1.

LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF GORA CAFE SSIP

Gora Cafe Small Scale Irrigation Project is found in Gora Café kebele in Oromia National
Regional State in South West Shoa Zone of Dawo district. The project site is located at a
distance of 115km away along Wolisso-Tulu Bolo-Busa towns. Wolisso-Tulu Bolo road
stretches for 34km from Wolisso town, while Tulu Bolo-Gora Roge- is 8km Busa.

The highway that leads to the Wolisso-Tulu Bolo is asphalt road is accessible. The road from
Tulu Bolo-Busa town is a gravel road Busa, departs at 7km from Tulu Bolo-Busa gravel road.

Figure 1. .Location map of Gora Cafe Small Scale Irrigation Project.

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 area.

 Preparation of specifications, quantities and cost estimate.

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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 contributes 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.

4. VEGETATION COVER

Vegetation cover of the area shows low coverage of vegetation density. The commonly existing
vegetation coverage’s of the area are eucalyptus tree, with very few riverine trees concentrated
along drainage patterns of the area. 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 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.

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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.

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 topography 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 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 specific site area falls between 2100m and 2015m elevation ranges.

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. Lineaments along Awash River at its out let (Awash
Melka area) governed the geometry of River in cross cutting of the basaltic lithology. Banana
shaped sub basin of Gora Cafe area is the manifestation of structural control both for the
drainage pattern and basin shape as well.

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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. Jeliwan and Deka Guga streams
are perennial stream of the area recharged by shallow groundwater of the area. In a Local Gora
Roge kebele of Gora Café irrigation site groundwater is below the river/stream/valley floor.

Figure 2.DEM map of Upper Awash Basin and Gora Cafe Small Scale Irrigation Project.

Drainage pattern of the area shows from nearly north direction south-east trending drainage
geometry. Drainage pattern are dendritic to sub-dendritic drainage pattern. The second order

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stream order is structurally controlled by structurally controlled with their patterns are off-
straight line and shows trellis patterns. There are drainage patterns whose geometry is discordant
to the general drainage pattern of the area.

Figure 3. Upper Awash drainage pattern with Gora Cafe Small Scale Irrigation project.

6. PREVIOUS WORKS

In the Upper Awash Basin and to the nearby specific Gora Cafe Small Irrigation Project various
water works, studies and researches of both published and unpublished were carried out. I deeply
appreciate all these 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.

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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.

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.

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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.
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.

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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.

Fig. 3 Geological Map of South West Shoa Zone, Geological Map of Ethiopia, 1996.

8. LOCAL GEOLOGY OF THE AREA

Geology of the area is characterized by thick succession of volcanic rocks covered by soil layer.
Soil layer of the area is black cotton clay soil layer. Beneath the soil layer volcanic rocks are the
main lithology of the area. Lithology of the area is dominated by Nazret series. Brief description
of geologic section is provided below from top to bottom.

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Black cotton clay soil layer. Soil layer of the area is characteristically black cotton clay soil layer
with typical expansive property. The soil layer shows shrinkage cracks up to 80cm-90cm depth
with various polygonal dimensions of cracks. The soil layer covered Becho plain of low and very
gently sloping land terrain. Very shallow depth drainages somehow modified the plain
topography. The soil layer extensively serves for agricultural purpose. Beneath this soil layer,
there is a volcanic lithology.

Photo 1. Exposure of Black Cotton Clay Soil in the dug well (right) and plain land form (left).

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Tuff. Beneath the black cotton soil, there is a moderately consolidated volcanic tuff. Lithologic
exposures are very limited in the area due to extensive coverage of black cotton clay soil cover.
Human workings due to hand dug well excavations few outcrops are found. Exposures along
Dima Jeliwan River near Busa town also showed the presence of welded tuff with exposure
thickness of about 6m. It shows light whitish in color, moderate degree of weathering and has
possesses primary porosity. Cuttings from the hand dug wells of the area also owned occurrence
of engulfed vesicular basaltic boulders. This reflects the presence of vesicular basalt beneath the
tuff.

Photo 2. Cuttings of tuff from hand dug well working for irrigation well.

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Vesicular basalt. It is observed from hand dug well excavations as a bombs. The basalt shows
vesicular in texture. Exposures in Deka Guda kebele also shows vesicular basalt outcrops
forming smaller hill.

Photo 3.Vesicular basalt obtained from the cuttings of hand dug well excavation.

The expected lithological successions at depth in the area are various flows of volcanic lithology.
They are part of Nazret Series. It includes various flows of volcanic ash, ignimbrites and basalt
with various degree of weathering and fracturing rates.

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.
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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.

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 both for domestic potable water supply and irrigation water
for cropping of various vegetables. Every farmer interested in the cultivation of land using hand
dug wells dug by the farmers themselves. The depth of hand dug wells doesn’t exceed from 7m
depth and static water level of average depth 2.20m. Water from hand dug wells is lifted out by
dewatering pump to the command area. The pumping works for only 30minutes of water lifting
and the water column gets emptied out and then they wait for other hour’s of groundwater
recovery. This reflects the dug wells can’t deliver sufficient irrigation water for the command
area.

Shallow tubed water wells are also found in the area. They serve for the domestic water supply
of the inhabitants and as well as for the cattle water demand. The tubed shallow wells in the area
are of two types. They are manually drilled and machine drilled. The manually drilled tubed

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wells reached up to a depth of 12m, while the machine drilled with drilling rig as deep as 60m
depth are found in the nearby kebeles. Groundwater is withdrawn from the shallow wells is
through manual method using Afridev hand pumps.

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

Photo 4. Pumping from hand dug well using dewatering pump for irrigation purpose.

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 300m depth.

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

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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.
One borehole was drilled for Busa town water supply in 2006 E.C. It is an artesian borehole and
has a depth of 62m. Ignimbrite and vesicular basalt are aquifers for the borehole. The water
strike depth is at 32m .The pumping test result shows that; it yields 32L/s with a drawdown of
5.43m for 24hrs of pumping duration and its K=7.46x10-3m/min.
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.

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.
Exploitable discharge from each borehole can be taken as 20L/s for an irrigation of Gora Café
Small Scale Irrigation project.
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. Distance between existing and proposed boreholes

9.7. PROPOSED WATER SUPPLY SOURCE FOR IRRIGATION
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Based on water resource assessment carried out in the area, the potential water supply source
option for Gora Café Small Scale Irrigation project is groundwater. Ground waters of the area are
exploitable from hand dug excavations up to deep borehole drillings.

Two deep boreholes are recommended for the groundwater for the intended irrigation activity.
The estimated borehole depth for groundwater exploitation of the area is 300m depth.

The geographic location of the proposed borehole site-1, PBHS1, is located at 414434mE,
967601mN and elevation of 2103m, while for proposed borehole site-2, PBHS2, is 413926mE,
967945mN, elevation of 2105m.

10. BOREHOLE DRILLING

Depth interval for borehole drilling can be set as 0m-12m depth the diameter of steel casing
becomes 26", from 6m-150m depth the diameter of steel casing becomes 20" and from 150m-
300m depth the steel casing diameter is 6".

11. CONCLUSION

Groundwater source is the only available potential water supply source option for Gora Café
Small Scale Irrigation Project. Two deep boreholes are proposed up to 300m depth. The
anticipated yield from each borehole is 20 L/s. The static water level (piezo metric head) is in a
range of 4-10m.The expected pumping position can be taken as 100m.

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
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management has to come to the first line in conjunction to development. There is too much
intervention for irrigation waters demand both by gravity and pumping system and groundwater
interactions has to be addressed well.

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

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