Assessing the dynamics of groundwater recharge in Netravathi river basin: A comprehensive study utilizing water table fluctuation and empirical equations

Abstract

Water must flow downward to reach the water table and recharge the reservoir in groundwater systems. Rainfall penetrates the unsaturated zone in the soil and seeps into the groundwater table. An investigation was conducted to analyze the process of replenishing groundwater in the Netravathi basin, located in Karnataka, India. The study utilized rainfall data collected between the years 2008 and 2018. A total of 60 monitoring wells were examined, uncovering a maximum groundwater replenishment of 2.21 BMC in 2009. Analysis of 11 years of rainfall data revealed that 2009 experienced the largest annual recharge, totaling 3956.75mm. Chaturvedi, Krishna Rao, and Kumar & Seethapathi used empirical equations to estimate groundwater recharge. The year 2009 had the greatest values for groundwater recharge according to all the calculations. It is worth mentioning that Krishna Rao's method shown superior performance compared to other methods in southern India. This research contributes to improving local groundwater management by providing geographical validation. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.