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Sensitivity analysis of a numerical model of groundwater flow in the Pullman-Moscow area, Washington and Idaho Item Info

Continued groundwater level decline in the Grande Ronde Basalt near Pullman, Washington and Moscow, Idaho demonstrates a need for groundwater management policies to be established; the Grande Ronde Basalt is the primary source of water in the region. Previous researchers have constructed a numerical groundwater flow model to simulate future water level trends under various municipal pumping stress conditions. The approximation of a groundwater flow system with a numerical model incorporates many simplifications. Accuracy of the model results is dependent on model construction and the validity of the input values that characterize the system. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on model responses to variations in: a) areal recharge to the groundwater basin, b) seepage discharge from the face of the Snake River Canyon, and c) constant head versus constant flux boundary conditions. Sensitivity studies demonstrate that simulated water levels in the Grande Ronde Basalt near Pullman and Moscow are relatively insensitive to changes in areal recharge, Snake River Canyon seepage, and model boundary conditions. This is believed to result from model construction and may not be conceptually correct. Modifying the representation of the Grande Ronde Basalt with several model layers and simulating the Snake River Canyon seepage face with drains may enhance the confidence of using this groundwater flow model as a management tool. Also presented as a Masters thesis in Hydrology, University of Idaho, February, 1991.

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Title:
Sensitivity analysis of a numerical model of groundwater flow in the Pullman-Moscow area, Washington and Idaho
Authors:
Brown, William Garrett
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1991-06
Description:
Continued groundwater level decline in the Grande Ronde Basalt near Pullman, Washington and Moscow, Idaho demonstrates a need for groundwater management policies to be established; the Grande Ronde Basalt is the primary source of water in the region. Previous researchers have constructed a numerical groundwater flow model to simulate future water level trends under various municipal pumping stress conditions. The approximation of a groundwater flow system with a numerical model incorporates many simplifications. Accuracy of the model results is dependent on model construction and the validity of the input values that characterize the system. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on model responses to variations in: a) areal recharge to the groundwater basin, b) seepage discharge from the face of the Snake River Canyon, and c) constant head versus constant flux boundary conditions. Sensitivity studies demonstrate that simulated water levels in the Grande Ronde Basalt near Pullman and Moscow are relatively insensitive to changes in areal recharge, Snake River Canyon seepage, and model boundary conditions. This is believed to result from model construction and may not be conceptually correct. Modifying the representation of the Grande Ronde Basalt with several model layers and simulating the Snake River Canyon seepage face with drains may enhance the confidence of using this groundwater flow model as a management tool. Also presented as a Masters thesis in Hydrology, University of Idaho, February, 1991.
Subjects:
Groundwater flow Groundwater management Computer models
Location:
Pullman, Washington; Moscow, Idaho; Northern Idaho
Latitude:
46.74
Longitude:
-117.17
Collection:
Palouse Basin
Series:
Water for Idaho
IWRRI number:
199106
Rights:
In copyright, educational use permitted. Educational use includes non-commercial reproduction of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. For other contexts beyond fair use, including digital reproduction, please contact the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu. The University of Idaho Library is not liable for any violations of the law by users.
Publisher:
Idaho Water Resources Research Institute; University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
KIT
Date Digitized:
2017-09-14

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Source
Preferred Citation:
"Sensitivity analysis of a numerical model of groundwater flow in the Pullman-Moscow area, Washington and Idaho", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-199106.html
Rights
Rights:
In copyright, educational use permitted. Educational use includes non-commercial reproduction of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. For other contexts beyond fair use, including digital reproduction, please contact the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu. The University of Idaho Library is not liable for any violations of the law by users.
Standardized Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
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