Delineation of protection zones for springs in fractured volcanic media considering land use and climate change scenarios in central Mexico region

Delineating spring protection zones is key to managing groundwater. This work presents a proposal for delineating spring protection zones (SPZs) that uses hydrogeological, topographical, land use, and climate characteristics as a basis to protect springs located in fractured volcanic media from potential contamination processes. This was accomplished through five stages: (1) identification of hydrogeological characteristics of the environments in which springs are located and physicochemical properties of water, (2) delineation of spring potential catchment zones, (3) estimation of spring recharge zones in the potential catchment zones, (4) SPZ proposal based on annual recharge analysis for each spring, and (5) projection of future land use and climate change scenarios. The result was a proposal of three typically established zones for protecting springs: SPZ1 was defined by a 50-m radius around springs, SPZ2 was delineated based on spring annual recharge zone estimate, and SPZ3 was considered the remainder of potential catchment zone. By delineating these zones, more suitable protection measures can be identified based on trends in land use and climate changes, measures which would thereby aid in sustainable use of these types of springs.