ARCGIS PRO BASED HYDROGEOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY MAPPING OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN EASTERN KENTUCKY

Groundwater is vital as a reliable water supply due to its continuous availability, reasonable natural quality, and ease of diversion to underserved communities at a lower cost and with greater speed. To ensure the preservation of this valuable resource, it is crucial to identify and protect areas with high groundwater potential. In this research conducted in the Eastern Kentucky study area, remote sensing data and geographic information system (GIS) techniques were employed to assess groundwater potential. The methodology employed in this study offers a rapid, precise, and practical approach. Key parameters influencing groundwater potential and recharge, such as land use/cover, soil characteristics, lithology, rainfall patterns, drainage density, lineament density, slope, and elevation, were derived from datasets including the Operational Land Imager 9, digital elevation models, soil data, lithological data, and rainfall data. To validate the results, borehole data was utilized. The analysis was conducted using ArcGIS Pro 3.1 software, facilitating the design of various digital thematic maps. The parameters affecting groundwater potential were mapped and analyzed using spatial analysis tools. The relative influence of each parameter was determined by applying the Analytical Hierarchy Process, thereby assigning weights according to their percent of influence on groundwater potential and recharge. The consistency ratio obtained for the weight allocation was 0.033, below the threshold of 0.1, indicating an acceptable weight allocation. Weighted overlay analysis found that slope, land use/cover, and lithology contributed equally, each accounting for 24% of the overall influence on groundwater potential. This study shows that the soil group exhibited negligible influence, comprising only 2% of the total weight allocation. The resulting groundwater potential map classified areas into five ranks (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) representing Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, and Very High potential, respectively. This classification was based on the availability of groundwater potential within each rank and class. The outcomes of this scientific study hold great promise for regional planners and policymakers involved in sustainable groundwater development and management.