Examining Issues of Groundwater Resources Exploitation in Malayer plain, Iran

In this study, depth of phreatic zone of Malayer plain, which is the third largest plain of the province, has been investigated. The drainage basin of Malayer water, covering an area of 2965 km 2 , is located 80 km south of Hamadan. For this study, performance records of 43 existing wells were monitored over a period of 17 years (1994-2011). Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. The aquifer level hydrograph and equipotential maps were drawn in AutoCAD environment. The results of this study are indicative of the estimation of a 20.20 meter total dip and a 415.96 million-cubic-meter reservoir volume shortage in the 17 year period, caused by uncontrolled exploitations. In the water year of 1998-1999 the dip amount has reached 3.72 meters which is equivalent to more than one sixth of the total dip. The largest dip between years 1999-2010 with 39 meters was in Aznav village and the smallest dip in the same period of time with 1.08 meters was in Farvaz village. From the elements of dropping the phreatic surface, precipitation decrease and waiving the maximum exploitation limits through under-exploitation wells could be mentioned.