1.

LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF NANO GEBRIEL RIMESSA SSIP

Nano Gebriel Rimessa Small Scale Irrigation Project area is found in Nano Gebriel kebele in
Oromia National Regional State in South West Shoa Zone of Dawo district in south west
direction from Addis Abeba city, capital of Ethiopia.

The project site is located at a distance of 47km away along Wolisso-Tulu Bolo-Nano Gebriel
kebele-Busa road route. Wolisso-Tulu Bolo road is part of the highway of Addis Abeba-Jima
asphalt road. The remaining 7km is all weather gravel road from Tulu Bolo-Nano Gebriel kebele.

The highway that leads to the Nano Gebriel Rimessa SSIP from Wolisso-Tulu Bolo town is an
asphalt road and turns to the North West direction of Tulu Bolo town along Tulu Bolo-Nano
Gebriel-Busa road. Tulu Bolo-Nano Gebriel-Busa road is a gravel road.

Figure 1. .Location map of Nano Gebriel Rimessa Small Scale Irrigation Project area.

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2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objectives of the study are

 Geological assessment of the irrigation area.

 Hydrogeological assessment of the irrigation area.

 Water source selection for the irrigation water demand area.

 Preparation of specifications, quantities and cost estimate.

3. CLIMATE

Climatic classification of the Upper Awash basin (Becho catchment) according to Ministry of
Agriculture 1998 is characterized as Wurich (Cold to moist), Dega (cool sub-humid) and Weyna
Dega (sub-humid) climatic zones. The boundary of Upper Awash basin is marked by an
elevation of greater than 3200m shows Wurich (Cold to moist). The central and its immediate
peripheral basin of the area can be categorized by Dega (cool sub-humid) and Weyna Dega (sub-
humid) climatic zones, which are bounded between elevations of 1800m-3200m.

The area receives wide range of annual rainfall due to orographic effect of the terrain. The mean
annual rainfall of the basin falls between 800-2200mm. Teji, Tulu Bolo and Asgori
meteorological stations show total annual rainfall 951.42 mm/year, 1150 mm/year and
1015mm/year respectively.

The rainfall pattern of the area is bi-modal rainfall pattern. It obtains its maximum rainfall
between June-August and mid-September months of the year, with peak rainfall in the month of
August, while other months like March and April also contributes substantial amount of rainfall.
The high amount of rainfall is the main contributory factor for the recharge to groundwater of the
area.

The area is within 13-months of sunshine hours. The mean annual temperature of the area for
Wurich (Cold to moist) is 11.5 oC, for Dega (cool sub-humid, 11.5 oC -17.5 oC and for Weyna
Dega (sub-humid) 17.5 oC-20 oC.

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4. VEGETATION COVER

Vegetation cover of the area is very low coverage of vegetation density. The commonly existing
vegetation coverage’s of the area are eucalyptus tree. The eucalyptus trees of the area are
commonly found within the dwelling sites in linearly concentrated fashion forming fences. Farm
lands have very few scattered acacia trees. Relatively more vegetation coverages are found in the
north eastern section of an elevated section of the Upper Awash basin than the Becho Plain,
which is low lying land setting. The more vegetation plantations are required in the area for
future recharge and firewood consumption and also for other commercial sources.

5. TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE PATTERN

Becho plain is part of Upper Awash Basin. The plain is characteristically circumscribed by an
elevated sections reaches as high as 3500m of elevation. The elevated sections formed the water
shed of Becho plain, Becho catchment. The water sheds are geo-structurally controlled by local
and regional lineaments. Land forms like ridges, dotted domes, mountain and gently sloping
flanks of prominent land features. Mogle, Wechecha, Debel Yohanes and Gola are the nearby
peaks land marks at the periphery of the basin or within the basin as dotted features for the area.

North West of the watershed is marked by volcanic centers. The famous high land crater lakes of
the area are Wonci and Dendi lakes. These are the two famous lakes and there is one caldera,
funnels towards Becho Plain, adjacent to Wonci and Dendi Lakes.

Becho plain can be defined as very gently sloping plain land feature of U-shaped section. It is the
part of central plateau of Ethiopia. The minimum elevation of the area is as low as 1410m, while
the highest elevation reaches up to 3557m, in which the relief contrast is high and reaches up to
2147m.The plain topography of Becho plain ranges between 2100m-2200m. Lower elevations
are found in the south eastern section, where Awash River funnels out and joins the Great
Ethiopian Rift Valley.

