Abstract
Groundwater resources in Tokar Delta are estimated. The delta is an area lying on the Sudanese coast of the Red Sea. Groundwater occurs in clastic sediments deposited in an arcuate prograding delta in which there are lagoons and barrier islands. It occurs at a depth of 7-9 meters in the upstream part of the delta, at 10-12 meters in the center and at 3-6 meters in the downstream portion of the delta. The general flow is paralled to the direction of the surface flow. Main recharge is from the waters of the Khor Baraka and other small ephemeral streams. The hydraulic gradient obtained averages 0.002. The wide range of transmissivity values reveals the heterogeneous nature of the sediments. The storage coefficient varies from about 0.003 in the lagoonal zones to 0.26 in bsrrier islands and upstream sediments. The hydrodynamic data are characteristic of an uncconfined aquifer in the upstream portion of the delta that fingers downstream in semi-confined conditions. As concerns water quality, Tokar Delta is divided into four zones: A fresh water zone, a transitional zone, a zone of sea water intrusion, and a low yield lagoonal zone with poor quality water. The quantity of water that can be safely exploited is 5,5200,000 cubic meters/year. (Baker-FRC)