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Model-grid and hydraulic-property data arrays of the MULT package of the Central Valley Hydrologic Model

Metadata Updated: September 17, 2025

This digital dataset defines the model-grid and hydraulic-property data arrays of the Multiplier (MULT) Package used in the transient hydrologic model of the Central Valley flow system. The MULT package defines multiplier arrays for calculation of model-layer characteristics from parameter values. The Central Valley encompasses an approximate 50,000 square-kilometer region of California. The complex hydrologic system of the Central Valley is simulated using the USGS numerical modeling code, MODFLOW-FMP (Schmid and others, 2006). This simulation is referred to here as the Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM) (Faunt, 2009). Utilizing MODFLOW-FMP, the CVHM simulates groundwater and surface-water flow, irrigated agriculture, land subsidence, and other key processes in the Central Valley on a monthly basis from 1961-2003. The total active modeled area is 20,334 square-miles on a finite-difference grid comprising 441 rows and 98 columns. Slightly less than 50 percent of the cells are active. It has a uniform horizontal discretization of 1x1 square mile and is oriented parallel to the valley axis, 34 degrees west of north (Faunt, 2009). The MULT Package includes the percentage of coarse-grained deposits in each of the 10 model layers, specific yield, and the altitudes of the tops of model layers 1-4. In order to better characterize the aquifer-system deposits, lithologic data from approximately 8,500 drillers' logs of boreholes ranging in depth from 12 to 3,000 feet below land surface were compiled and analyzed. The percentage of coarse-grained sediment, or texture, then was computed for each 50-foot depth interval of the drillers' logs. A 3-dimensional texture model was developed by interpolating the percentage of coarse-grained deposits onto a 1-mile spatial grid at 50-foot depth intervals from land surface to 2,800 feet below land surface. The specific yield data were extrapolated from the percentage of coarse-grained deposits in model layer 1. The CVHM is the most recent regional-scale model of the Central Valley developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The CVHM was developed as part of the USGS Groundwater Resources Program (see "Foreword", Chapter A, page iii, for details).

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Created Date September 14, 2025
Metadata Updated Date September 17, 2025

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI USGS DCAT-US

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date September 14, 2025
Metadata Updated Date September 17, 2025
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
Identifier http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/usgs-8ebfce27-53f9-416c-92a9-aee117353052
Data Last Modified 2020-11-17T00:00:00Z
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://ddi.doi.gov/usgs-data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id 408297aa-b94c-4b52-999a-d03c4ff3d919
Harvest Source Id 2b80d118-ab3a-48ba-bd93-996bbacefac2
Harvest Source Title DOI USGS DCAT-US
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial -123.831528, 34.519871, -117.916328, 40.748631
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash bd0d9fd9732adf670c4716cdce10eefd075fd1f43fed46a32b1b58ee74d34540
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -123.831528, 34.519871, -123.831528, 40.748631, -117.916328, 40.748631, -117.916328, 34.519871, -123.831528, 34.519871}

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