The specific site area, Nano Gebriel Rimessa Small Scale Irrigation Project Area, falls between
2800m and 2100m elevation ranges. It is found at the western shoulder of Upper Awash basin

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draining towards the central part of the basin. The extreme western part is defined by elevated
sections of Wonchi and Dendi lakes.

Geo-structural features also governed the physiography, geology and structural features of the
area. North-West to South-East direction lineament marked by Awash River is typical structural
features of the area. The plain land features are dissected by very shallow depth incised drainage
patterns. The plain parts are gently sloping low lying slope modified by drainage patterns and
draining to the Awash basin of East Africa/Ethiopia/ Rift Valley.

Drainage pattern of the basin as a whole can be categorized by dendritic to sub-dendritic

drainage geometry. Structural controls are also common due to volcano-tectonics along ridges,
domes and along axis of volcanic centers. Drainage pattern of the area is found in the south
western shoulder direction of Upper Awash basin at the foot of elevated section of Wonci and
Dendi Lake. Drainage pattern of the area shows from nearly west and drains east ward direction
is a fracture trace cross cutting NW-SE trending ridge. Drainage pattern are dendritic to sub-
dendritic drainage pattern. The first order stream order is structurally controlled by structurally
controlled with their patterns are off-straight line and shows trellis pattern due to dotted hill like
Gola hill.

Base flows are exposed along Awash River course and they are outcropped components of
groundwater of the area. The water table is cut by structural setting and thus groundwater oozes
out due to gravity and hence recharges surface water of the area.

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 Figure 2.DEM map of Upper Awash
Basin and Nano Gebriel Rimessa
SSIP, south western shoulder of Upper
Awash Basin.

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Figure 3. Drainage pattern of Upper Awash Basin and borehole location of Nano Gebriel Rimessa SSIP.
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6. PREVIOUS WORKS

In the Upper Awash Basin and to the nearby specific Awash Melka Union Small Irrigation
Project various water works, studies and researches of both published and unpublished were
carried out. My appreciation is deep enough for all concerned individuals and institutions for
their great and valuable contributions. To indicate some of the previous studies are;

A. Tilahun, "Groundwater dynamics in the left bank catchments of the Middle Blue Nile and the
Upper Awash River Basins, central Ethiopia," Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Addis Ababa
University, Ethiopia, 2015.

Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, "Feasibility study on the Becho plain agricultural
development," Final Report, vol. 1, 1996.

Oromia Water and Energy Bureau,”Busa Town Water Supply Project”, Final study, 2014.

P. A. Mohr and B. Zanettin, "The Ethiopian flood basalt Province: In; ‘Continental Flood
Basalt’, J.D. Macdougall (Ed.)." vol. 13, ed Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1988, pp.
63-1.

Simegnew Tadeg Melkie, One layer transient groundwater flow modeling at Becho plain, M.Sc.
Thesis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May, 2019.

Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise, "Ada’a-Becho Groundwater resource

evaluation for irrigation," Unpublished Report, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2008.

Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise, "Well accomplishment report of test wells,"
Vol. IV A-4, pp. 1-22, 2014.

Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise, "Hydrological analysis final feasibility report
for Addis Ababa Water Supply Project within 100 km radius," pp. 1-53, 2017.

W. Workitu, “Evaluation of groundwater quality in western part of upper awash basin,”

Unpublished M.Sc., Thesis, 2019.
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Y. Andarge, "Hydrogeological and hydro-chemical framework of complex volcanic system in
the Upper Awash River basin, Central Ethiopia: With special emphasis on inter-basins
groundwater transfer between Blue Nile and Awash rivers," Doctoral Dissertation, Poitiers,
2009.

7. REGIONAL GEOLOGY OF SOUTH WEST SHOA ZONE

South West shoa zone is characterized by distribution of thick and various volcanic successions
of litho- stratigraphic units and Quaternary sediments. These volcanic sequences are the results
of Tertiary volcanism occurred in the area. These rocks are found unconformably overlaying the
Mesozoic sedimentary litho logic units and the basement rocks.

