Drawdown and stream depletion induced by a nearby pumping well

SummaryThis study derives two dimensional analytical solutions for drawdown and stream depletion resulting from a pumping well near a stream. The solutions were obtained for both line-width and finite-width streams in unconfined/confined aquifers, based on the principle of superposition. These solutions are general enough to be used for different hydrogeological settings within both unconfined and confined aquifers.Results of analytical solutions for both drawdown and stream depletion were checked against results obtained using numerical models for confined/unconfined aquifer.It has been found that both line-width and finite-width stream depletion results are close to numerical results, but the finite-width stream solution has less error. Drawdown results show that the line-width stream solution slightly over-estimates the drawdown, and the finite-width stream solution has a good match with the numerical drawdown results. The error in drawdown results is directly proportional to the increase in stream width, but is higher in the case of a line-width stream.

► This study proposes a new method for drawdown and stream depletion analysis.
► The methods is based on analytical solution and superposition principle.
► Two analytical solutions are considered: line-width stream and finite-width stream.
► The results of analytical solutions were compared to numerical model results.
► The proposed finite-width solution provides good results compared to the line-width stream solution.