Abnormal Behavior of Chott Ain Beida Brines, Ouargla Basin, Algerian Sahara

The subject of this study, Chott Ain Beida, is close to Ouargla city and surrounded by a vast palm plantation (Fig. 1). In the 70s, it was temporarily a solar evaporation pond of the Algerian Society of Salts (ENASEL). Since 2000s, it has been crossed by an artificial drainage network (Fig. 2), made up to evacuate the water surplus resulting from groundwater level rise.