Department Water Resources and Drinking Water

The Groundwater Spring Watch (GW-Swatch) project improves understanding and management of groundwater springs under climate change. Springs are used as natural indicators of subsurface processes and groundwater system responses. The project analyses Swiss-wide spring discharge signatures to identify regional patterns, trends, and resilience indicators. Field investigations include adaptive monitoring strategies and innovative tracer techniques to characterize spring dynamics. Advanced modelling approaches are applied, ranging from physically based models to data-driven and machine learning methods. Climate scenarios are used to assess future spring vulnerability and resilience. An online spring information system will provide accessible data, forecasts, and decision support. The project supports science-based management decisions and sustainable groundwater resource planning.