Groundwater Sapping Process and Runoff of Old River Systems in the Great Sand...
student research
1. 1
Suez Canal University
Faculty of Science
Geology Department
Report
Hydrological Settings around the New Suez
Canal Routes
Ahmed Rashad Mesilhi
Amgad Mohamed Abdul Moneim
Ramy Wael Abdul Rahman
Prof.Dr: Mohamed Helmy Geriesh
2. 2
Acknowledgment
Thanks god for helping us to finish
this research then, We wish to
express our thanks and great
gratitude to:
Dr. Mohamed Helmy Gerish
Head of Geology department.
Professor Of Hydrology, Geology
Department, Suez Canal
University.
For suggesting the research main
point, active supervision,
continuous discussion, constant
encouragement, careful follow-up
and keen interest throughout the
progress and completion of this work.
3. 3
Also deep thank to our teammate
Tarek Mohamed Hassan
For his time and effective help.
And our thanks to our families
gave us hand during this work
Finally, grateful
acknowledgment is expressed to
Suez Canal University and our
faculty of science.
5. 5
List of Figures
List of Tables
tables of well data Page
Table (1) 15
table (2) 16
table (3) 17
Figures Page
Fig. 1: New Suez Canal Route design that launched on August 5, 2014 by
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
7
Fig. 2: The view of the new Suez Canal Route (May, 2015). 8
Fig. 3: Location map of the study area. 9
Fig. 4: Paleogeographic Map Showing the Ancient Nile Branches and Wadi El
Tumilat as a Distributary for the Pelusiac Nile Branch.
12
Fig. 5: Well location map of the study area (after Geriesh, 1994). 14
Fig. 6: Monthly mean climatic parameters (1947 – 1975). 19
Fig. 7: Geomorphologic map of the study area. 21
Fig. 8: Topographic contour map of the study area. 22
Fig. 9: Geologic map of the study area. 24
Fig. 10: Geological sections crossing the study area from north to south for both
western and eastern sides (upper figures) and from west to east
(lower figure).
25
Fig. 11:Isopach map of the Quaternary aquifer. 29
Fig. 12: Depth to water map of the study area. 33
Fig.13: Water table map of the study area (May, 92). 34
Fig.14: Groundwater level fluctuations in some well. 36
Fig. 15: Distribution of different groundwater types in the study area. 38
6. 6
1_Abstract:
n order to study the hydrogeological settings of water resources around the new
Suez Canal Route and its role as a main source of sustainable development
strategy in the Suez Canal region.
It is important to discuss the paleogeography of the area.
Firstly, we must obtain the physical parameters of Groundwater in the region,
especially the salinity that increase in NE direction towards the Suez Canal saline
water and the water table that is related directly to the topographic features of the
study area.
Also, identification of the problems which affect badly on the development plans the
country seeks to achieve.
It is clearly that the recharge sources are wadi EL_Tumilat and Ismailia canal, that
discharge in the NE, also, although The study area is characterized by desertic
climate, the climatic parameters such as rain fall , maximum and minimum
temperature, evaporation and relative humidity affects the recharge and discharge
processes in the study area.
The most promising and economic source for the fresh groundwater supply is the
present Quaternary aquifer (fluviatile gravely sand deposits), The aquifer is of
unconfined type.
Gathered data from wells drilled in the area make it easy to detect the influence of
the present pumping rates on the groundwater level which is unplanned by the
habitants.
Finally, it is clearly that water type quality is turned from calcium carbonate into
more sodic and calcic water toward the Suez canal….
2_Problem Definitions:
Drilling of the new Suez Canal Rout helps to increase the role of the Suez
Canal region in international trading and to develop Suez Canal Province. The project
involves building a new city (new Ismailia city), fish farms, completing the technology
valley, to the east of Suez Canal, an industrial zone to the northwest of Gulf of Suez,
building six new tunnels between Sinai and Ismailia & Port Said, improving five existing
I
7. 7
ports, expanding agricultural activities and digging a new canal parallel to the Suez Canal
to allow ships to sail into both directions at the same time. Therefore, searching new
water sources to fulfillment the needs required for developing the project area is required
which constitutes the ultimate goal of the present work.
Fig. (1): New Suez Canal Route design that launched on August 5, 2014 by President
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
3_Aim of work
The Assay aims to give highlights on the hydrogeological setting of water
resources around the new Suez Canal Route and its role as a main source of sustainable
develop strategy in the Suez Canal region.
