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Hydrogeology of the Superficial Groundwater of the Koular Watershed and the

Risk of Salt Wedge Intrusion

Article · March 2020

DOI: 10.37532/jhhe.2020.9(1).191

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Wade, J Hydrogeol Hydrol Eng 2020, 9:1
DOI: 10.37532/jhhe.2020.9(1).191
Journal of Hydrogeology &
Hydrologic Engineering
Research Article a SciTechnol journal

(Figure 1). They can be classified into four groups:

Hydrogeology of the Superficial • Basement Aquifers,
Groundwater of the Koular • Deeper aquifer or Maestrichtian,

Watershed and the Risk of Salt • Intermediate aquifer: represented by that of Paleocene
limestones, Lutetian limestones, and the Oligo-Miocene
Wedge Intrusion aquifer,
Cheikh Tidiane Wade* • Superficial aquifer: more accessible to pollutants (salts,
leachates, etc.) and are subject to intense exploitation by the
population. They represent the most vulnerable family of
Abstract aquifers.
The hydrogeological study of the Koular surficial groundwater In the Koular zone, the superficial groundwater is contained in the
shows an average depth of the static level equal to 10 m in the
sandy-clayey levels of the Saloum and Quaternary alteration zone [2].
zone. This facilitates access to and exploitation of groundwater,
which is increasing with the increase in population, thus leading These Saloum Formations are considered unconfined aquifers whose
to an increase in the depth of the groundwater. This favors the thickness increases from NNW (less than 50 m) to SSE (about 100 m)
rupture of the freshwater-salt water interface, hence the saline- and from West (less than 50 m) to East (about 100 m) [3].
water invasion.
Groundwater recharge is mainly achieved through the infiltration
Keywords of rainwater. The values calculated using the chloride mass balance
Hydrogeological; Groundwater; Koular; Saline (CMC) method (chloride profiles at different sites) in the unsaturated
zone and the water balance (ETo calculated according to the Penman
Introduction formula) are variable and range from 17 to 100 mm/year and 19 to 130
mm/year respectively [3].
The Koular Valley is located in a deltaic area. In recent years,
it has suffered progressive degradation of freshwater (surface and
groundwater) and soil due to the invasion of salt water from the
sea [1]. The overexploitation of the surface aquifer in the context of
population growth is known as one of the origin of the rupture of the
freshwater-salt water interface, thus leading to saline intrusion.
The purpose of this study is to determine how the hydrogeology of
the superficial groundwater in the Koular area could contribute to the
advance of the salt wedge.
Characterization of Koular
Population and activités in the study area
The total population of the Study Area is estimated to be
approximately 5139 in 2016 compared to 4195 in 2006. This shows an
average annual increase in the area’s population of 2% over the last 10
years (source: Rural Community of Keur Saloum Diané and Ndramé
Escale) accompanied by a growing demand for water and arable land.
Figure 1: Map of aquifer units in Senegal, modified thereafter (DGPRE, 2012).
On the other hand, there is also a lack of water drilling in the study Surficial aquifer geometry
area, which means that the watercourse and groundwater are used for
drinking, cooking, washing, irrigation and animal husbandry. The aquifer lies on an uneven Eocene substratum [4,5], the
nature of which has been determined by electrical probing [6]. This
Aquifers substratum consists of compact clay with a resistivity of between 10
Senegal’s groundwater is contained in different aquifers that and 50 Ω m-1, as well as clear marls and limestones with a resistivity of
contain formations ranging from the Quaternary to the Maastrichtian between 50 and 100 Ω m-1 (Figure 2).
and whose vertical and lateral extension and continuity are variable The morphology of the substratum results from the erosion of
the Eocene formations after the regression of the late Tertiary. This
*Corresponding author: Cheikh Tidiane Wade, Department of Geology, Cheikh erosion resulted in the establishment of depressions or fossil valleys
Anta Diop University, Senegal, West Africa, Tel: +221 777575366; E-mail: that were later filled in by deposits from the Saloum Formation.
[email protected]
The average depth of the substratum is -40 m below sea level. It
Received: February 19, 2020 Accepted: March 03, 2020 Published: March 11,
2020
varies between -20 m to the west and north-west, -100 m at the level of

