groundwater modeling
Groundwater modeling is a service that GSI applies to basin resource
management studies, wellfield management studies, environmental impact
analyses, groundwater quality protection studies, and the investigation
and remediation of groundwater contamination. Groundwater models can
range from simple spreadsheets or analytical tools to highly detailed
three-dimensional numerical models, with the exact tool and modeling
approach tailored to the project’s needs and hydrogeologic
characteristics.
Whether simple or complex, an appropriately designed model can serve as a
valuable scientifically based tool for gaining insight into specific
water resource management questions, such as evaluating the effects of
groundwater pumping and groundwater management activities on the
sustainability of basin-scale aquif er resources, understanding the
timing and magnitudes of groundwater/surface water exchanges, evaluating
the feasibility of expanding or altering wellfield operations (for
aquifer storage and recovery [ASR] wellfields or traditional pumping
wellfields), and optimizing well placement and design. Groundwater models
are also valuable tools for delineating wellhead protection areas, for
evaluating the effects of artificial recharge or pumping operations on
surface water resources and other water supplies (such as wells belonging
to senior water rights holders), and for evaluating the potential effects
of climate change on groundwater resources.
GSI personnel are experienced in developing models with a variety of software packages, including the U.S. Geological Survey’s suite of finite-difference models (MODFLOW, MODPATH, MT3D), a Danish finite-element model (MicroFEM), unsaturated zone models (MODFLOW-SURFACT, VLEACH), tools for inverse calibration and predictive uncertainty (PEST, Stochastic MODFLOW/MODPATH), and various analytical screening tools developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and private vendors.
Click on these links for project examples:
ASR Wellfield Expansion Feasibility
Analysis (City of Beaverton, Oregon)
Groundwater Sustainability Analysis of
Basin-Wide Pumping Options, Including Under Climate Change Scenarios
(Santa Clarita, California)
Wellfield Design and Planning for Unsaturated
Zone Injection of Diverted Floodwaters (Jeju Island, South Korea)
Delineation of a Wellhead Protection Area
(Portland Water Bureau, Portland, Oregon)
Groundwater Remediation System Operation
(Troutdale, Oregon)
