Drought impacts on karstic spring annual water potential. Application on Almyros (Crete) brackish spring

Frequent and intense drought episodes threaten the water balance of the fragile water systems in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. Coastal brackish karstic springs offer a challenging solution for increasing water availability in case of temporary or permanent water shortages for alleviating the impacts of droughts and aridity in these areas. The paper discusses the impacts of droughts on the fresh water potential of the karstic spring of Almyros (Heraklion-Crete). Both time series of water quantity and quality of the spring are studied using a gross annual water balance model for the spring. Drought years are represented by the (Reconnaissance Drought Index)-RDI of the nearby meteorological station of Heraklion. Statisfactory correlation between RDI and water characteristics of the spring are derived. Finally, trends in the fresh water annual volumes time series are identified.