4_Location:
The study area lies between latitudes 30 20’ N and longitudes 31 20’-32 30’ E
(Fig. 2) and covers the gravely sand sheets fringing the Nile Delta Region from east
.It represents an area of about 5000 km2
. It is bounded on the north by El Manzala
Lake, on the south by Shabrawit – Cairo structural ridges, on the west by Nile Delta
Flood plain and on the east by Suez Canal and its attached Lakes.
9. 9
Fig 3: Location map of the study area
5_Geologic History:
From the carried out geological and environmental studies, it can be concluded
that, the study area is covered by thick quaternary deposits varying gradually in
10. 10
thickness between 50m. At the southern boundary and 350m. At the north. These
sediments are highly affected and controlled by the paleogeomorhological
conditions formed by the prevailing structural frame work and the paleoclimatic
conditions. These studies indicated also that, the eastern and northern low lands were
always low table land-areas during the Quaternary periods, which helped in
orienting and controlling the depositional regime in the study area. Accordingly
deposition was carried out under different environmental processes.
The investigated Quaternary sequences are started by the Early-Pleistocene deposits
washed up from the southern Oligo-Miocene high-table lands towards the area
occupied nowadays by Um Gidam slopes. Deposition was carried out by braided
stream net running from these high-table lands to the N and NNE towards the
morphotectonic depressional areas.
The Pre-Nile system, which got most of its water quantity out of Egypt deposited the
Middle-Pleistocene sediments over the northern slopes of the Early-Pleistocene
sediments and covered the area occupied nowadays by El Salhiya plain by a NE
running low sinuous braided stream distributary system ( El Fawal and Shendi ,
1991 ).
At the Holocene periods, Wadi El Tumilat cut through and eroded the transitional
zone between the sub-areas (Um Gidam slopes and El Salhiya plain) throughout a
New-Nile branch distributary running from west to east towards the eastern low
lands. As a result of this dryness conditions, a considerable number of eolian sand
dunes has been formed, which expected to be migrated from the southern areas
towards the wadi course.
Because, Wadi El Tumilat course is unlike the other old Nile branches, where it has
higher altitude banks, it expected to be partially buried. This can be also illustrated
from the sand dune accumulations which cover fast areas along the southern
boundary of the wadi and the northern low lands. One of these sand extends as an
arm crossing Wadi El Tumilat course between Abu Souir and Ismailia (see Fig. 4).
According to the above mentioned discussion, it can be inference that, the old buried
11. 11
Nile branches north of the study area can be detected throughout tracing their
fluviomarine sediments, which had occupied their courses, especially along their
northern downstream sides.
This above mentioned history is most probably continued until only few tenths of
years before Ismailia Canal was dug with expectable short dryness and damming
durations in between. But due to the importance of this distributary in navigation ,
where it was the only Nile distributary running to the Gulf of Suez, it is believed
that this distributary was reopened for many times by the old Pharaohs .
This can be proved also from the historical review, which state that, there was an
indirect canal joined Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea via the river Nile branches was
dug under the region of Senausert III, Pharaoh of Egypt, about 2000 years B.C. This
canal often abundant to silting and successively reopened to navigation by Silty I
( 1310 B.C. ) , Nkhau ( 610 B.C. ) , Persian King Darius I ( 510 B.C. ) , Ptolemy II
( 285 B.C. ) , Emperor Trajan ( 117 A.D. ) and Amro Ibn El Ass ( 640 A.D. ) (Suez
Canal Authority, 1978).
Comparing this historical review with our evolution history of Wadi El Tumilat, it
can be inferenced that this mentioned canal was the Wadi El Tumilat Nile
distributary. It is worth mentioning that, Wadi El Tumilat has been acted during its
evolution history, as mentioned above as a distributary for the Nile Delta branches
and not as a tributary as mentioned by (Sandford and Arkell, 1939). This can be
proved also from the paleo current, measured by the author.
(1989). The rising and lowering of the sea level from -12 m. to +8 m. and then to the
present level during the historical time is reported
also by Murry (1951) and Said (1981).
It can be concluded also from the above mentioned evolution history that , Wadi El
Tumilat Nile branch play a very significant role in forming and recharging the
groundwater in the study area .