The litho-stratigraphic units of the area from younger to older units are briefly described below.

Quaternary undifferentiated units. These are alluvial and lacustrine sediments. They are common
along Awash River course and plain areas and it is Holocene in age.
Plateau Basalt. It is alkaline basalt and trachyte and quaternary in age and found at extreme north
of Wonchi district.
Bishoftu Formation. It consists of Alkaline basalt and trachyte litho-logic units and found along
Alemgena –Awash Melka kunture roads. It is Pliocene to Pleistocene in age.
Chilalo Formation. This formation consists of trachyte, trachy-basalt, and rhyolite with
subordinate alkaline basalt. It is found in most parts of Wonchi, Ameya and North of Sebeta
Awas district. This formation forms prominent land marks like, Wechecha and Furi Mountains in
Sebeta. It is Neogene in age.
Nazret Series. It is Miocene to Pliocene in age and consists of ignimbrite, unwelded tuff, as
flows, rhyolitic flows, domes and trachyte. Plain land features like Becho plain is covered by this
series.
Tarmaber-Megezez Formation. This formation is constituted from transitional and alkaline
basalt. It is middle Miocene in age.
Mekonnen Basalt. Flood basalts, commonly directly overlying the crystalline basement. It is
outcropped at the southern part of Ameya district. It is Oligocene to Miocene in age.

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Geological Structure of the area is under the influence of the Main East Africa Rift Valley in the
south eastern part of the zone and its influence exists up to the Wonchi- Dendi Lakes. The main

NE-SW trending structures, which parallels the main Ethiopia Rift valley and controls the
Highland volcanic Lakes of the zone, i.e. Wonchi & Dendi Lakes.
NW-SE Lineaments, These are Ambo-Butajira Lineaments (ABL) that controlled thermal
groundwater system of the area (i.e Ambo, Woliso, Wonchi & Butajira hot springs). There are
also local faults discordant with the previously mentioned structures.
Hydro chemically most ions with in the groundwater fall in the standard of World Health
Organizations. Fluoride ion seems to deviate beyond WHO (1984) in both cold and hot ground
water system of the area. This fluoride is found in some shallow fresh and deep groundwater
systems in some areas of the zone. Therefore, it requires attention before providing potable water
for domestic water demand for the community.

Figure. 4 Geological Map of South West Shoa Zone, Geological Map of Ethiopia, 1996.

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 8.
LOCAL

GEOLOGY OF THE AREA

Exposures of rock units are found on the Becho plain land escape and along gulley sites. The
identified lithology’s are black cotton soil layer, vesicular basalt and tuff. They are explained as
below briefly.

Black Cotton Soil. This is the top most outcropping soil layer extensively found on the plain
topography of the area with very minor drainage pattern modifications. The clay soil layer is clay
soil layer. It has characteristics of shrinkage cracks. The shrinkage cracks show polygonal
dimension crack. Vesicular boulders are entrapped within the soil mass layer.

Photo 1. Exposure of Black Cotton Soil on plain topo and gulley cut.

Vesicular basalt. It is exposed on the topography as fracture

floats and also along stream cuts. It shows vesicles and
fractures. The fracturing shows moderate to high degree of
fracturing with low degree of weathering.

Photo 2. Vesicular basalt as a floating in the black cotton soil

Tuff. It is exposed along the gulley cut of the area. It shows moderate degree of consolidation
with moderate weathering rate. It shows brownish color. Primary porosity is typical feature of
the area due to globular jointing’s.

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 Photo 3.Moderately weathered tuff
with remnants of resistant mass.

Structural features govern the drainage pattern and topographic set up of the area. The area has
minor to major lineaments. According to Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise (2008)
and Tilahun Azagegn (2015) the area is highly affected by fracturing and faulting which are
aligned NW-SE, E-W, N-S and play an important role in the movement and occurrence of
groundwater in the study area.

Expected lithological units found at depth various flows of tuff, ash, ignimbrites and basaltic
flows.

9. HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE AREA

9.1. OCCURRENCE OF GROUNDWATER

Primary and secondary geological phenomena are main controls for the hydrogeology of the
area. The two geological processes favors for the rainfall recharge, circulation, storage and
development of groundwater of the area in creating aquifers at various depths in the area.

