Evaluación de la recarga de acuíferos en la cuenca del río chicamocha en Boyacá

Abstract

The water resource is essential for the survival of the living organisms; therefore, an adequate water management is required worldwide to improve the life quality of people in the different regions and to preserve the hydric resource. This research presents an alternative to identify the hydric balance in the region, building isovalue maps about the recharge of the aquifers per month in the study area, showing the regions with higher o equal contribution to the aquifers in the watershed. In order to build the maps, a hydrological model was implemented called the Thomas Method a, b, c, d, for different points in the Chicamocha river watershed in Colombia. This method is based on the mas conservation law and shows variables of the hydric balance per month taking into account two parameters of input such as the precipitation and evapotranspiration. These are calculated from the data obtained by the hydrometeorological stations of the Institute for Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies “Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales”(IDEAM). For a more reliable and adequate model calibration, the watershed of the Chicamocha River was divided in 10 micro-watersheds which were analysed according to different parameters. The surface water flow measured by a limnimetric station was compared with the data estimated by the model, obtaining as a result a recharge value in different points inside the watershed. Based on this information the isovalue maps were generated monthly. The analysis of the results obtained by the maps allows identifying the time periods and regions with higher contributions to the aquifers. Also, it allows determining possible locations of the groundwater in order to create strategically a plan to use it in drought periods by the households and the agriculture production units in the region.