12. 12
Fig. 4: Paleogeographic Map Showing the Ancient Nile Branches and Wadi El Tumilat
as a Distributary for the Pelusiac Nile Branch
6_Scope of study:
The present Quaternary aquifer (fluviatile gravely send deposits) is the most
promising and economic source for the fresh groundwater supply. The aquifer is of
unconfined type and underlined by Miocene deposits of marine origin.
Sometimes locally confined conditions may exist, especially in the northern parts
due to the interbedded clay lenses.
The thickness of the aquifer increases gradually from south to north due to the
general tilting of the underlying Miocene rocks to the north.
The understanding of the prevailing hydrogeologic conditions can be achieved
depending on studying the depositional environments of the considered aquifer and
its hydraulic characteristics, detecting the influences of the existing salt water bodies
High Neogene ridges
Memphis
Asthmusbasin
0 50 km
W. Pelusiac
W
.TaniticW
. Mendesian
W
. Phantitic
W
.Atribitic
W.Sebenitic
W
.Canopic
30° 00' 31° 00' 32° 00'32°
00'
31°
00'
30°
00'
W. El-Tumilat
Present-day shore line
W.Delta
Nile
Mediterranean Sea
13. 13
and other boundary conditions on the aquifer system and determining the
groundwater composition and types to evaluate its quality and recharge history.
Since, most of the reclamation efforts in the study area were individual, unplanned
and depended mainly on the personal conditions of the land’s owners. They mostly
drilled wells haphazardly without technical advisement. Consequently, developing
mathematical models for the future groundwater flow under variable conditions is of
great importance to avoid groundwater exploitation while the present recharge is
very limited. Moreover, it can be used to predict the side effects of the uncontrolled
pumping, such as inverting the hydraulic gradient and introducing the existing salt
water to the north and east of the study area, where the present water level is only
few meters above Sea level.They concluded that, the distribution of the groundwater
salinity is greatly with the underlying main gravely sand aquifer which is
characterized by good hydraulic properties and low salt content; The western one is
more sandy and characterized by better hydraulic properties and low salt content and
may merge with the underlying main aquifer. He also concluded that, at present
diffusion of brackish water from Wadi El Tumilat aquifer in the eastern division into
the underlying main aquifer takes place due to the intensive groundwater discharge
in the surrounding areas.
7_Well data:
A number of 125 groundwater wells has been studied during the present work
(fig.5) Detailed topographic surveying , depth to water and discharge measurements
were carried out in order to construct the different hydrologic maps and sections .
Table (1) shows the important surveying data of these wells , such as the owner
names , ground level , depth to water , absolute water level and average water
discharge , while the well design and examined lithologic logs of some of these
wells are shown in appendix 1 . Some other important well data (36 well) are
collected from the Groundwater Research Institute in Cairo to complete the view
about the surrounding areas.
14. 14
Fig 5: Well location map of the study area (after Geriesh, 1994)
18. 18
8_Meteorological data:
The average monthly mean climatic parameters; rain fall; maximum and
minimum temperature; evaporation and relative humidity are collected from five
meteorological stations well distributed all over the study area and represented
graphically as seen in Fig(6) . The considered stations are Ismailia, Fayed, Abu
Suier airport, Belbeis and Cairo airport stations. The collected data represent the
long recorded period from 1947-1975. From these data it can be concluded that,
the study area is characterized by desertic climate, with arid, hot and rainless
summer, and mild winter with scarce rainfall ( 30 mm).These desertic conditions
left very little doubt that present precipitation has any recharge effect on the
studied groundwater aquifers. Moreover, the high evaporation values may have a
high significant influence on water discharge, especially on the low wetland areas.
20. 20
Geomorphologic and geologic setting
9_Geomorphologic setting:
The study area is represented by a number of distinctive geomorphologic
features and shows a general topographic slope from south to north and north-east
with altitudes varying from 180m above sea level to few meters under sea level
respectively. (Figs 7 and 8).
The southern boundary is represented by a series of structural high ridges extending
in an east-west trend, from the bitter lakes to Cairo. Proceeding from this boundary ,
the area is represented by gravely sand sheets in the form of slopes at its southern
parts and plains at its northern parts , with a remarkable discontinuity in between
occurred by a west-east dissecting topographic depression . This depression is
defined by the well-known buried Nile branch “Wadi El Tumilat “.
