Groundwater Monitoring and Hydrogeological Investigation

Groundwater Monitoring and Hydrogeological Investigation as a prefeasibility assessment to Managed Aquifer Recharge in the Kruger National Park.

As part of a Masters Research Dissertation, an extensive hydrogeological groundwater monitoring is underway in parts of the Greater Kruger National Park, in collaboration with the University of Freestate (IGS) and Transfrontier Africa and Olifants West Nature Reserve. The purpose of the study is to understand the groundwater system and begin building a groundwater stakeholder / monitoring network from an area where these has been little to none hydrogeological studies conducted.

Over the past two and a half years, detailed hydrocensus, water level and quality monitoring data has been accumulated as part of the information that is ultimately going into a prefeasibility study for introducing an enhanced aquifer recharge scheme across the project area.

Through the efforts and studies, the groundwater recharge in the area has been identified as ranging between 0.6 - 1.5%, with dropping water levels and increasingly saline boreholes, as a result of over abstraction and insufficient recharge.

It is for this reason that the prefeasibility study has been taken further and the overall groundwater awareness in the region has increased, with a particular focus on increasing groundwater management through hydrogeological best practices.