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A Coupled Surface Water and Ground-Water Model to Simulate Past, Present, and Future Hydrologic Conditions in DOI Managed Lands

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Frequently-anticipated questions:


What does this data set describe?

Title:
A Coupled Surface Water and Ground-Water Model to Simulate Past, Present, and Future Hydrologic Conditions in DOI Managed Lands
Abstract:
This project has two objectives: 1) update and reconfigure the Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density-Dependent System (FTLOADDS) modeling code to include all version modifications and enhancements in order to provide easier transition for coupling of models and 2) to develop a comprehensive model by using the established USGS Tides and Inflows to the Mangrove Ecotone (TIME) model application of the southern Everglades and linking it to a coupled surface and ground water model application of Biscayne Bay that is currently in development.
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Lohmann, Melinda, Unpublished Material, A Coupled Surface Water and Ground-Water Model to Simulate Past, Present, and Future Hydrologic Conditions in DOI Managed Lands.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -81.56
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -80
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.75
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.02

  3. What does it look like?

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Beginning_Date: 1995
    Ending_Date: 30-Sep-2009
    Currentness_Reference: ground condition

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?


Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

    Project personnel include Eric Swain and Christian Langevin (USGS), and John Wang (Univ. Of Miami)

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Melinda Lohmann
    U.S. Geological Survey
    3110 SW 9th Avenue
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315
    USA

    954 377-5955 (voice)
    954 377-5901 (FAX)
    mlohmann@usgs.gov


Why was the data set created?

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) aims to reestablish predevelopment natural flows in the Everglades system and surrounding areas including Biscayne Bay. The changes proposed within this plan may cause significant alterations to the hydrologic conditions that exist in both Everglades National Park (ENP) and Biscayne National Park (BNP). System-wide, there are water management, water supply, and environmental concerns regarding the impact of wetland restoration on groundwater flow between the ENP and BNP and along the L-31 and C-111 canals. For example, restoration of wetlands may lead to increases in coastal ground-water levels and cause offshore springs in Biscayne Bay to become reestablished as a significant site of freshwater discharge in BNP. Accordingly, the CERP restoration activities may increase the rate of coastal groundwater discharge and aid transport of anthropogenic contaminants into the offshore marine ecosystem. Under this scenario, there is significant potential for habitat deterioration of many different threatened or endangered species of plants and animals that reside along the coastline of Biscayne Bay, in the Bay, or on the coral reef tract. In contrast to a surface water system which has been extensively compartmentalized and channelized, the Biscayne aquifer which flows under both ENP and BNP is continuous and not as amenable to partial domain simulation. A comprehensive model is needed to reliably and credibly assess the effects of groundwater flow and transport on both parks. Hydrologic conditions should be evaluated prior to substantial water delivery changes in order to protect these sensitive ecosystems. A numerical model that can simulate salinity and surface and ground-water flow patterns under different hydrologic conditions is an essential part of this effort.

The USGS developed a coupled surface-water/ground-water numerical code known as the Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density-Dependent System (FTLOADDS) to represent the surface water and ground-water hydrologic conditions in south Florida, specifically in the Everglades. The FTLOADDS code combines the two-dimensional hydrodynamic surface-water model SWIFT2D to simulate variable density overland flow (Schaffranek, 2004; Swain, 2005), the three-dimensional ground-water model SEAWAT to simulate fully-saturated variable-density groundwater flow (Guo and Langevin, 2002), and accounts for leakage and salt flux between the surface water and ground water (Langevin and others, 2005). The code was then applied to two major testing regions: 1) the Southern Inland and Coastal Systems (SICS) model domain (Swain and others, 2004) and 2) the Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades (TIME) model domain. The first application used code versions 1.0 and 1.1 which only utilized the SWIFT2D surface-water code. Later applications in the SICS area used version 2.1 (Langevin and others, 2005) where SWIFT2D was coupled to the SEAWAT groundwater model code. The second domain, TIME (Wang and others, 2007), utilizes the enhanced version 2.2 code, which includes enhancements to the wetting and drying routines, changes to the frictional resistance terms applications, and calculations of evapotranspiration. In 2006, FTLOADDS was modified again to represent Biscayne Bay and surrounding areas.

This will provide one large sub-regional model that will give an integrated comprehensive assessment of how different scenarios will affect water flows in both Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. Once calibrated, additional simulations will be performed to estimate predevelopment hydrologic conditions and to predict hydrologic conditions under one or more of the proposed restoration alternatives, using inputs from the Natural Systems Model (NSM) (SFWMD, 1997A) and the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM) (MacVicar and others, 1984, SFWMD, 1997B).


How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

    Date: 2007 (process 1 of 5)
    Update FTLOADDS modeling code

    The first steps to be taken are to replace the application-specific coding in the code with user-input options and implement methods to allow the model to be more user-friendly and portable. The code needs to be updated to accept the latest version of the SEAWAT and MODFLOW codes. This will require substantial changes because of recent changes in how SEAWAT stores and accesses variables. The existing interface code, for example, to calculate the leakage across the soil surface will be transferred to the new model and new code added to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities contained in the latest version of SEAWAT. Benchmark testing will be performed to insure the updated code is operational and reliable.

    Recoding is 75% complete.

