Websites where you can download complete groundwater flow models in MODFLOW
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Learning groundwater modeling is a challenge for the complexities of the codes, the lack or scarce piezometric and water quality data, the heterogeneity of the porous media and the few resources to explore complete and applied groundwater models with different boundary conditions and predictive scenarios.
Just few websites had uploaded complete groundwater flow models in MODFLOW and are accessible to the general public. We have to admit that most of the websites come from public institutions in the US. We hope that in a near future we can have more resources to get model reports and the complete MODFLOW model.
How open is your openness
In many countries, groundwater models that are done by public organizations or performed for a environmental / water rights evaluation are public. You have to ask for the report and the model files on a data requirement form and they will provide you a copy on a specified response time.
On the private or scientific sector, the models files are usually proprietary and confidential even for the client / citizens that only get the model report or a scientific publication but not the model itself. This trend is wrong and toxic for the groundwater management because the relevant hydrogeological information is scarce, so scarce that confidentiality or bureaucracy can pose a high barrier in understanding the current and future situation of the groundwater resources.
Of course that we can only “dream” of a world with open access to every hydrogeological investigation and groundwater model because water and groundwater are subject to opposing interests, disputes and conflicts.
Available links
This is a ongoing compilation of the links where one can download a complete groundwater model:
USGS Publication Warehouse
The scientific investigations done by the USGS by year are available on this link:
Not all the investigation include a groundwater model. Data from a investigation is available on the “USGS data release” hyperlink.
USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC)
In 2013 the Federal Open Data Policy was passed which requires ‘making information resources accessible, discoverable, and usable by the public’. To comply with the Federal Open Data Policy, USGS Public Access Plan, and USGS Fundamental Science Practices, the USGS Office of Groundwater developed a policy for documenting and archiving numerical groundwater models and making the archives available to the public.
All USGS groundwater flow models published since October 2016 (and some previously published models) can be found in the USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC) (https://data.usgs.gov/datacatalog/). These model archives have been verified, documented, and stored in a consistent format for ease of use. To find a list of available model archive data releases in the SDC, enter ‘usgsgroundwatermodel’ in the search bar. As of today, model archives for 95 groundwater flow models are available. New models are being published and released each month.
Upper San Pedro Partnership (USPP)
This link has the ground-water model developed as part of the USPP initiative to better understand the hydrogeology of the regional aquifer system of the Sierra Vista Subwatershed:
Arizona Department of Water Resources
The Arizona Department of Water Resources has 9 publicly available models with many versions:
https://new.azwater.gov/hydrology/groundwater-modeling/adwr-models
California Water Science Center of the USGS
All published groundwater models developed by the California Water Science Center of the USGS can be downloaded from:
https://ca.water.usgs.gov/sustainable-groundwater-management/california-groundwater-modeling.html
Texas Water Development Board
The State of Texas Water Development Board makes available models for all the aquifers in Texas:
Hydroshare
This online platform and collaboration environment has MODFLOW models. Just type “MODFLOW” on the search engine:
Acknowledgements
We want to thank all the hydrogeologist that posted their links and comments on our social networks, with their help this list is a more complete resource.
By sure new links are comments are welcomed!
