AQUIFER RECHARGE BY SEEPAGE LOSSES FROM CANALS

The effects of subsurface conditions on recharge of leaky aquifers by seepage from irrigation canals are examined. The rate of recharge depe nds on the vertical rates of flow into the aquifer. The physical and g eological data along a lithological section of the Mahi Right Bank Can al Command Area in Gujarat are used. At the same location, seepage los ses can vary by a factor of seven depending on the position of the wat er table. For a specified water table depth, the seepage flows vary si gnificantly with the depth to the aquifer. But their vertical componen ts, which are responsible for aquifer recharge, do not show such signi ficant variation with the depth to the aquifer.