LAM PA CHI RIVER BASIN (THAILAND)

Hydrology

GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS 

Table: Aquifers in the basin

Aquifers in the basin were dated from Cambrian to Quaternary periods. The Metasediment aquifers in Permian to Carboniferous periods share the largest areas and the aquifers formed in Ordovician period are smallest. The granitic aquifers and colluvial aquifers have good quality while the water quality of Carbonate aquifers is moderate and the water quality of metamorphic aquifers is suitable for domestic use (Department of Water Resources, Thai MONRE).

The main channel is 130 km long and it has its headwaters in the western and southern mountain range draining the basin in a South-North orientation before meeting the Thai Khoei river. Streamflow responds accordingly to the precipitation pattern showing two main seasons: a wet and a dry season. According to monthly data available at the most downstream discharge station (k.62) the highest discharge occurs in October with an average value of 56 m³/s while the driest months are from January until March with less than 3 m³/s of streamflow in average. The ratio between the highest and the lowest streamflow is 25:1 showing a high intra-annual variability. Furthermore, two of the most relevant environmental problems in the basins are related with the response of the streamflow during the two abovementioned seasons: (i) flooding during the wet season and (ii) water scarcity during the dry period. 

References and further reading:

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