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Citation: Wade CT (2020) Hydrogeology of the Superficial Groundwater of the Koular Watershed and the Risk of Salt Wedge Intrusion. J Hydrogeol Hydrol
Eng 9:1.

doi: 10.37532/jhhe.2020.9(1).191

the great depression of Koular-Nioro Alassane (Figure 3) and -80 m The piezometry of the zone is characterised by a piezometric
at the level of the depression located between Wack-Ngouna-Saboya- dome in the south-west which extends along a Karang-Keur Aliou
Taîba Niassène-Keur Moussa Poste. These two depressions are of Diop-Nioro Alassane Tall axis (Figure 4). At Keur Aliou Diop, this
North-West/South-East direction with a slope towards Gambia. axis splits into two branches, one oriented towards the North-West
along an axis passing through Keur Lahine Fatim-Soukouta, the other
oriented towards the East along the axis Keur Saloum Diané-Ndramé
Scale-Diagne Walo.

Materials and Methods

Study area
The Koular watershed is located in the Arachidier basin, which
belongs to the Senegal-Mauritanian basin (Figure 5). It is located in
the Saloum area between the Fatick and Kaolack regions, precisely
between the districts of Toubacouta and Wack ngouna in central-
western Senegal [1].
Figure 2: Hydrogeological cross-section of the superficial aquifer, modified from
(Louis Berger International Coyne et Bellier, 1984).

Figure 3: East-West section of the substratum morphology of the Continental

Terminal aquifer.

Superficial groundwater hydrodynamics

The hydrodynamic characteristics of the aquifer were determined
Figure 5: Location of the Koular watershed..
by test pumping [6]. The results show that fine sand layers more
frequently free of clay than coarse sands are the most permeable. The The river lies between latitudes 13° 40’ 40.36” and 13° 45’ 10.60”
permeability of the sands is of the order of 10-4 m s-1, this permeability North and between longitudes 16° 11’ 00.65” and 16° 08’ 10.90” West.
was clearly improved by the presence of canalicules probably It is temporary like most rivers in the Sudano-Sahelian zone and has
resulting from the concentration of iron oxides around the roots of an intermittent flow [1].
trees that have long since disappeared [6]. Silty or clayey sands have
a permeability of about 10-5 m s-1. Often, traditional wells capture the The Koular river, together with the Sandougou and Bao Bolon
groundwater at the level of silty or sandy clays, which means that these rivers, forms arms of the Djikoye, which is a tributary of the Gambia
clays are not totally devoid of permeability. However, only the levels of River on the right bank [8].
clear sand or very slightly clayey clay are of interest if one is planning Data collection approches
to exploit the groundwater by drilling [7].
For the hydrogeology of the superficial groundwater in the Koular
The transmissivity of the Saloum Formation aquifer between the catchment area, 48 wells were located to measure the depth of the
Sine and the Gambia varies between 3.10-4 m2 s-1 and 170.10-4 m2 s-1; static level between 14 December 2016 and 11 January 2017 (Figure
the storage coefficient is 5%. 6).
The materials used are:
• A GARMIN handheld GPS to record the UTM coordinates
of the wells;
• A Decameter and a mirror for measuring the depth of wells.
The SURFER 11 software was used to produce the piezometric
map with flow direction vectors of the water table, using the depth
measurement data of the static level between December 14, 2016 and
January 11, 2017.

Figure 4: Piezometer of the C.T. groundwater table between the Sine River and
the Gambia.

Volume 9 • Issue 1 • 1000191 • Page 2 of 4 •

Citation: Wade CT (2020) Hydrogeology of the Superficial Groundwater of the Koular Watershed and the Risk of Salt Wedge Intrusion. J Hydrogeol Hydrol
Eng 9:1.

doi: 10.37532/jhhe.2020.9(1).191

Figure 8: Variation in the depth of the groundwater (14 Dec. 2016 - 11 Jan.
2017).

