Modeling groundwater-dependent ecosystems under increased complexity: the case of Northern-Italy lowland springs

Although overlooked, groundwater is crucial to sustain life itself and consequentially also human life and its activities. Groundwater sustainability relies on a delicate balance between recharge and discharge, in which both human uses and behavior play an important role. If not adequately managed and planned, pumping rates for human consumptions, as well as changes in irrigation practices, can alter the balance between inputs and outputs, potentially damaging groundwater-dependent ecosystems. This is the case of lowland springs in Northern Italy, called “fontanili”: man-made-pits and canals dug from the XIV century to reclaim large zones of the Po plain, which have been used since to irrigate fields while generating biodiversity hotspots right in the middle of one of the most polluted and urbanized areas in the European Union.

The role of these groundwater-dependent ecosystems has been studied in the past, but their relationship with groundwater still holds some uncertainties: How does this type of lowland spring interact with the aquifer along its course? How much do they influence the surrounding groundwater system?

To answer these questions, this work presents numerical models in MODFLOW that, with increasing complexity, reproduce a single fontanile’s behavior based on in-situ observations and literature. The pros and cons of the different methods are explored, also considering their applicability at larger scale and increased number. Results bring more light to these unique systems’ behavior and show concrete and successful possibilities of representing them inside a well-known and broadly utilized software, aiming to foster their consideration in management plans to prevent their depletion. This research has been developed in the context of MAURICE project (CE0100184).