WATER RESOURCES AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TUSHKA AND WEST OF LAKE NASSER, EGYPT

Abstract

The water level fluctuations and geomorphology of Lake Nasser reservoir in Tushka area, Egypt, has its own bearing on the local hydrogeological regime. Comparison of the available data concerning the submerged bottom elevations of Lake Nasser with the static water levels of the groundwater wells reaching the deeper horizons of the Nubia Sandstone aquifer, suggests that Lake Nasser acts mostly as an influent stream. However, in some cases, when the static water levels of some deep water-bearing horizons reach levels above those at the bottom of the lake, water flows from the groundwater reservoirs towards the river which acts as an effluent stream. The constructed equipotentiometric map confirms this conclusion as it indicated that the maximum potentiometric level was attained to the northwestern part of Lake Nasser area, whereas the minimum potentiometric level was encountered to the southeast of this area. Hence, the groundwater flow is generally towards Lake Nasser. However, in some instances, it also flows in an adverse direction. The Piper trilinear diagram revealed the existence of four hydrochemical facies reflecting the quality of the fresh water of Lake Nasser, the slightly saline original water quality of the Nubia aquifer and the mixing facies with no dominant water types.