Groundwater Recovery after Restricting Groundwater Extraction for Irrigation: Taking Shijiazhuang Plain in Hebei Province as an Example

Abstract

【Objective】 Pumping groundwater for irrigation over the past 40 years in most regions in northern China has resulted in groundwater table falling. To alleviate the continued deterioration of groundwater-induced ecosystems, most regions have started to reduce groundwater extraction for irrigation by slightly compromising some crop yields. The purpose of this paper is to analyze its efficacy. 【Method】 Our analysis was based on Shijiazhuang plain in Hebei province. We established a groundwater flow model using the GMS. The schemes for groundwater-limited irrigation of winter wheat, with the associated yield reduction not dropping by more than 20%, were optimized by the simulation model under different precipitations. Meanwhile, the selected schemes for groundwater-limited irrigation were also simulated and predicted. 【Result】 The average shallow groundwater table in most regions begins to rise after the groundwater-limited irrigation was implemented, and the average annual rise in regional shallow groundwater table is 0.17 m. However, the table of deep groundwater continued to drop. In addition, the groundwater storage in the region has changed from decrease to increase, with the total storage in the shallow and deep aquifers increasing from 2019 to 2028 at a rate of 1×108 m3/a. The groundwater storage and average shallow groundwater table are increased by 2.1 and 2 times respectively after implementing the limited-groundwater irrigation, compared to simply reducing groundwater exploitation. 【Conclusion】 Liming groundwater-irrigation is effective for groundwater recovery; our results provide a baseline for sustainable utilization of groundwater for agricultural production.

Keywords

• water limited irrigation
• numerical simulation
• reducing groundwater exploitation
• groundwater equilibrium
• food safety