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MODFLOW-NWT model used to evaluate the groundwater availability of the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

Metadata Updated: September 15, 2025

A three-dimensional groundwater flow model (MODFLOW-NWT) of the Columbia Plateau Regional aquifer (CPRAS) in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho was developed to provide an integrated understanding of the hydrologic system to implement effective water-resource management strategies. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Groundwater Resources Program assessed the groundwater availability as part of a national study of regional systems (https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1323/). The CPRAS assessment includes the status of groundwater resources, how these resources have changed over time, and development and application of tools to estimate system responses to stresses from future uses and climate variability and change. A major product of this assessment is a numerical groundwater-flow model of the system. Two models were constructed to simulate groundwater flow in the CPRAS: a steady-state predevelopment model representing conditions before large-scale pumping and irrigation altered the system, and a transient model representing the period 1900–2007. Construction of the model, development and calibration of the steady-state and transient simulations, as well as, a commingling scenario, is documented in the Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5127 (https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20145127). Two additional scenarios were completed and documented in the U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1817 (https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1817). One scenario represents long-term equilibrium under 2007 conditions and the other modified the equilibrium conditions to account for potential increased pumpage under projected temperature increases with climate change. The model is a useful tool for investigating water supply, water demand, management strategies, groundwater-surface water exchanges, and potential effects of changing climate on the hydrologic system. This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files for the simulations described in the associated model documentation reports: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1817 (https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1817) and the modeling report that documents the construction and calibration of the model, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5127 (https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20145127).

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 12, 2025
Metadata Updated Date September 15, 2025

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI USGS DCAT-US

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date September 12, 2025
Metadata Updated Date September 15, 2025
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
Identifier http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/usgs-64270324d34e370832ff65d3
Data Last Modified 2023-04-12T00:00:00Z
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 60fe412c-20fc-42dd-91ed-7049a886deae
Harvest Source Id 2b80d118-ab3a-48ba-bd93-996bbacefac2
Harvest Source Title DOI USGS DCAT-US
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial -121.523309, 44.707363, -116.244393, 48.179900
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash 615b7abce168efd40881769dbb73f13650f434ea656c0da693221630f5d14e87
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -121.523309, 44.707363, -121.523309, 48.179900, -116.244393, 48.179900, -116.244393, 44.707363, -121.523309, 44.707363}

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