Application of high-frequency spring discharge data: a case study of Mathamali spring rejuvenation in the Garhwal Himalaya

Abstract

Abstract Water scarcity is becoming the biggest threat to the global population due to unpredictable rainfall, glaciers melt, and other anthropogenic activities. This study focuses on the analysis of monitored high-frequency continuous spring discharge and rainfall data in the contact and fracture type Mathamali spring located in the Garhwal Himalaya. Discharge from the spring and its storage behavior has been studied by analyzing recession components and flow duration curves. Analyzed discharge data revealed that the spring can generate maximum volume during monsoon as compared to winter due to aquifer properties and tendencies to store and transmit water. Springshed intervention practices were implemented in early April 2017. The measured average flow was 16.9 lpm but soon after the interventions, the average flow increased by 2.6 times. The minimum average spring flow was 2.3 lpm which increased by 5 times whereas the average maximum flow increased by 1.8 times. Post-intervention, storage duration has increased by 16%, decaying from 143 lpm (peak flow) to 12.7 lpm (baseflow). The preliminary findings from this spring can be considered as a check for establishing benchmarks for sustainable development of springsheds, climate change adaptation, and development plans to cope up with growing water insecurity in the rural Himalayas.