Simulation-Optimization Modeling of Conjunctive Use of Surface Water and Groundwater

Abstract

Water resources management in semiarid regions with low precipitation and high potential of evapotranspiration is a great challenge for managers and decision makers. In those regions, both sources of water should be managed conjunctively so as to minimize shortages of water in dry seasons. In conjunctive use, the difficulty increases as one must represent the response of both systems interactions, and develop management strategies that simultaneously address surface water and aquifer regulation. This paper focuses on the simulation-optimization for conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater on a basin-wide scale, the Najafabad plain in westcentral Iran. A trained artificial neural network model is developed as a simulator of surface water and groundwater interaction while a genetic algorithm is developed as the optimization model. The main goal of the simulation-optimization model is to minimize shortages in meeting irrigation demands for three irrigation systems subject to constraints on the control of cumulative drawdown of the underlying water table and maximum capacity of surface irrigation systems. To achieve the main goal, three scenarios are presented. Results of the proposed model demonstrate the importance of the conjunctive use approach for planning the management of water resources in semiarid regions.

f-MOPSO: An alternative multi-objective PSO algorithm for conjunctive water use management

“…The study area is Najafabad Plain, a part of the Zayandeh-Rud River Basin (read more about this basin in Safavi et al (2010); Safavi and Esmikhani (2013) and Gohari et al (2013) and (2014)) located in west-central Iran (Fig. 2).…”

“…The water scarcity problem was further aggravated by growing demand for water. To cope with the drought condition, farmers have had to implement field scale response strategies, including increased groundwater use, adapted farming and production strategies, or adopting other activities for their livelihood (Safavi et al, 2010).…”

“…Conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources is commonly practiced in arid and semi-arid regions of the world to meet the growing water demand of urban, agricultural, and industrial users, while reducing climate change related water scarcity (Peralta et al, 1995;Marino, 2001;Schoups et al, 2006;Medellin-Azuara et al, 2008;Safavi et al, 2010;Connell-Buck et al, 2011;Mirchi et al, 2013). While surface water often has lower extraction cost as compared with groundwater withdrawal, it has higher probability of supply failure due to hydrologic variability, justifying the extensive use of more costly but reliable groundwater resources (Burt, 1964;O'Mara, 1988;Fisher et al, 1995;Yang et al, 2009), especially in arid areas of the world.…”

“…Furthermore, these conventional methods are not applicable when searching for the global optimum of combinatorial non-linear non-convex problems. To address these drawbacks, population-based evolutionary techniques have been employed along with simulation models in the last four decades to develop efficient conjunctive management models (Maddock, 1974;Peralta et al, 1988;Willis et al, 1989;Ibanez-Castillo et al, 1997;Karamouz et al, 2004;Safavi et al, 2010;Singh and Panda 2013;Safavi and Esmikhani, 2013). Bazargan-Lari et al (2009) developed a conflict resolution methodology for conjunctive use of water resources by first generating trade-off curves using a multi-objective genetic algorithm, and then selecting the best non-dominated solution using the Young conflict resolution theory (Young, 1993).…”

A Case Study in the Use of 3-Dimensional Ground Water Modeling and Solute Transport Engines as a Tool in Site Assessment

“…These models are flexible (multiple layers and complex chemical mixtures) and relatively efficient to run with parallel computing abilities that are commonplace in today's industry (Shlumberger Water Services, 2012). Groundwater modeling could be an effective tool as part of a Phase I site assessment given the inherent limitations and unknowns of a groundwater system (Safavi et al, 2010).…”