Application of paper disc velocimeter for groundwater flow measurement in tropical peatland

This paper presents the application of paper disc velocimeter (PDV) for groundwater flow measurement in tropical peatland. The PDV is a simple and low-cost method used without electricity that is developed by Yamaguchi University to measure groundwater flow. This method was applied to understand the groundwater hydraulic in the tropical peatland as the impact of rewetting efforts using canal blocking. A study site at Lukun village, Kepulauan Meranti Regency, Riau in Pulau Tebing Tinggi peatland hydrological unit (PHU) was picked up for the application of this method. Five deep wells in each transect of three transects totally were prepared for the measurement using PDV. The Transect-1 and Transect-2 were located at the upstream side of canal block with a distance of about 400 m and 100 m respectively. The Transect-3 was located on the downstream side of the canal block with a distance of about 100 m. The results showed that the groundwater velocity in the upstream side of canal block tends to lower than that in the downstream side. This was because the groundwater level in the upstream was maintained in a stable condition due to the canal blocking. This finding showed the impact of canal blocking on the rewetting effort in the tropical peatland.