Characteristics and exploitation divisions of karst water in Qingtang Basin, Southern Jiangxi

This paper studied the characteristics of karst water in Qingtang Basin, southern Jiangxi Province by ground survey, geophysical prospecting, hydrogeological drilling, sampling test, etc. The results showed that the groundwater in the basin is mainly hosted in karst subterranean rivers and karst pipeline-fractured aquifer. The water resources are relatively abundant and overflow surface in form of subterranean rivers and karst-ascending spring at local areas, which are the focus of groundwater exploitation in the area. By comprehensive analysis, this paper considered that the Karst developed along layer surface above erosion base level in the Qingtang Karst Basin and are controlled by fracture and structural fissure; the primary hydrochemistry type were HCO₃-Ca and HCO₃·SO₄-Ca, with the proportion 58.33％ and 20.83％ respectively; the groundwater quality primary was preferable (class Ⅲ), accounting for 50.00％ of total water sample in the Basin; the import flow was 117 094.5 m³/d, while the discharge flow was 416 007.8 m³/d of external surface water, basic runoff was 298 913.3 m³/d in the Qingtang Karst Basin. Based on the enrichment degree of karst groundwater and surface water in the basin, development conditions of groundwater and environmental load capacity, etc, combined features of landform and watershed, prone partition of karst collapse in the basin, this paper proposed development and utilization zoning of the karst groundwater resources, which can provide basis for rational utilization of the karst water resources in the area.