Study The Possibility Of Harvesting Water Using Remote Sensing Technologies In The Abu Maris Basin- Iraq

Abstract

The research aims to study the possibility of rainwater harvesting in the region and the exploitation of the various valleys therein for the purposes of storage, runoff and groundwater enhancement and the Abu maris Basin, part of which is located in the Muthanna Governorate and the other part is in the Najaf Governorate It occupies an area of 5404.132 km2, 13 sites were identified in the study area. Soil samples were taken for two depths of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm. The physical and chemical characteristics of the surface and subsurface layers of these sites were analyzed (soil texture, partical density, bulk density, porosity, water conductivity, acidity function, electrical conductivity, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, sodium, gypsum and lime), and the production of maps representing the spatial variability of these characteristics for each basin using the IDW method. The hydrological characteristics represented by basin area and flow curves were extracted and land classification was done using the laboratory results of soil samples and using the meteorological data provided by the Center for Meteorology and Remote Sensing at the University of California (CHRS) (Center For Hydrometeorology And Remote Sensing). By applying the US soil conservation hypothesis (SCS) (Soil Conservation Service), which is known by the Curve Number (CN) method, the runoff and surface runoff volume were estimated for two cases from rainfall data, the first case using an annual rate for 20 years and the period from (2000-2020) and the second case using The highest rain storm for each basin, and then identifying the most suitable sites for water harvesting in the region to take advantage of the water falls through the establishment of recharge barriers to enhance the strategic storage of groundwater in the region and the construction of earthen dams to invest the land in agriculture. As the results indicated that the depth of the surface runoff of the Abu maris Basin for an annual average rainfall 102.6-128.1 t ranged from 46.78-102.16 mm and the volume of surface runoff was 252852000-552060800m3, while the highest depth of surface runoff and the volume of surface runoff for a peak in the Abu Maris Basin amounted to 10.78 mm and 58262776 m3, respectively. Water harvesting sites have been identified in the Abu Maris Basin. The first site (30.762626, 44.339186) is located in the middle of the basin, with a runoff depth of 69.15-46.78, a surface runoff volume of 252852000-373708887.8 and a high water conductivity, and the second site (30.992141, 44.568297) in the north of the basin. Its runoff depth was 69.15-102.16 and the surface runoff volume was 373708887.9-552060800 m3 .