Both of the eastern and northern boundaries are represented by low land areas and
occupied, mostly by fluviomarine marches and lakes. Suez Canal crosses the eastern
low lands from south to north, while El Manzala Lake occupies most of northern
low lands.
The foreland slopes of the southern structural high ridges are dissected by few dry
drainage lines, mostly of north, North West and north-east trends with numerous
dendritic tributaries. According to these above mentioned features, the study area
can be classified into six geomorphologic units, as follows;
1- Gebel Shabrawit – Cairo Structural Ridges.
2- Um Gidam Slopes.
3- El Salhiya Plain.
4- Wadi El Tumilat Depression.
5- The Eastern and Northern Low Lands.
6- The Eastern Nile Delta Flood Plain.
23. 23
10_Geologic setting:
10.1.1_Lithology and depositional environments:
The study area is occupied by different varieties of Quaternary deposits, varying
in thicknesses from 50 – 350 m from south to north respectively. The majority of
these sediments consists of loose fluviatile quartzitic gravely sand, sand, and few
clay and mud lenses in addition to some local fluviomarine evaporitic loamy sand
sediments, especially in the low land localities (Fig. 9). These sediments overlay
unconformably, older Miocene and Oligocene thick deposits. These underlying
deposits are exposed along the southern boundary of the study area in a form of high
structural ridges extending from east to west , and consist mainly of fossiliferous
sandstone and limestone with some intercalations of marl , shale and gypsum bands
“ Miocene deposits “ and gravely sandstone “ Oligocene “ .These structural ridges
are characterized by a complicated geologic structure with many domes and
monoclines indicative of faulting and folding phases . Along the faults, volcanic lava
is distributed between Abu Zaabal near Cairo and Bitter Lakes to the east. The
present study deals more with studying the Quaternary deposits , which represent the
most suitable and economic groundwater aquifers in the study area .According to
field investigations , lithologic logs , grain size analyses , geophysical investigations
and the previously environmental studies carried out by the author ( 1989 ) and by
El Fawal and Shendi ( 1991 ) , the study area is divided geologically into the
following sub-areas ;
1- Um Gidam Slopes.
2- El Salhiya Plain.
3- Wadi El Tumilat Depression.
4- The Northern and Eastern Low Lands.
25. 25
Fig 10: Geological sections crossing the study area from north to south for both western and eastern
sides (upper figures) and from west to east (lower figure).
0 5 10 15 20 km
W 68
1720
W 65
9120
0
40
80
120
160
200
Ionconcentrationsinepm
0
100
200
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
Depthrelativetosealevel
W 62
5712
W 79W 82
5120
9870
1560
W 75 W 74
1195
W57
1560 1640
W56W83
TDS in ppm
Pleistocene aquifer
Wadi Tumilat
Pliocene aquiclude
Holocene aquitardWT
Ismailia Canal
WT
Cl
SO4
HCO3
Na
Ca
Mg
El-Manzala
Lake
W84
discharge zone
3814
1095
-
5
10 km50
25
+
0
25
50
75
Metersabovesealevel
Sinai Canal
28910
Screen position
Mud
Gravelly sand
Eolian sand Calcareous loam
Explanation
South
12 11
WT
SS'
Marly Limestone
3
North50
Infered fault
Calcareous loamy sand
-
6122
6441
2711
2622
4748
1120
2478
1669
1215
440
TDSinppm
Ionconcentrationinepm
West East
ClNa
SO4Mg
Ca
HCO3
Suez Canal Route
Sweet Suez CanalEl-Manaief Canal
100
80
60
40
20
0
29 156 123 93 92 88 50 1 4 82 11
Evaporitic loams
Eolian sand dunes
Explanation
Mud
Gravely sand screen position
10 km50
Qt = Tumilat aquifer
Qm = Quaternary main aquifer
25
+
0
25
50
75
100
Metersabovesealevel
Qt
Qm
Fig. (13): Hydrogeochemical cross sections along the coastal zone (A, present work)
and Wadi El-Tumilat old Nile branch (B, after Geriesh, 2000).
