Evaluation of Groundwater Vulnerability in Shimengou Water Source Area

We assessed the vulnerability of the groundwater system of Shimengou,in order to provide scientific support for rational utilization and managements of the groundwater resources of the area.The study area was divided and then scored for each evaluation factor using indexes of depth of water,net recharge,aquifer media,soil media,topography,impact of the vadose zone,and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer(DRASTIC).The vulnerability index was calculated through building matrix.Results showed that the groundwater vulnerability index was between 100 to 128 in the study region,which was between the low and medium range.The study region was divided into six sub-regions in two groups,and the vulnerability showed a decreasing trend from northeast to southwest.In general,groundwater vulnerability in the karst area is less severe than that of other lithologic areas.Groundwater vulnerability is determined by intrinsic attributes of aquifer,but it can be affected by external factors exerted by the human activities.