Modeling and Evaluation of Flood Spreading in Aquifer Using MODFLOW Code (Case Study: Salmas Plain Aquifer)

Today, with the expansion of communities and their increasing groundwater exploitation, the scarcity of groundwater resources as a serious problem in most arid and semi-arid regions, is the main concern of managers and planners of the country's water sector. In the present study, it is intended to provide practical solutions by modeling the aquifer and applying the scenario of flood distribution to maintain and improve the aquifer condition. Since Salmas plain is located in the semi-arid region and also due to the uncontrolled abstraction, the Salmas aquifer suffers a severe crisis. To study the changes in groundwater level in Salmas aquifer after applying the flood distribution scenario, the MODFLOW mathematical code in GMS was used. The mathematical model was prepared and implemented for both steady and transient states. Then the flood spreading scenario was applied and the results showed that 2.6 million cubic meters is stored in the aquifer, which is equivalent to 44.7% of the total water fed to the aquifer. Applying the scenario, the water level increased on average by 13 cm at the end of October 2012, and the change in groundwater level was in the southern and middle part of the aquifer.