0
200
400
600
800
1000
metersbelowsealevel
West East
Abadia El-QantaraMahmoudia El-Matria
C D
Pleistocene aquifer
Pliocene aquiclude
Holocene aquitard
W.T
W 68
1720
W 66
23600
0
100
200
300
400
500
Ionconcentrationsinepm
W 67W 20
7400
1492
2382
W45 W 42
4112
W40
TDS in ppm
Cl
SO4
HCO3
Na
Ca
Mg
W61
25750
15830
Suez Canal
200
100 200 km
1674
26. 26
11_Groundwater hydrology:
It could be noticed that, the Quaternary fluviatile aquifer is expected to be the
most promising and economic source for groundwater supply. This aquifer is highly
affected by the prevailing structural and depositional environments .Therefore,
detailed studies for the groundwater occurrence and movements in this aquifer are of
great importance to develop a reliable mathematical model for the future
groundwater management in the study area.
12_Groundwater occurrence:
12.1.1_Water bearing formations:
The groundwater bearing formations consist mainly of Quaternary fluviatile
and local fluviomarine deposits. Their lithologic characteristics and thickness are
highly controlled by the prevailing geologic and environmental conditions.
Therefore, they form two types of aquifers:
1-The main fluviatile aquifer.
2-The local fluviomarine ones.
1. The main fluviatile aquifer constitutes the main source of groundwater in the
study area. It occupies the whole basin of the studied region except for some
localities, at which it is capped by the local fluviomarine aquifers, especially along
the low land areas. It consists of successive fining upward sequences of loose
fluviatile gravely sand and sand deposits with alternative clay and mud lenses. The
gravel and sand / mud ratios are normally high at the deeper parts of Um Gidam
slopes and the upper portions of El Salhiya plain. The aquifer thickness increases
gradually from south to north with values range between 50 and 600 m respectively
(Fig. 10). The groundwater lies mostly under unconfined conditions, but locally
confining to partially confining conditions may exist especially, along the low land
areas, at which the aquifer is capped by the local fluviomarine aquifers and along the
northern extremities due to the interbedded clay and mud lenses. Due to its loose and
coarse grained sediments, this main aquifer is expected to have good hydraulic
properties and high productivities as well.
27. 27
2. The fluviomarine aquifers overly the main aquifer along the areas of Wadi El
Tumilat and the northern and eastern low lands. They consist mainly of evaporitic
loamy-sand facies and characterized by fine grained size which reflect low hydraulic
properties.Their thickness, lithologic characteristics and salt content vary according
to their locations, as follows:
_Along Wadi El Tumilat aquifer, the ratios of the fine grained size and the evaporate
component of its constituents increase gradually from west to east. Also, the
thickness of the aquifer increases gradually from few meters at west to about 20
meters at east. Therefore, the eastern parts of the aquifer are less permeable than its
western parts and may act as an aquitard layer capping the main aquifer and forming
a leaky aquifer system with it. While, the western parts are characterized by
relatively coarse grain size and low evaporate contents and may merge with the
underlying main aquifer (El Shamy, 1992). The aquifer is mostly of unconfined
type, but locally confined to semi confined conditions may exist due to the muddy
flood plain sediments which covered the aquifer at some localities, especially along
its eastern side.
The fluviomarine aquifers of the northern and the eastern low lands are characterized
by higher evaporate contents; they can be considered as undesired sources for water
supply.
12.1.2_Boundary conditions :
The study area is characterized by desertic climate with hot rainless summer,
and mild water with rare rainfall (< 30 mm). These desertic conditions left very little
doubt that precipitation has any recharge effect on the present groundwater
.Therefore, the present aerial recharge is considered as a negligible boundary
condition.
Due to this fact and the dry conditions prevailing in the southern high slopes, the
southern boundary is considered as a no flow boundary. These high slopes are
characterized by presence of a considerable number of dry, old and shallow drainage
lines . As we still trace this drainage system with its general trend from south to
north, it can be revealed the importance of these high slopes as a significant recharge
boundary during the past history.
28. 28
In the contrary of these dry conditions where several water distributaries
(Ismailia Canal and its irrigation branches) and agricultural activities, groundwater
seeps to the ground surface at many parts along the wadi forming several natural
fresh water pools. Therefore, Wadi El Tumilat is considered as a recharge boundary.
All the above mentioned surface water distributaries and agricultural drainage
system drain their excess water to both Suez Canal and its attached lakes in the
eastern low lands , and to El Manzala Lake in the northern low lands . Therefore,
both of Suez Canal and El Manzala Lake represent water discharge boundaries.