Shrinkage cracks of the black cotton clay soil are secondary permeability of the area. It
contributes as a major conduit for the recharge of groundwater from direct precipitation and the
by surface runoff as far as maximum saturation of the soil layer attained. It is also the main
moderator in decreasing the direct impact energy of rainfall between surface and subsurface
conditions.

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Lineaments marked along the drainage patterns of the area groundwater conduit sites in
enhancing the primary porosity favoring for secondary permeability. Therefore, double porosity
becomes common along the drainage patterns. Based on permeability of the rocks, the area can
be classed as medium to high permeability zones.

Occurrence of groundwater in the nearby area is manifested in the form of hand dug wells,
shallow wells and deep wells drilled for various development activities.

9.2. EXISITING WATER WELLS

Groundwater in the area isn’t exposed in the forms of base flow along the valley floor. It is found
in the sub-surface of the area. In the area, there are various forms of water wells for various
purposes for extraction of groundwater of the area. Existing water wells of the area are hand dug
wells, shallow wells and deep wells.

Hand dug wells in the kebele serves for

irrigation water for cropping of various
vegetables. The numbers of hand dug wells are
limited in the area. This is due to hard strata
found at depth. The depth of hand dug wells
doesn’t exceed from 7m depth and static water
level of average depth 1.70m.

Photo 4. Hand dug well as irrigation water

source

Shallow tubed water wells are also found in the area. The shallow wells have depth of 60m to the
average. They lift with Afridev hand pump. They serve for domestic water demand of the kebele
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dweller’s. Therefore, the existence of water wells in the area is an actual indications, occurrence
and utilization of hidden groundwater source in the area.

Figure 5. Shallow boreholes upto 100m depth around the SSIP and Upper Awash Basin

In the area, there are previously drilled deep boreholes. The depth of the deep boreholes ranges
from 62m-450m depth. The wells serve for water supply and the deepest boreholes are for test

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wells drilled by Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise for groundwater assessment in
the Upper Awash Basin for irrigation water demand.

Based on the hydrogeology of the area and existing boreholes with various topographic settings
depth of exploitation of groundwater of the area is estimated to be in excess of 350m depth.

Figure 6 Distribution of Deep Boreholes in excess of 150m depth in the Upper Awash Basin

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Figure 7. Distribution of Boreholes in excess of 300m depth with Becho Test BH with discharge.

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9.3. HYDROCHEMISTRY

Groundwater chemistry of the area is dependent on rock-water interaction, groundwater

evolution and volcano-tectonic structural features. Various boreholes were drilled by the south
west shoa zone districts and zone water and energy offices for domestic water demand.
Chemically, reports show water from boreholes fit for domestic water supply. In addition, test
deep boreholes in the Upper Awash basin conducted by Water Works Design and Supervision
Enterprise and other researchers show the quality of groundwater is fit for potable water supply,
agricultural and industrial sector use based on World Health Organization Guide Line.

Suitability of groundwater of the area for an irrigation purpose is determined based on Sodium
Absorption Ratio value, SAR. The calculated Sodium Absorption Ration value for groundwater
of the area is less than 10. This shows that, the groundwater suitability for irrigation water is
Excellent and also other domestic and industrial uses.

9.4. RECHARGE AND DISCHARGE AREAS

Upper Awash Basin and the study sites are located in the central highland of Ethiopia. The basin
is bounded by Abay basin in the north and north east and Omo-Gibe basin bounds in the western
part of the basin and finally the basin funnels out in the eastern direction towards Ethiopia rift
valley.
Recharge areas of catchment are elevated terrain and the plain topography, while discharge to
groundwater in the area is the Becho plain.
Discharging spots and/or of groundwater of the area are springs in the elevated terrain of the
catchment and along stream banks as a base flow that recharges stream and Awash River.

9.5. DISCHARGE OF BOREHOLES

Discharge of water wells depends on the depth it has encountered various aquifers. Most of the
shallow wells of the area reaches up to 60m depth and yields 2 L/s. The data obtained from
Water Works Design and Supervision, 2008 for test borehole in the Upper Awash Basin has
shown that boreholes can provide up to 8-100L/s.
The data obtained from Water Works Design and Supervision, 2008 for test borehole in the
Upper Awash Basin has shown that boreholes can provide up to 15-55L/s as data obtained from
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test boreholes with static water level rises up in a range of 4-10m for borehole depth as deep as
311m.The drawdown is assumed to be 100m. Exploitable discharge from each borehole can be
taken as 40L/s for an irrigation water demand.

