Optimizing Source Water Protection Tools

AquaResource is playing an active role in the development of Source Water Protection initiatives, assisting in the development of the guidance documents for the Water Quantity Risk Assessment and Water Budget tasks.  Efficient development and application of numerical water budget modeling tools will require advanced data management and modeling capabilities to facilitate effective analysis.

Assessment tools required will include both continuous surface water modeling (HSPF / GAWSER) and 3D groundwater modeling (MODFLOW / FEFLOW / MikeSHE).  Efficient application of these tools requires integration of the numerical tools with the database of field observed conditions and interpretations (conceptual model).  AquaResource has expertise in the application of the above surface water and groundwater modeling tools and have applied both for CVC and GRCA for water budgeting activities.  Such projects include regional water budget modeling (CVC / GRCA) and local area specific water budget assessment (CVC Island Lake Reservior). 

Through this experience we have developed a suite of in-house tools to streamline the linkages between the conceptual model (contained within the watershed database) and the numerical models.  Such advancements include custom tools to extend the capabilities of FEFLOW using the InterFace Manager (IFM), and database / GIS tools to streamline assessment of modeling results and combine multiple data sets.  These advanced tools provide industry-leading analysis and illustration of water movement and GW / SW interaction.
Beyond the assessment, one of the keys to having useful results is to be able to effectively visualize results.  Here AquaResource utilizes a suite of standard GIS and advanced 3D visualization tools to bring the water budget results to life.  Such tools will be an essential element in the assessment of water budget and quantity risk assessments in source water protection.