Mathematical modelling of groundwater flow near semipervious reservoirs

This article presents a mathematical groundwater flow model. The model was intended to find answers to questions raised in connection with a planned power project in upper Styria involving the impoundment of the river Mur. Unusual difficulties arose in the preparation of the model due to the extremely heterogeneous conditions in the project area. As the river Mur in its original condition has no direct hydraulic connection with the water table over large parts of the backwater area and replenishment is only by percolation through an unsaturated zone, careful determination of the parameters describing water exchange was a necessity in the calibration of the model. The main result of our studies was the decision to omit any impervious elements from the project for the benefit of an increased groundwater replenishment.