Analysis of water balance and hydrodynamics of Lake Beseka, Ethiopia

This study aims to calculate the water balance, interaction with irrigation water inflow, and hydrodynamics of the Lake Beseka by a spreadsheet-based model using climatic, hydrological, multi-temporal satellite images, groundwater, and lake chemistry data. The rainfall for the catchment was estimated as 558.4 mm/year, whereas the mean evaporation was computed as 2,214 mm/year by the Penman method. The annual direct rainfall contribution to the lake was obtained to be 25.84 MCM (million cubic meters) and a runoff inflow in the catchment area of 37.2 MCM. This balance pointed to the mean evaporation of 108.2 MCM/year in the lake indicating that the water inflow was greater than the outflow. A major cause for the rise of the lake level was the drainage of excess irrigation water toward the lake, mainly from the Fentale Irrigation Farm. The average increment of the groundwater level in the area was 12 cm/year from 2010 to 2014. From 1998 to 2014, the electrical conductivity was reduced by 25.6%, and calcium was increased by 96%. The study outlined that appropriate irrigation drainage should be implemented in the catchment to ensure the balance between the rainfall, infiltration, and surface runoff to optimize economic and social welfare in the area.