Large groundwater sources found in Caprivi, Omaheke

DEEP groundwater sources have been discovered in eastern Caprivi and in the Omaheke Region, it was announced this week.

A study into groundwater resources, financed by Germany, was jointly conducted by Namibia’s Department of Water Affairs and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). It was conducted in eastern Caprivi, the eastern part of the Omaheke Region and at Oshivelo in the Oshikoto Region between November 2002 and April 2005.The findings were presented by the project leader, Dr Frieder Schildknech, in Windhoek on Monday.The groundwater sources were detected by advanced Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) soundings.Based on the TEM soundings, six boreholes were drilled in eastern Caprivi and they confirmed the existence of a deep freshwater aquifer underneath a previously known shallow aquifer.”Though the extent of this deep aquifer, the Lower Kalahari Aquifer, is not yet fully determined, it can be regarded as a major freshwater resource which may be able to provide large parts of the eastern Caprivi with drinking water,” says the study report.At the Eiseb-Graben site in the Omaheke Region, a channel-like structure (paleochannel) was detected using ground-based geophysical measurements.The paleochannel was confirmed by three successful boreholes and the most successful one yielded approximately 120 cubic metres of water an hour.”In all of them, excellent groundwater quality was encountered,” the report states.In fact, the groundwater source at Eiseb-Graben is so strong that there is a danger of people keeping more cattle than the carrying capacity of the land would allow – which could lead to desertification by overgrazing.Helicopter-borne measurements (HEM) and Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) soundings were done at Oshivelo, but the results turned out to be rather disappointing – the horizontal extent of the Oshivelo Artesian Aquifer was found to be much smaller than expected.A study on the groundwater potential of the Cuvelai Basin near the Angolan border, also to be financed by Germany, will be carried out from this year until 2009.German Ambassador to Namibia, Wolfgang Massing, said on Monday that detecting and developing water sources, as well as establishing water-supply infrastructure, were crucial for the social and economic development of Namibia.This sentiment was shared by Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo, who said social welfare and economic development could not be sustained without reliable water supplies, especially in the rural areas.Sixty per cent of water supplied in Namibia comes from groundwater sources.It was conducted in eastern Caprivi, the eastern part of the Omaheke Region and at Oshivelo in the Oshikoto Region between November 2002 and April 2005.The findings were presented by the project leader, Dr Frieder Schildknech, in Windhoek on Monday.The groundwater sources were detected by advanced Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) soundings.Based on the TEM soundings, six boreholes were drilled in eastern Caprivi and they confirmed the existence of a deep freshwater aquifer underneath a previously known shallow aquifer.”Though the extent of this deep aquifer, the Lower Kalahari Aquifer, is not yet fully determined, it can be regarded as a major freshwater resource which may be able to provide large parts of the eastern Caprivi with drinking water,” says the study report.At the Eiseb-Graben site in the Omaheke Region, a channel-like structure (paleochannel) was detected using ground-based geophysical measurements.The paleochannel was confirmed by three successful boreholes and the most successful one yielded approximately 120 cubic metres of water an hour.”In all of them, excellent groundwater quality was encountered,” the report states.In fact, the groundwater source at Eiseb-Graben is so strong that there is a danger of people keeping more cattle than the carrying capacity of the land would allow – which could lead to desertification by overgrazing.Helicopter-borne measurements (HEM) and Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) soundings were done at Oshivelo, but the results turned out to be rather disappointing – the horizontal extent of the Oshivelo Artesian Aquifer was found to be much smaller than expected.A study on the groundwater potential of the Cuvelai Basin near the Angolan border, also to be financed by Germany, will be carried out from this year until 2009.German Ambassador to Namibia, Wolfgang Massing, said on Monday that detecting and developing water sources, as well as establishing water-supply infrastructure, were crucial for the social and economic development of Namibia.This sentiment was shared by Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo, who said social welfare and economic development could not be sustained without reliable water supplies, especially in the rural areas.Sixty per cent of water supplied in Namibia comes from groundwater sources.