Managing Groundwater Withdrawal Using a DSS Based on GIS-MODFLOW Coupling Tool: A Case Study of the Berrechid Aquifer, Morocco

The hydrodynamic modeling of the Berrechid aquifer using the MODFLOW code enables the understanding of the aquifer's hydrodynamic functioning, including the estimation of lateral exchanges between the aquifer and the Settat plateau, Oued Mellah, and the Chaouia coastal aquifer. Calibration of the mathematical model under steady-state conditions using piezometric state at 1980 enhances the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivities across the entire domain and enables an assessment of the aquifer resevoir under steady-state conditions. While calibration of the model under transient conditions refines the spatial distribution of the aquifer's storage coefficient. Results from this simulation indicate a water deficit, with an average drawdown of 2 m per year. Recent droughts in the area have significantly impacted water supplies for both the population and agriculture, underscoring the need for a tool to manage water withdrawal and intervention directly at user levels to protect groundwater against overexploitation. A management groundwater withdrawal tool has been developed for the Berrechid aquifer, using a Decision Support System (DSS) based on coupling ArcGIS to MODFLOW to calculate drawdown caused by groundwater withdrawals at specific areas.