A master thesis done on “One layer transient groundwater flow modeling at Becho plain”
(Simegnew Tadeg Melkie May, 2019) showed that in scenario one depending on the distribution
of pumping wells two observation wells are put to observe the drawdown for five and ten years of
abstractions. After pumping for these years with an abstraction rate of 194,693.19 m /day (same
3

recharge to the periods of transient model simulations) the groundwater table declines on average
30.77 and 60.05 meters respectively. In scenario two, in the Becho plain new wells are being drilled.
It was simulated to observe the drawdown of groundwater table for the coming five and ten years
with abstraction groundwater by existing wells and adding of some planned new wells. Pumping
275376 m /day shows that the drawdown reaches 46.17 m after five years and 90.87 meter after ten
3

year.
9.6. BOREHOLE SEPARATION
Distance between pumping boreholes has to be maintained as per the nature of aquifer material.
This is to sustain the groundwater recharge and discharge balance of nature. The distance
between the two boreholes as per the hard rock is maintained to be 600m.

Figure 7. Distance between existing and proposed boreholes for the study area.

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9.7. PROPOSED WATER SUPPLY SOURCE FOR IRRIGATION

Based on water resource assessment carried out in the area, the potential water supply source
option for Nano Gebriel Rimessa Small Scale Irrigation project is groundwater. Ground waters
of the area are exploitable from hand dug excavations up to deep borehole drillings.

Three/3/ deep boreholes are recommended for the groundwater for the intended irrigation
activity. The estimated borehole depth for groundwater exploitation of the area is 350m depth.
As per the discharge the boreholes can provide, the number of boreholes can be judged.

The geographic location of the proposed borehole site-1, PBHS1, is located at 407851mE,
965292mN and elevation of 2173m, while for proposed borehole site-2, PBHS2, is 408564mE,
965639mN, elevation of 2163m and the third PBHS3 if located at 409094mN, 965139mE,
elevation of 2163m.

10. BOREHOLE DRILLING

Depth interval for borehole drilling can be set as 0m-12m depth the diameter of borehole 24’’
and its steel casing becomes 20", from 12m-150m depth the diameter of borehole 171/2’’ with its
production steel casing diameter of 10" and from 150m-350m depth and diameter of borehole
141/4’’ with production casing of steel with diameter is 8".

11. CONCLUSION

Groundwater source is the only available potential water supply source option for Nano Gebriel
Rimessa Small Scale Irrigation Project. Irrigation water demand for the farm land as per the crop
water requirement is 90L/s for the 45hectare of land. There is a variability of borehole discharge
in the nearby borehole from 15-50L/s per borehole. Three deep boreholes are proposed up to
350m depth for the farmland. The anticipated yield from each borehole is 40 L/s. The actual
yield of the borehole will be known after completion of borehole drilling followed by pumping
test. This determines the number of boreholes in the area. The static water level (piezo metric
head) is in a range of 4-10m.The expected pumping position can be taken as 100m.This pump

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position can be modified after borehole drilling and well completion. Various re-designing
frames will be carried on the number of boreholes, pump capacity and power requirements.

12. RECOMMENDATION

Now days, there is an increasing trend in the awareness of water resources development and
utilization for the various issues. There is an increasing irrigation water demand both by gravity
and pumping system. Gravity irrigation way one of the most commonly adopted irrigation in our
country. Due to the increased water demand concept and growing of irrigation practices
groundwater development for irrigation water demand has also come to the second line next to
surface water for irrigation.

Whatever water source (surface water and/or groundwater), we implement for irrigation water
demand; it has to go line-in-line in an integrated fashion. The concept of water resource
management has to come to the first line in conjunction to development.

During pumping test of the proposed boreholes, the relationship between hand dug well and
shallow wells and the three boreholes has to be clearly pointed out for any well interference.

Based on the expected yield of the borehole, if we have obtained the designed irrigation water
demand from the two boreholes, then we don’t have to drill the third borehole. Here, two standby
submersible pumps have to be supplied one serves as a standby pump in case of the other failure
until maintenance is accomplished.

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