Title: Water budget analysis for the Middle Mohlapitsi wetland in the Oliphants River Basin, Limpopo province, South Africa

Authors: F.A. Mekiso; G.M. Ochieng; J. Snyman

Addresses: Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Staatsartillerie Road, Pretoria West, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; University of South Africa, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria 0003, South Africa ' Department of Civil Engineering and Building, Vaal University of Technology, 1911 Vanderbijlpark, Private Bag X021, Gauteng, South Africa ' Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Staatsartillerie Road, Pretoria West, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

Abstract: The objective of the study was to design a workable water balance of the wetland to develop a comprehensive water-resources plan for the basin. The study area water budget describes inputs to the watershed (precipitation and imported water), outputs of water from the watershed (streamflow, exported water, leakage, consumed water, and evapotranspiration), and changes in ground-water and surface-water storage. Hydrological and meteorological data was obtained from Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and South African Weather Service (SAWS) respectively. The study area water-budget equation was calculated for evapotranspiration (ET). No water was imported to the study area, and no GW was exported to the surrounding catchments. The average precipitation (R), streamflow (SF), change in groundwater storage (ΔGWs), change in surface water storage (ΔSWs), consumptive use (CoU) and evapotranspiration (ET) and errors were 20.93, 14.93, −4.68, −4.04, 9.43 and 5.29 cm respectively.

Keywords: Mohlapitsi Basin; consumptive use; evapotranspiration; water budget analysis; streamflow; groundwater storage; wetlands; South Africa; water balance; water resources planning; surface water storage; hydrology; precipitation; rainfall.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2016.082322

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2016 Vol.8 No.2/3, pp.179 - 199

Accepted: 15 Dec 2016
Published online: 18 Feb 2017 *

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