Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 2019, 11, 1408-1425 https://www.scirp.org/journal/jwarp ISSN Online: 1945-3108 ISSN Print: 1945-3094 DOI: 10.4236/jwarp.2019.1111082 Nov. 29, 2019 1408 Journal of Water Resource and Protection Hydrogeophysical Characterization of a Weathered-Fractured Aquifer System: A Case Study of Olbanita, Lower Baringo Basin, Kenya Rift Benjamin Sosi 1,2* , Justus Barongo 3 , Albert Getabu 2 , Samson Maobe 2 1 Department of Natural Resources, Egerton University, Egerton, Kenya 2 Department of Natural Resources, Kisii University, Kisii, Kenya 3 Department of Geology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya Abstract Groundwater yields in the Kenya Rift are highly unsustainable owing to geo- logical variability. In this study, field hydraulic characterization was per- formed by using geo-electric approaches. The relations between electric- al–hydraulic (eh) conductivities were modeled hypothetically and calibrated empirically. Correlations were based on the stochastic models and field-scale hydraulic parameters were contingent on pore-level parameters. By consi- dering variation in pore-size distributions over eh conduction interval, the relations were scaled-up for use at aquifer-level. Material-level electrical con- ductivities were determined by using Vertical Electrical Survey and hydraulic conductivities by analyzing aquifer tests of eight boreholes in the Olbanita aquifer located in Kenya rift. VES datasets were inverted by using the com- puter code IP2Win. The main result is that ( ) ln 0.537 ln 3.695 T Fa = + , the positive gradient indicating eh conduction through pore-surface networks and a proxy of weathered and clayey materials. An inverse (1/F-K) correla- tion is observed. Hydraulic parameters determined using such approaches may possibly contribute significantly towards sustainable yield management and planning of groundwater resources. Keywords Electrical-Hydraulic Conductivity Model, Weathered-Fractured Aquifer System, Olbanita, Kenya Rift How to cite this paper: Sosi, B., Barongo, J., Getabu, A. and Maobe, S. (2019) Hydro- geophysical Characterization of a Weathered- Fractured Aquifer System: A Case study of Olbanita, Lower Baringo Basin, Kenya Rift. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 11, 1408-1425. https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2019.1111082 Received: September 28, 2019 Accepted: November 26, 2019 Published: November 29, 2019 Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access