Zoning suitable areas for underground dam construction in the Beyza plain using Landsat 8 data

Underground dams are considered as a modern solution for the conservation of underground water resources. The location of underground dams is based on the morphological and hydrological conditions that is necessary for construction. In this study, Bayez plain which is located in Fars province, is investigated. First of all, 6 information layers as land use, lithology, slope, topography, streams density and lineaments density were chosen. Each layer is also classified in substrates and each one has assigned the appropriate weight by using AHP and considering their qualitative effects. The final integration map was obtained by combining the layers of information in Arc map. This map shows the proper and inappropriate areas in Bayez Plain for constructing underground dams. The results showed that the weights of canal density, lithology, slope, land use, topography and line density were 44.8, 23.4, 15, 8.8, 5 and 3 respectively. At last, three locations were proposed for the construction of underground dams by monitoring the final map, by considering the factors of the upstream conditions and the location of the dam axis. Among these locations, the upstream area of Mansh, known as Tang Bang, had better conditions for the construction of an underground dam. Underground dams in these areas, in addition of creating new sustainable water resources, also prevents flood and helped to feed the aquifers.