Verification of Surface-Groundwater Connectivity in an Irrigation Canal Using Geophysical, Water Balance and Stable Isotope Approaches

Descriptions of the surface–groundwater interactions are required for enhanced water resource management in the irrigation canals of the Kerian Scheme. The current study aims to find the hidden aquifer, determine the water loss/gain in an irrigation system, and identify the hydraulic interconnection between aquifer systems using geophysical, water balance, and stable isotope methods. The Resistivity Image Profiling (RIP) method is a common geophysical survey technique used to find a potential groundwater bearing zone in the study area. RIP results show that the thickness of the aquifer varies between 5 and 10 m at a depth of 10–30 m. The results are compared against borehole drilling data. Water loss and/or water gain in an irrigation system is an important component of the water balance for planning and operation. The water level at the Selinsing Canal system increases, clearly indicating that the catchment is very responsive to rainfall events. The use of stable isotopes to trace water movement in hydrology, including surface water and groundwater, is an important task within the environmental field. Thus, the results plotted for both water samples from Selinsing Canal and groundwater are linearly similar to those in the Global Meteoric Water Line and the Malaysian Meteoric Water Line. Thus, the samples are revealed to come from evaporated samples. This indicates that there is a connection between the surface and the groundwater in the catchment area. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. (outside the USA) 2011