FEEDING SOURCE OF MALICHEH-SHEYKH SALT WATER SPRINGS IN THE RAIS-ALI DELVARI DAM DRAINAGE BASIN, SOUTHWEST IRAN

Malicheh-Sheykh springs are located at the south flank of Dara anticline in the simply folded belt of the Zagros and within the Rais-Ali Delvari reservoir dam drainage basin north of Bushehr city in southwest Iran. They discharge about 2-4 cubic meters per second of salt water with salinity of 15-28 milligram per liter; resulting in release of about 1700 million kilograms of salt per year into the reservoir basin, which in long term may affect the quality of the water in the reservoir.

The study and investigation resulted in identifying the source of underground salt-water intrusion into the drainage basin. Geophysical seismic data and surface geological information were utilized to generate deep geological cross sections and to prepare underground contour map of the folded, fractured and karstic water-bearing formation. And comparative analysis of annual precipitation and springs discharge associated with surface and subsurface data were analyzed. Conclusion revealed that, the feeding point of the springs is located some 60 kilometers away in Fahliyan river drainage basin.