Safavi, Hamid. R., Enteshari, S., (2016), Conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources using the antsystem optimization, Agricultural Water Management, 173, 23-34.

Conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources using the antsystem optimization

Hamid R. Safavi, Associate Prof., Department of Civil Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran. hasafavi@cc.iut.ac.ir

Sajad Enteshari, PhD Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran. s.enteshari@cv.iut.ac.ir

Abstract:

Conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources forms an important part of integrated waterresource planning and management in a basin-wide scale. This paper presents a simulation/optimizationmodel based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) and an ant system optimization (AS) for solving themonthly conjunctive supply of irrigation water. The study area is Najafabad Plain located in the semi-aridwest central Iran. The water resources in the region are under increasing pressure to meet the growingirrigation water demand despite the dire decline in its surface water resources due to climate changes.The main objective of the conjunctive use model developed in this study is to minimize the water deficitin the three irrigation zones subject to constraints on groundwater levels and cumulative drawdown foreach zone. The results indicate that the simulation model is capable of predicting the behavior of thestudy aquifer and that it may be used as a decision support system. Moreover, both the simulation andthe optimization models are found capable of determining water extraction quantities required so thatnot only will the present water deficit decline but aquifer conditions will improve as well.

Keywords: Artificial neural network, Simulation, Scenario, Ant system, Heuristic optimization algorithm

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2016.05.001