    Date: Not complete (process 2 of 5)
    Couple TIME and BISCAYNE BAY models

    This task will merge the TIME and Biscayne Bay model discretizations and eliminate all interior boundary conditions, such as along the C-111 and L-31N Canals. Equations that can calculate leakage from the groundwater into the canals and from the canals to the groundwater will be added to the model. These equations will use simulated stage or the canal leakage that is provided by the SFWMM model simulations. This is necessary as the TIME model uses canals as hydrologic boundaries, but when the models are linked these canals will become interior features and a process to calculate their effects is needed. Currently, the TIME model uses 10 vertical layers; it needs to be modified to conform to the 20 layer-Biscayne Bay model. Extensive testing of the full model will be performed and calibrated using stage, flow, and salinity observations. Model performance will be evaluated by comparing simulations to those obtained with the two smaller models.

    Date: Not complete (process 3 of 5)
    Link coupled model with the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM)

    An approach similar to methods used to link the SICS model to the SFWMM (Wolfert, 2004) will be applied to link the models. Boundary input locations in the TIME/Biscayne Bay model are correlated with the SFWMM cell values. Boundary data of the models will be acquired from the SFWMM model for the simulation period of 1990-2000. This period was chosen with the TIME application to represent a series of consecutive years of varied hydrologic conditions useful to evaluate ecosystem and biological performance measures in ENP. Since most of the input data have already been assembled for this period, it is more cost efficient to run Biscayne Bay and the full ENP/BNP model simulations for the same period.

    Date: Not complete (process 4 of 5)
    Link coupled model with the South Florida Natural Systems Model (NSM)

    Several modifications are required to link the TIME/Biscayne Bay model with the NSM model. Land use and land surface elevations will be modified to match predevelopment conditions. Man-made features, such as roads and canals, will be removed. Surface water model cells located within former wetland areas that are now represented as developed areas of the Biscayne model domain will be activated. Model boundary data will be acquired from the NSM and interfaced in a parallel approach to that used with SFWMM model. The coupled TIME/Biscayne Bay model will be used to simulate likely predevelopment scenarios.

    Date: Not complete (process 5 of 5)
    Documentation of coupled model.

    A report will be prepared to document methods, processes, and datasets used in development of the model to facilitate the ability of others to update the model or incorporate new or more efficient techniques or data as it becomes available. A USGS Scientific Investigations Report or journal article will be prepared that describes model development and calibration processes.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Melinda Lohmann
    U.S. Geological Survey
    3110 SW 9th Avenue
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315
    USA

    954 377-5955 (voice)
    954 377-5901 (FAX)
    mlohmann@usgs.gov

  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

    Guo, Weixing Langevin, Christian D., 2002, User's Guide to SEAWAT: A Computer Program for Simulation of Three-Dimensional Variable-Density Ground-Water Flow: Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations Book 6, Chapter A7, U.S. Geological Survey, Tallahassee, FL.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: supersedes OFR 01-434
    Langevin, Christian D. Swain, Eric D., Wolfert, Me, 2004, Simulation of integrated surface-water/ground-water flow and salinity for a coastal wetland and adjacent estuary: USGS Open-File Report 2004-1097, U.S. Geological Survey, Tallahassee, FL.

    Online Links:

    Swain, Eric D. Wolfert, Melinda A.; Bales,, 2004, Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of surface-water flow and transport to Florida Bay through the Southern Inland and Coastal Systems (SICS): USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4287, U.S. Geological Survey, Tallahassee, FL.

    Online Links:

    Wolfert-Lohmann, M. A. Langevin, C. D.; Jones, S. , 2008, U. S. Geological Survey Science Strategy for Biscayne National Park and Surrounding Areas in Southeastern Florida: USGS Open-File Report 2007-1288, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Swain, E. D., 2005, A model for simulation of surface-water integrated flow and transport in two dimensions: User's guide for application to coastal wetlands: USGS Open-File Report 2005-1033, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    W., Schaffranek. R. , 2004, Simulation of surface-water integrated flow and transport in two dimensions: SWIFT2D user's manual: USGS Techniques and Methods book 6, chapter B-1, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Wang. J. D. Swain, E. D.; Wolfert, M. A.; Langevin, C, 2007, Application of Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density-Dependent System (FTLOADDS) to Simulate Flow, Salinity, and Surface-Water Stage in the Southern Everglades, Florida: USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5010, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    prepared in cooperation with South Florida Water Management District
    MacVicar, T. K. VanLent, T.; Castro, A., 1984, South Florida Water Management Model documentation report: Technical Publication 84-3, South Florida Water Manangent District, West Palm Beach, FL.

    Online Links:

    South Florida Water Management District, 1997, Natural System Model (NSM) Version 4.5: South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL.

    Online Links:

    South Florida Water Management , Hydrologic Systems Modeling Division, Plan, 199709, DRAFT Documentation for the South Florida Water Management Model: South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL.

    Online Links:


How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    not avaiilable

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    not available


How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints: none


Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 04-Jun-2008
Metadata author:
Heather Henkel
U.S. Geological Survey
600 Fourth Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
USA

727 803-8747 ext 3028 (voice)
727 803-2030 (FAX)
sofia-metadata@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)


This page is <http://sofia.usgs.gov/metadata/sflwww/coupled_sw-gw_model.faq.html>

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
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