Analysis of the Interaction between Lake and Groundwater Based on Water–Salt Balance Method and Stable Isotopic Characteristics

Changming Cao, Na Li, Weifeng Yue (), Lijun Wu, Xinyi Cao and Yuanzheng Zhai
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Changming Cao: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Na Li: China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center, Beijing 100054, China
Weifeng Yue: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Lijun Wu: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Xinyi Cao: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Yuanzheng Zhai: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: To better protect lacustrine ecologies and understand the evolutionary process of lake environments, it is critical to study the interacting mechanisms between lakes and the surrounding groundwater. The Wuliangsu Lake watershed is the largest wetland in the Yellow River basin and is the discharge area of the Hetao Irrigation District (HID), which is one of the three largest agricultural production areas in China. Due to the influence of human activities, the discharge water from the HID has led to the deterioration of the Wuliangsu Lake ecology and the degradation of the lake environment. Based on long-term observation data and water sampling data collected in 2021, a water–salt equilibrium model was used to analyze the recharge rate of groundwater to the lake. The contribution rate of groundwater to lake recharge in the study area was calculated with a Bayesian mixing model by combining D and 18 O stable isotope data. Furthermore, the environmental evolutionary process of the lake was also analyzed using the collected water quality data. The results show that channel drainage was the main source of recharge to Wuliangsu Lake, accounting for more than 75%, while groundwater contributed less than 5% of lake recharge. After implementing the ecological water supplement plan, the concentration of various ions in the lake decreased, the concentration of the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the lake decreased from 1.7 g/L in 2016 to 1.28 g/L in 2021, and the ecological environment was improved. The contribution of groundwater to lake recharge was quantitatively analyzed. The results of this study can facilitate the development of vital strategies for preventing the further deterioration of lake water quality and for protecting wetland ecologies.

Keywords: water–salt balance method; stable isotope; Bayesian mixed model; surface water–groundwater interaction; water ecology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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