At the present time and due to the continuous drilling of groundwater wells and
increasing of water discharge in the dry areas around Wadi El Tumilat, a
considerable change in the prevailing boundary conditions is expected as a result of
groundwater level dropping. Therefore, observing the groundwater level and
controlling it continuously are of great importance to assess for keeping the present
boundary conditions without any significant change, especially, where the eastern
and northern boundaries are occupied by huge salt water bodies.
29. 29
Fig 11 . Isopach map of the Quaternary aquifer.
30. 30
13_Groundwater flow:
In order to detect the groundwater flow, areas of recharge and areas of
discharge, a detailed topographic and depth to water surveying has been done. From
the results of this surveying depth to water and water table maps were constructed
(Figs12 and 13).
From depth to water map, it can be noticed that, depth to groundwater varies
according to the topographic elevation, where the higher elevated areas have the
greater depth to water values ( 100 m) while, the low land areas have depth to
water less than 10 m below ground surface. Therefore, depth to water contour map
can be considered as a mirror image for the topographic contour map (Fig. 5). This
identification can be attributed to probable low hydraulic gradient conditions .Also;
depth to groundwater table map is highly conformable with the iso-resistivity
distribution maps of the shallow horizons, which may reflect the topographic effect
on the obtained electric resistivity data.
From the constructed water table map (Fig11), the following can be obtained:
1. The groundwater level decreases gradually from 11 m ( above sea level ) at the
south-western part, near Cairo to about 1 m at the eastern and northern low lands
with a general hydraulic gradient towards these low lands .
2. The equipotential lines indicate two recharge fronts (convex shape) around both
of Wadi El Tumilat and Ismailia Canal in the middle part, and Damietta Nile branch
in the western part with flow directions from west to east and south to north
respectively.
3. The hydraulic gradient formed by the recharge front of Damietta branch is lower
than that formed by Wadi El Tumilat front, which can be attributed to the effect of
the surrounding irrigation system of the two fronts. Where, areas around Wadi El
Tumilat are characterized by dry conditions
(Um Gidam slopes and El Salhiya plain) unlike those around Damietta branch which
are characterized by wet conditions (irrigation areas).
31. 31
4. in the contrary of the above mentioned recharge fronts, both of Bitter lakes at the
east and El Manzala Lake at the north indicate discharge areas. The equipotential
lines around these lakes are arranged in a concave shape, which can be attributed to
the damping fluctuation effect of these great discharging lakes. This damping effect
is more clear around El Manzala Lake and extends south-west wards forming a
significant discharge line between the previously mentioned two recharge fronts of
Wadi El Tumilat in the east and Damietta branch in the west .This discharge line can
be also attributed to the great drainage system crossing this zone from south to north
and north-east directions (E.g. Bahr El Baker drain and Bahr Faqous drain).
5. Generally, the hydraulic gradient is very low in the whole area and varies between
(1-3) * 10-4
. The lower values are observed along the south-western portions of the
study area, while the higher values are represented by the boundaries of the eastern
and northern low lands. The lower hydraulic gradient observed in the south-western
portions can be attributed to the nearly stagnant water level and wet conditions as
well as to the high hydraulic conductivity, which characterize these portions , while
the higher hydraulic gradient observed along the boundaries of the eastern and
northern low lands can be attributed to the discharging effect of these low land areas
and to the low hydraulic conductivity as well .
6.If we considered the average hydraulic conductivity of the studied aquifer as 50
m/d then , the water flow velocity ( using Darcy’s low ) within the present hydraulic
gradient expected to be in the range of ( 5 – 15 ) * 10-3
m/d . This means that
groundwater needs about 185 – 555 years to move only one kilometer apart from the
recharge fronts. Of course , within this situation Ismailia Canal can’t be
expected as the recharge source of the fresh water present around Wadi El Tumilat (
> 5 km apart from the canal course ) , which was dug only about 130 years ago .
Therefore, the hydraulic gradient around this wadi can be related to the wadi course
itself.
7. The local curvature and irregularity noticed in some parts, especially in the dry
areas around Wadi El Tumilat can be attributed to the intensive water discharge
along these parts.
32. 32
8. The hydraulic gradient and equipotential lines around Suez Canal indicated that,
this canal acts as a discharge boundary for the present groundwater. Accordingly,
salt water intrusion from this canal at the present time is not expected.
