This document outlines a training module on other applications of data from Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLRs). The module aims to help participants appreciate the utility of high frequency water level monitoring data beyond groundwater resource assessment. It discusses how DWLR data can be used for conjunctive use planning, identifying over-exploited areas, scheduling pumpages, calibrating aquifer response models, and identifying cycles in water level fluctuations. The module includes session plans, presentation materials, and handouts to support a 60-minute training session on these topics.

1. World Bank & Government of The Netherlands funded
Training module # 3
Other applications of DWLR
data
New Delhi, March 2000
CSMRS Building, 4th Floor, Olof Palme Marg, Hauz Khas,
New Delhi – 11 00 16 India
Tel: 68 61 681 / 84 Fax: (+ 91 11) 68 61 685
E-Mail: dhvdelft@del2.vsnl.net.in
DHV Consultants BV & DELFT HYDRAULICS
with
HALCROW, TAHAL, CES, ORG & JPS

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Table of contents
Page
1. Module context 2
2. Module profile 3
3. Session plan 4
4. Main text 5
5. Overhead/flipchart master 6
6. Handout 7
7. Additional handout 8

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1. Module context
While designing a training course, the relationship between this module and the others,
would be maintained by keeping them close together in the syllabus and place them in a
logical sequence. The actual selection of the topics and the depth of training would, of
course, depend on the training needs of the participants, i.e. their knowledge level and skills
performance upon the start of the course. This module is related to module 2 and should be
referred during the discussions.

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2. Module profile
Title : Other applications of DWLR data
Target group : Hydrogeologists, Asst-Hydrogeologists, Senior Technical Assistant
Duration : One Session of 60 minutes
Objectives : After the training the participants will be able to:
• Appreciate the utility of high frequency DWLR water level
monitoring
• Enhance the professional practice beyond the primary task of
Ground water Resource Assessment
Key concepts : Conjunctive use planning
• Identification of over-exploited areas
• Scheduling of Pumpages
• Calibration of aquifer response models
• Identification of Cycles
Training methods : Lecture
Training tools
required
: OHS
Handouts : As provided in this module
Further reading
and references
:

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3. Session plan
No Activities Time Tools
1 • Discuss the utility of high resolution water level data in
water logged areas, over-exploited areas, coastal areas.
• Discuss the utility of high resolution data for reliable and
credible model calibration.
30 min OHS
2 • Illustrations 10 min OHS
3 Feedback 15 min
4 Wrap up 5 min

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4. Main text
Contents
1. Conjunctive use Planning 1
2. Identification of Over-Exploited areas 2
3. Scheduling of Pumpage 2
4. Calibration of Aquifiers Response Models 3
5. Identifications of Cycles 3

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Other applications of DWLR data
The high frequency water level data from DWLRs, apart from permitting a more rational and
credible lumped water balance studies, can be useful in many other ways such as follows:
1. Conjunctive use Planning
Conjunctive use of the canal water and the groundwater in a canal command area is
essentially aimed at avoiding water logging of the land. A land is considered to be water
logged if the water table depth (below ground) is lower than a stipulated critical depth. Thus,
a check for water logged conditions essentially involves a study of the water table depth
hydrograph at a few key points with in the study area. The study leads to identification of
such periods (if any) during which the depth is found to be less than the critical value. The
manually monitored water table hydrographs are generally not of high enough resolution to
identify such periods of water logging. Some water logging periods may be missed
altogether; others may be overestimated or underestimated. On the other hand, water table
depth hydrographs derived from the DWLR data shall have much higher resolution and thus,
shall permit a far more accurate identification of water logging periods. This is illustrated in
figure 1. The figure shows a DWLR-derived water table hydrograph from a canal command
area. The water table rise coinciding with canal opening, and decline after its closure, and
the consequent waterlogged periods are quite visible in the hydrograph. Such an
identification of the waterlogged conditions can lead to much better planning of the
groundwater development in the command area.
Fig 1 shows the Water level hydrograph from canal command area

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2. Identification of Over-Exploited areas
Over exploited areas are characterised by falling annual peaks and troughs (refer figure 2).
Thus, to identify such areas, it would be necessary to identify annual peaks and troughs of
successive years. As already mentioned, the hydrograph derived from manually monitored
water levels may miss either peak or trough or both. The high frequency data from the
DWLRs shall permit identification of true hydrograph of water level and hence the peaks and
troughs.
Fig 2 shows the Water level hydrograph from an over exploited area
3. Scheduling of Pumpage
The high frequency data from DWLRs may provide useful prompts regarding opportunity
times for pumpage. A few examples are as follows:
3.1 Coastal Aquifers
In coastal aquifers the times of daily peaks and troughs may to a large extent be governed

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by the tidal cycle (refer figure 3). The DWLR data can permit its identification, which may
assist in designing daily pumping schedules.
3.2 Canal Commands
Seepage from canal may recharge the water table and may lead to its rise in the vicinity of
the canal. However, there would be a time lag between the beginning of the discharge in the
canal and the rise (refer figure 4). The rise may sustain for a while even after the closure of
the canal discharge. The DWLR data can assist in identifying such time lags and hence the
opportunity times for the pumpage.
Fig 4 shows recharge to the water table hydrograph showing recharge
contributions after canal openings
4. Calibration of Aquifiers Response Models
Aquifer response modelling is a powerful tool to check the feasibility of a given spatial and
temporal pattern of discharge and/or recharge. Thus, such models are being increasingly put
to use to plan various activities like groundwater development, artificial recharge, conjunctive
use etc. These models are very data intensive and require among others, spatially
distributed aquifer parameters. Such data are almost never available, and thus, have to be
derived by calibration. Calibration implies running the model in the historical period and
arriving at such distributions of the parameters which lead to the closest possible match
between the observed and the computed water level hydrographs/contours. It is evident that
the high frequency data from the DWLRs shall permit far more reliable and credible model
calibrations.
5. Identifications of Cycles
A water level hydrograph represents the resultant effect of a number of phenomenon
many of which may be periodic (that is, self repeating). Each periodic phenomenon
imparts a periodicity to the hydrograph. However, due to their superposition, all these

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periodicities may not be visible. Usually the hydrograph derived from manually
monitored data, may comprise only an annual cycle displaying a relatively fast rise
from trough to peak, followed by a short fast recession and finally a prolonged slow
recession till the trough. (However, some exceptional phenomena like extreme
exploitation, artificial recharge, discontinuation of pumpage may modify this trend.)
On the other hand, a hydrograph derived from DWLR data shall comprise apart from
an annual cycle, many cycles of shorter durations like seasonal, barometric, daily,
tidal etc.
5.1 Harmonic Analysis
Harmonic analysis is essentially a numerical algorithm capable of breaking a time
series of a periodic attribute into these hidden periodicities (or say cycles). (The
analysis however, is applicable only to stationary time series i.e., to time series
devoid of any long-term trend.) The analysis reveals periodicities hidden in the time
series. This may ultimately facilitate identification of significant or dominant cycles. A
hydrograph is essentially a time series of water levels and cycles hidden in it may be
identified by Harmonic analysis. The details of Harmonic analysis shall be discussed
subsequently.

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5. Overhead/flipchart master

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6. Handout

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7. Additional handout
These handouts are distributed during delivery and contain test questions, answers to
questions, special worksheets, optional information, and other matters you would not like to
be seen in the regular handouts.
It is a good practice to pre-punch these additional handouts, so the participants can easily
insert them in the main handout folder.