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MODFLOW 6 models used to simulate the long-term average surficial groundwater system for the contiguous United States

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2020-11-17T00:00:00Z
Seventy-five steady-state two-dimensional groundwater flow (MODFLOW-6) models of the shallow groundwater system were developed to map depth to water and estimate effective surficial transmissivity for the contiguous United States (CONUS). The models were driven by spatially-distributed recharge estimated by Reitz et al. (https://doi.org/10.5066/F7PN93P0) using average water-budget information for 1985-2015 and calibrated against long-term average water levels in observation wells, as well as, water-level estimates derived from perennial first-order streams and wetlands. The development of the model input and output files included in this data release, as well as post-processing used to derive additional water-budget components also included in this data release, are documented in the Water Resources Research article (https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026724).

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