It is worth mentioning that, there is no significant difference between groundwater
level and piesometric surface in most of the drilled wells along the low land areas, at
which the main aquifer is partially confined by the local fluviomarine aquifers, has
been noticed. This observation may reflect that, the groundwater movements
between these two types of aquifers have reached the balance situation at the present
time.
35. 35
14_Water level fluctuation:
In order to detect the influence of the present pumping rates on the groundwater
level, the monthly water level registrations recorded by the Author (1989) are
continued during the present work in a number of 9 observation wells. These
observations are represented graphically as hydrographs (Fig14) from which the
following can be obtained:
1. A continuous decrease in water level has been observed, especially in the areas of
high groundwater discharge, therefore it can be attributed to the pumping effect.
2. This decrease is more steeper in the first years of pumping than that recorded in
the last few years, which can be attributed to the nearly steady state conditions at the
present time.
3. The maximum drop of water level is observed in the areas of high well intensity
and intensive pumping rates (wells 23 and 81). This maximum drop reaches up to
1.5 m and still increases in the present time, but with lower rate than that recorded in
the past few years.
4. Water level in observation wells far from high pumping intensities shows very
little variations (well 32) which can confirm the responsibility of pumping rates to
the observed water level fluctuations.
5. All wells show slight water recovery during the winter months (October –
February). This recovery can be attributed to the lower water requirements by the
plant during this season as a result of the decrease of soil moisture deficiency and
evaporation potential and accordingly, to the lower pumping rates.
37. 37
15_Water Type Quality:
As a result of the above mentioned observations, a detailed distribution map for the
different groundwater types is drawn (Fig 15). In this map, water types with Na
surplus or deficits are indicating by a plus or minus sign respectively assuming that,
(Cl) is a conservative ion. Based on this map, the different groundwater types
representing the study area are summarized as following:
1. Ca (HCO3)2 and Na HCO3 types represent the southern part of the Nile Delta and
the most-western part of Wadi El Tumilat.
2. Na HCO3 and Na-mix (no dominance anion) types represent the middle part of the
Nile Delta, and the western part of Wadi El Tumilat and its surrounding parts of Um
Gidam Slopes to the south and El Salhiya Plain to the north.
3. Na Cl+
type represents the eastern part of Wadi El Tumilat, the eastern low lands
and the outer zone of the second water type-area.
4. Na Cl-
type represents the northern low lands (with Mg >Ca) and the southern
parts of Um Gidam Slopes (with Ca> Mg).
The Na-mix types refers to water in which no single anion makes up more than 50%
of the sum of all anions . It is expected to be a transitional water type between Na
HCO3 and Na Cl water composition.
It is worth mentioning that, all the above water types are arranged in a well-
developed zonation form around both of Wadi El Tumilat in the middle part and
Damietta Nile branch in the western area. This zonation form is started by the fresh
Ca (HCO3)2 water-type in the inner zone along these areas and ended by the saline
Na Cl-
water-type in the outer zone with a gradual variation in water composition and
salt content in between these water types of the southern and northern areas from
one side and that of the Nile water from the recharging areas of Wadi El Tumilat and
Damietta branch from the other side. This situation is highly conformable with the
groundwater flow conditions of the study area.
39. 39
16_CONCLUSIONS:
Data integration and analysis of the present work indicate that;
The study area has a good extended groundwater aquifer with thicknesses
vary between 200-900m from south to north and fair water quality
Groundwater flows towards the Suez Canal Route which constitutes the main
water discharge boundary in the region
Seepage from irrigation fields and irrigation canals constitute a main
challenges which contribute forming water logging and soil salinization
along the Suez Canal Route
Fresh groundwater resources around the Suez Canal Routes needs more
details study and exploration especially along the traced paleo-channel
courses, crossed the canal course during the past history.
Pollution threats for both saline and fresh water resources.
40. 40
17_References:
El Fawal, F.M. and Shendi, E. H., 1991: Sedimentology and groundwater of
the Quaternary sandy layer north of wadi El Tumilat, Ismailia, Egypt.
Annals of the Geol. Of Egypt, v. xvii, pp 305-314.
El Shamy, I. Z., 1992: Hydrogeology of Wadi El Tumilate and Surrounding,
East of Nile Delta, Egypt. In press.
Geriesh, M. H., 1989: Hydrogeological investigations of West Ismailia Area,
Egypt. M.Sc Thesis, Fac. of Sci., Suez Canal Univ., Egypt.