The deepest aquifer depths are located at Thiarène Alassane (wells

26 and 27), Keur gaye (wells 28 and 29) and Ndiobène (well 30);
revolving around 21 m. While the shallowest depths are around 1 m
Figure 6: Static level depth measurement well location map.. and are located in the areas where the groundwater outcrops, namely
at Koular Socé (wells 5 and 6) and Ndiaye Kounda 1 (wells 41, 42, 43,
Results and Discussion 44, 45).

Surface water hydrogeology in the Koular watershed Generally, throughout the entire measurement period, 19 of the
48 wells (or 22.23 per cent) had depths between 1 and 9 m; 13 wells
The results of monitoring the dynamics of the water table for the (or 26.67 per cent) had depths between 9 and 12 m, and the remaining
period from 14 December 2016 to 11 January 2017 show that the 16 wells had depths between 12 and 22 m (or 51.10 per cent) (Figure
direction of flow of the surface water table is from North-Northeast to 9). These show that the depth of the superficial groundwater is low on
South-South-West (Figure 7). average and is around 10 m.

Figure 9: Depth distribution of the superficial groundwater table in the study area.

Therefore, in the Koular area it is easy to access and exploit

groundwater resources through traditional wells. However, as the
population grows, the demand for water will increase, leading to
overexploitation of the water table. Thus, with the low recharge of
groundwater due to the scarcity of rainfall, the depth of the water
Figure 7: Piezometric map of the superficial groundwater lifted on December table will increase further, causing the freshwater-salt water interface
14, 2016. to break down, resulting in the invasion of salt water.
The results also show a constant depth of the static level in the
Conclusion and Recommendation
wells throughout the measurement period with the exception of wells
23, 26, 27, 30 and 47, where slight variations were noted for the date of The shallow depth of the superficial groundwater in the area
Wednesday 21 December (Figure 8). These variations are thought to facilitates access to and exploitation of groundwater in a context
be due to the decrease in exploitation. where the world population is increasing. Thus, the Koular zone
requires a policy of managing groundwater pumping flows in order to
avoid disruption of the freshwater-salt water interface.

Volume 9 • Issue 1 • 1000191 • Page 3 of 4 •

Citation: Wade CT (2020) Hydrogeology of the Superficial Groundwater of the Koular Watershed and the Risk of Salt Wedge Intrusion. J Hydrogeol Hydrol
Eng 9:1.

doi: 10.37532/jhhe.2020.9(1).191

In addition, hydrochemical studies of surface and groundwater in Stud 9: 163-182.

the area would be of great value to determine the degree of salinization 4. Ly A, Anglada R (1991) The Senegalo-Mauritanian basin in the evolution
and other possible sources of salinization in order to better protect the of the peri-Atlantic margins in the tertiary. Micropaleontology Notebooks 6
water and soils of Kular. : 23-47.

5. Sarr R (1995) Biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental study of the Late

Cretaceous to Middle Eocene age series of western Senegal. Systematics
and Migration of Ostracods: 1-29.
References
6. Diluca C (1976) Hydrogeological study of the Continental Terminal between
1. Wade CT (2020) Physical characterization of the Koular Valley in central
the Sine and the Gambia Second phase and synthesis report. BRGM.
West Sénégal with a view to its hydro-agricultural development. J Hydrogeol
Hydrol Eng 9: 1-4. 7. Noël Y (1975) Hydrogeological study of the continental terminal of Sine
Gambia First Phase and synthesis report. BRGM: 30.
2. Ngom FD (2000) Characterization of water transfers in the catchment area
of the Néma in Saloum. 8. Malou R (2004) Impact of climate on groundwater resources in the Sudano-
Sahelian zone.
3. Dieng NM, Orban P, Otten J, Stumpp C, Faye S, et al. (2017) Temporal
changes in groundwater quality of the Saloum coastal aquifer. J Hydrol Reg

Author Affiliation Top

Department of Geology, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal, West Africa

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