SURFACE WATER EVALUATION IN LUXOR AREA, SOUTH EGYPT

Luxor is the most famous ancient Egyptian antiquities place in the southern part of Egypt. Luxor, our study area, lies between the latitudes 25° 30' & 25° 55' N and longitudes 32° 30' & 33° 05'E. It covers an area of about 2,700 km². The area of study is characterized by an arid climate where the air temperature is 5° C to 43° C, the relative humidity is 49%, the evaporation is 9.55 mm/month, and the rainfall is ranges from 0.2 mm/month to 0.8 mm/month. The area extends between a structure plateau in the east and River Nile in the west and is dissected by a dense drainage system consisting of sixteen wadis.

A detailed morphometric analysis has been carried out for these wadis to differentiate (estimate or delineate) between the geologic and hydrologic conditions necessary to cause flash floods and those of slow surface runoff with reasonable chances to recharge the existing Quaternary shallow aquifer. A high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Watershed Modeling System (WMS) were applied to delineate the existing basins and to use 15 morphometric parameters. The present work demonstrates the ability of the Quaternary aquifer to be recharged by surface runoff as determined by soil types and multiple infiltration tests in different sites with a rate of 1.067- 4.279 which reflect the fine sand to gravel soil.

The RHDB results exhibit that two of the existing basins are of hazard degree 5, three basins are of hazard degree 4, five basins are of hazard degree 3, four basins are of hazard degree 2 and two basins are of hazard degree one. For the first two categories of hazards (4 & 5), a convenient management protection system must be applied to mitigate flash flood threats and to increase downward infiltration.