, firstly, the 3D model of the Urmia Lake is simulated with SURFER software. Then volume-area diagrams are drawn in different elevations. Afterwards, hydrological balance of Urmia Lake is simulated along with considering the evaporation volume, inflow surface volume, recharging groundwater volume, precipitation and other influencing parameters by using the System Dynamics. The main advantage of using System Dynamics is its ability to consider the feedbacks of elements within a system. The simulation is performed using the VENSIM and after reviewing the results of the lake balance it can be seen due to the particular situation of the basin, Evaporation from the lake, is the most important factor. So the construction of dikes can have a significant impact in reducing the evaporation rate from the lake. In this context, various locations for the proposed construction of dikes are recommended. Therefore the effects of each dike on evaporation level and hydrological balance are examined in three location scenarios. The results indicate, that the construction of dikes in the first scenario, after 54 months, the lake level achieves 1,274 meters (Ecological Level). That to achieve this level in the second scenario, 103 months is required. In the third scenario after 10 years, the lake level does not exceed 1272 meters.