The Horizontal Covered Well (Draining Gallery) Technique as a Model for Sustainable Water Use

Abstract

Abstract:Among the techniques for capturing nearby groundwater, the covered horizontal well(draining gallery) stands out in its different types of water mine, qanat, and cimbre. The watercollected by these means is used to supply people and livestock, in irrigation, in the movement ofhydraulic devices, etc. Because they are carried to the surface by gravity (without the need for energy)and because only the recharging of the groundwater table that takes place after the rains are captured,they serve as models for sustainable water use. The measured flow is variable depending on therainfall and infiltration, but the quality of the water makes it its own water resources of great interestat the local level. The study area is the territory of the Southeast of Spain (more than 22,000 km2),with a rich hydraulic heritage. The research is a regional analysis (diachronic and compared) ofseveral socio-hydric systems, with extensive fieldwork.