Characteristics of the chalk groundwater along the Picardy coast and its relationship with wetlands

AbstractWater resource management is a major concern in Marquenterre, a maritime plain located in the western part of the Somme department. Water management is particularly indispensable for protecting wetlands in Marquenterre, regulating water usage and avoiding saline intrusion into aquifers. Various approaches including geological modelling and hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical studies were used to prepare a conceptual model of the Marquenterre hydrosystem and to provide better water management in this sector. The conceptual model shows that the chalk aquifer and the various Quaternary deposit aquifers are in hydrogeological continuity. No seawater intrusion has been discovered in groundwater. Salinization discovered at depth is a result of the most recent marine transgressions. Finally, wetlands are primarily supplied by the chalk groundwater or by rainfall. The study results are used to direct policies for surface and subsurface water resource management. The proposed conceptual model may be useful for other coastal aquifers along the English Channel in order to address challenges of managing the chalk groundwater and backshore swamps.