Rising groundwater levels is challenging future groundwater management in alpine valleys

In some Alpine communities in Austria, local groundwater levels have risen to critical levels. Increasing land sealing, loss of retention areas and local infiltration of precipitation are seen as reasons for this development. Furthermore, groundwater resources are subject to climate change, which is locally perceptible by variable groundwater recharge through extreme precipitation events or snow melt. In this paper, a modelling study is employed to analyse the sensitivity of a local, near-surface groundwater aquifer with regard to physiographical, climatic and anthropogenic developments. It is shown that an uncontrolled interaction with surface waters can significantly affect the groundwater balance, for example if the groundwater/surface water exchange rate is altered by hydraulic measures (e.g. drainage systems, barrier walls) or by natural phenomena such as flooding events. This study aims to assess multiple influences on alpine groundwater management and to evaluate their role for potential future developments.