The Annals of Valahia University of Trgovite, Geographical Series, Tome 4-5, 2004-2005

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THE JUNE-SEPTEMBER 2003 DROUGHT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE
GROUND WATER LAYER. A CASE STUDY

Ioana-Jeni Drgoi
*


Key-words: ground water, resources, drought
Abstract: The June-September, 2003 interval in the Danube Basin was marked by the severest
drought of the century, a situation reflected in the sharp decrease of discharge and levels. The low
river depth closed some sectors to navigation. This sharp level decrease also affected the ground
water level in the limitrophe areas. In the present study, calculations of the decreasing ground water
reserve in the conditions of drought are provided.

Characteristics of the ground water layer

The case-study included three alignments: Desa (Fig.1), Ghidici (Fig.2) and
Orani (Fig.3) situated in the Danube Floodplain between the towns of Calafat and
Corabia. It is a complex floodplain sector in which hydrological variables and the
characteristics of ground water dynamics are influenced by the diversity of physico-
geographical factors among which the presence of sand dunes plays a major role.


Fig.1. Location of the Desa station Fig.2. Location of the Ghidici station


*
Institute of Geography, Bucharest
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In terms of the respective morphological unit, the characteristics of the ground
water layer are typical of the river valleys found in the limitrophe areas of big watercourses
(also influenced by them). Ground water develops in alluvial deposits, which consist
largely of coarse and very thick elements, and covers appreciable surfaces. The ground
water layer studied contains sediments belonging to the upper member of the Danube
formation (Enciu, 2003) deposited during the Holocene (the Quaternary hydrostructure).
Deposits are considered to be of recent date. The wide expansion of the aquifer, which
goes beyond the bounds of the studied area as far as the perimeter of terraces is
conformable to the morphological unit (small sectors of discontinuities between floodplain
and terrace aquifer layers are usually evidenced by the springs situated at the terrace base.
D
U
N

R
E
A
R
.
J
iu
F2
F3
F5
F1
F8
F4
F6
F7
0 1 Km
Bechetu
Orani
Liteava
R
. J
ie
u
l
Fig. 3. Location of the Orani station

A specific aspect has the Ghidici Bistre sector where the ground water layer from
the alluvial deposits overlaps the Dacian aquiferous sands, creating a link between them
and the surface waters of the Bechet sector where the ground water layer directly overlaps
Sarmatian limestone (Brandrabur, 1971 and Grigorescu, 2001).
From a hydrodynamic viewpoint the ground water layer falls into the category of
vacant level aquifers; local seasonal ground water horizons occur in the fine-grained sands
(Grigorescu, 2001).
In view of the productivity of the studied aquifer layer, varying widely from
moderate to very high, we may say that it represents an important water source especially
in the specific conditions of climate and the deficit of resources of the secondary drainage
network (Enciu, 2003).
The ground water layer in the three alignments is very thick. Based on drillings, the
calculated values were as follows: Desa station F1 = 13.8 m, F2 = 11.5 m, F4 = 19 m, F5
= 17,6 m; Ghidiciu station F2 = 21 m, F4 = 10 m, F5 = 11 m and Orani station F1 =
16 m, F2 = 8 m.
Ground water levels over the dry period
The relationship between the studied floodplain sector and the River Danube accounts for
the direct impact of decreasing levels of the Danube on the ground water level.
The general aspect of the floodplain in the studied interval shows that the ground
water reserve is diminishing, shallow lakes dry up and the hydrophile vegetation, which
under normal hydro-climatic conditions is omnipresent in this sector, disappears.
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Drought effects are not the same in the embanked and non-embanked sectors: in the
embanked areas drought was attenuated by the dam itself which prevented surface
discharge and enabled the floodplain to be supplied with terrace water. The unbanked
sectors being drained by the Danube, the low river level increased the ground water level
pitch and hence the flow speed to the Danube; in the dune sectors, the high capacity of the
receiving rock brought down the ground water level.
Some disparities also exist between the embanked sectors themselves because the
floodplain is not evenly developed. Thus, the effect of drought in the Corabia-Celei sector,
where both the floodplain and the Danube channel are narrow, were minor and the terrace
water supply was sufficient to maintain the crops; on the other hand, in the broad
floodplain pertaining to the Ostroveni commune as the Danube retreated by some 250 m,
crops were at risk.
Measurements made during the dry period confirm the sharp decrease of ground
water levels (Figs 4,5). A comparison between the levels registered in a few August 2003
drillings and the multiannual means of the same month indicates a fall of 1-4 meters. Next,
looking at the August 2003 levels and the values of the lowest multiannual mean level (in
Octomber and November) and of the absolute minimum over the 1965-2000 period, it
appears that values at the Desa and Ghidici stations are lower than at the Orani station
where the absolute minimum level was not surpassed. So, during the studied period the
absolute minimum in August 2003 was registered at Desa and Ghidici (Figs 6,7). This
quantitative result corresponds to the previous finding concerning the floodplain aspect in
the July-August 2003 interval.
The lowest values as against the multiannual August levels was found in the first
drilling at Desa. Losses decrease with the distance from the Danube, because the respective
area is little drained by the river and there is greater water supply from the terraces.
In order to emphasise the diminution of the ground water layer, the aquiferous
layer static water reserve was estimated by measurements and bythe multiannual means
registered at Desa, Ghidici and Orani posts. Width was taken to by equal to unity and the
average yield (harmonic average for the respectively alignment) was determined by the
yield coefficient - hydraulic conductivity graphic correlation.
The static reserve was calculated by relation:
W
s
= V*
Where:
V volume of the aquifer rock
yield coefficient.
The result obtained match the floodplain aspect, showing that losses were the
highest at the Desa alignment with a water volume yield of 15,757.8 m
3
, that is 2,670 l/m
2
;
the lower Ghidici values (10,432 m
3
, that is 1,304 l/m
2
, indicated that the fine-grained
sands of this alignment reduced the yield capacity; the aquifer layer in the Orani sector
(embanked) had even a lower yield capacity 3,598 m
3
, that is 1,285 l/m
2
.

Conclusions
The high ground water volume variations are an indication of the great
vulnerability of reserves to climatic and hydrological changes, also augmented by the
presence of sand dunes and the human impact. The dependence of the aquifer layer on
water supply sources requires preliminary studies if the areas water resources are to be put
to best account.



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