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Initial Estimates of Net Infiltration and Irrigation from a Soil-Water-Balance Model of the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study Area

Open-File Report 2021-1008
Water Availability and Use Science Program
By: , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20211008

Links

  • Document: Report (11.6 MB pdf)
  • Data Releases:
    • USGS data release — OFR 2021–1008 MODEL ARCHIVE—Soil-Water-Balance model developed to simulate net infiltration and irrigation water use for the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer System, 1915 to 2018
    • USGS data release — OFR 2021–1008 MODEL OUTPUT—Soil-Water-Balance net infiltration and irrigation water use output datasets for the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer System, 1915 to 2018
  • Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

The Mississippi embayment encompasses about 100,000 square miles and covers parts of eight States. In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey began updating previous work for a part of the embayment known as the Mississippi Alluvial Plain to support informed water use and agricultural policy in the region. Groundwater, water use, economic, and other related models are being combined with field surveys and observations to create a quantitative framework for evaluating regional groundwater withdrawals and their effects on long-term water availability in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.

As part of this effort, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Soil-Water-Balance code (version 2.0) is being used to model potential groundwater recharge and irrigation water use, as necessary inputs to the long-term groundwater modeling efforts. The Soil-Water-Balance code is designed to estimate the distribution and timing of net infiltration leaving the root zone. Soil-Water-Balance makes use of gridded datasets of elevation, soils, land use (including specific crop types), and daily weather datasets to calculate other components of the root-zone water balance, including soil moisture, reference, actual evapotranspiration, snowfall, snowmelt, and canopy interception. Parameters on plant height and growing-season water needs are used to estimate crop-water demand and potential irrigation water use.

This report documents the initial construction, calibration, and application of a Soil-Water-Balance model of the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study area for simulations running from 1915 to 2017. Further refinements of the model calibration for an expanded model area are planned.

Suggested Citation

Westenbroek, S.M., Nielsen, M.G., and Ladd, D.E., 2021, Initial estimates of net infiltration and irrigation from a soil-water-balance model of the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study Area: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021-1008, 29 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20211008.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Data Sources and Preparation
  • Parameter Estimation and Observation Data
  • Simulations of Net Infiltration and Irrigation, 1915–2017
  • Possible Improvements for Future Work
  • Summary and Conclusions
  • References Cited
  • Appendix 1. Spatial Subset Creation
  • Appendix 2. Incorporating Observations into PEST++ Workflow
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Initial estimates of net infiltration and irrigation from a soil-water-balance model of the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study Area
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2021-1008
DOI 10.3133/ofr20211008
Year Published 2021
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Tennessee Water Science Center, Wisconsin Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Description Report: v, 29 p.; 2 Data Releases
Country United States
State Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee
Other Geospatial Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study Area
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details