TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of a cross-section based streamflow routing package for MODFLOW
AU - Ou, Gengxin
AU - Chen, Xunhong
AU - Kilic, Ayse
AU - Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon
AU - Li, Yusong
AU - Samal, Ashok
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. The research was supported by Lower Platte North Natural Resources District of Nebraska , US National Science Foundation award ID0535255 and China Natural Science Foundation (project no. 41072183 and 41101015).
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - It is challenging to simulate stream-aquifer interactions for the wide channel streams with the existing stream routing packages of MODFLOW. To overcome this limitation, a Cross-Section streamflow Routing (CSR) package is developed to simulate the streamflow and the interaction between streams and aquifers for the stream with a width larger than the MODFLOW grid size. In the CSR package, streams are divided into stream segments which are formed by two consecutive cross-sections. A cross-section is described by a number of streambed points that determine the geometry and hydraulic properties of the streambed. The stream water depth and streamflow at the cross-sections are related by the Single Channel method, the Divided Channel method, a data table or a power function. A rapid algorithm is used to compute the submerged area of the MODFLOW grid. The streambed conductance of a grid cell is computed based on its submerged area, streambed hydraulic conductivity and thickness. Stream-aquifer seepage is subsequently estimated as the product of the streambed conductance and difference between the stream stage and groundwater hydraulic head. Stream-aquifer seepage is treated as lateral flow in the streamflow routing computation with the Muskingum-Cunge method or mass conservation method. A hypothetical problem is established to test the capabilities of the CSR package with steady- and transient-state models. The results compare favorably with the SFR2 package and the HEC-RAS model. However, significant difference in flood wave attenuation is observed between the CSR package and the SFR2 package. It proves that the CSR package is capable of simulating the variation of stream-aquifer interactions in both space and time efficiently. The CSR package represents a certain improvement over previous MODFLOW streamflow packages by providing the efficient cross-section based computation and the unique capability of simulating streambed heterogeneity in longitudinal and transverse directions.
AB - It is challenging to simulate stream-aquifer interactions for the wide channel streams with the existing stream routing packages of MODFLOW. To overcome this limitation, a Cross-Section streamflow Routing (CSR) package is developed to simulate the streamflow and the interaction between streams and aquifers for the stream with a width larger than the MODFLOW grid size. In the CSR package, streams are divided into stream segments which are formed by two consecutive cross-sections. A cross-section is described by a number of streambed points that determine the geometry and hydraulic properties of the streambed. The stream water depth and streamflow at the cross-sections are related by the Single Channel method, the Divided Channel method, a data table or a power function. A rapid algorithm is used to compute the submerged area of the MODFLOW grid. The streambed conductance of a grid cell is computed based on its submerged area, streambed hydraulic conductivity and thickness. Stream-aquifer seepage is subsequently estimated as the product of the streambed conductance and difference between the stream stage and groundwater hydraulic head. Stream-aquifer seepage is treated as lateral flow in the streamflow routing computation with the Muskingum-Cunge method or mass conservation method. A hypothetical problem is established to test the capabilities of the CSR package with steady- and transient-state models. The results compare favorably with the SFR2 package and the HEC-RAS model. However, significant difference in flood wave attenuation is observed between the CSR package and the SFR2 package. It proves that the CSR package is capable of simulating the variation of stream-aquifer interactions in both space and time efficiently. The CSR package represents a certain improvement over previous MODFLOW streamflow packages by providing the efficient cross-section based computation and the unique capability of simulating streambed heterogeneity in longitudinal and transverse directions.
KW - MODFLOW stream packages
KW - Stream-aquifer interaction
KW - Streambed heterogeneity
KW - Streamflow routing
KW - Wide channel
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U2 - 10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.09.012
DO - 10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.09.012
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84885464399
SN - 1364-8152
VL - 50
SP - 132
EP - 143
JO - Environmental Modelling and Software
JF - Environmental Modelling and Software
ER -