Mapping Groundwater Potential Zones in Enugu State using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Groundwater forms part of the natural water cycle and is present within underground strata. Groundwater constitutes an important source of water for various purposes, such as domestic, industrial and agricultural needs. In the Hydrological cycle, groundwater occurs when surface water from rainfall seeps into the earth and fills the soil pores and rock fragments. Groundwater flows in the aquifer layer toward points of discharge, which include wells, rivers, lakes and ocean. The geology of Enugu consists of mainly alluvium soil, granite, limestone, and sandstone, hard rock formation. In this study, the application of Remote Sensing apred techniques was used to produce Groundwater potential Map in Enugu. Various maps were prepared (Landuse, slope and Drainage, Lithology, Lineament, Elevation, Soil types, and Rainfall gauges) from LandSat7 satellite imagery, and other ancillary data. These maps were integrated to produce the groundwater potential zones map of the study area based on the modified DRASTIC model. The Groundwater Potential map produced comprised five categories of groundwater yield -Very High, High, Moderate, Poor or Very Poor. It was found that all the alluvial plains and sandstones have high and low drainage densities respectively.