Assessment of Spatial Distribution and Temporal Variations of the Phreatic Groundwater Level using Geostatistical Modelling: The Case of Oued Souf Valley—Southern East of Algeria

Since the beginning of 1980s, several regions in northern Sahara Algeria have been confronting rising groundwater. Among all these regions, Oued Souf Valley represented one most acute affected by this phenomenon. Due to natural topography and insufficient/weakness water management miscoordination between different sectors that are intensive exploitation deep groundwater reservoirs which returns shallow aquifer, absence sewage drainage network, leakage from drinking supply system, has raised surface or near surface, affecting traditional cultural environment urban areas degrading socio-economic aspects habitants. To preserve environment, a vertical system constructed. Consequently, research, an evaluation performance its impact on level stabilization performed mapping table phreatic using geostatistical modeling ordinary kriging (OK) interpolation method, applied analyze spatial temporal structure fluctuation. Meanwhile, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was for grouping wells based fluctuations 2008, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021. However, reflected significant decline 2009 2018 due important drained volumes through it but another phenomenon might be threatening region future is what indicated 2021 data. Cluster generated four groups their fluctuation means increasing first group fourth ascendingly. The grouped drains depth (average mean 5.91 mbgl) declined over clusters. clusters spatially combined with separation represents deepest (12.89 mbgl). Based factors influencing stability even overexploitation such as complex terminal continental intercalary (in irrigation) illegal use quantities irrigation industries.