Using the water balance approach to understand pool dynamics along non-perennial rivers in the semi-arid areas of South Africa

The Touws River in the Klein Karoo region of South Africa This study sought to improve the understanding of pool dynamics along non-perennial rivers (NPRs) by utilising the water balance approach to assess the water fluxes that influence pool dynamics in the Touws River. The water balance model made use of various in-situ and satellite-derived data. The analysis of the water losses from the pool showed that most of the water was lost through evaporation. The interaction between the pool and groundwater is dependent on the water levels, as the pool loses water to the subsurface up to a certain depth then it starts gaining. When the Wolverfontein 2 pool is full, it can retained water for approximately 258 days without having a surface water inflow. A water balance model was established, and it simulated the water levels with a high correlation of 0.9. This model was also evaluated in the neighbouring pools, and while it simulated the water levels of the upstream pool well, this was not the case for the downstream pool. When remote sensing-derived rainfall and evaporation data were used in the model, the simulated water levels had a slightly lower correlation of 0.7 with the observed water levels. Overall, the remotely sensing-based monthly fluxes estimates could not provide the detailed pool information that was required for the water balance. Errors may have arisen, or they may have been inherited, from any of the three remotely-sensed parameters, namely, the surface area, the rainfall or the evaporation. Although remote sensing did not provide detailed information, it is worth noting that it provides baseline information on the pool dynamics. Overall, this work underscores the relevance of multisource data and the water balance, it helps to better understand the pool dynamics and it will help with the better management of NPRs. •Water balance approach was used to assess water fluxes that influence pool dynamics.•Most of the water was lost through evaporation, and the pool can retain water for ∼258 days.•Remote sensing-based water balance could not provide detailed pool information.•Water balance approach provided better insights on pool dynamics.•The insights can be useful for management of non-perennial rivers.