Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-20-2012

Abstract

A conceptual model for the Calera Aquifer has been created to represent the aquifer system beneath the Calera Aquifer Region (CAR) in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico. The CAR area was uniformly partitioned into a 500 X 500 m grid generating a high resolution model that represented the natural boundaries of the aquifer. A computer model was calibrated and validated to verify output from the model corresponding to situations that matched the historical aquifer performance. Predicted groundwater levels were compared with measured data collected from nine observation wells between 1954 and 2004 to evaluate model performance. The main objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a groundwater modeling system using ModFlow-2000 for the CAR. Performance statistics indicated that the model performed well in simulating historic groundwater levels in the central part of the CAR where irrigated agriculture was concentrated. Results evaluation yielded average coefficients of determination of 0.81 and 0.67 and root mean square error values lower than 25.1 m and 25.9 m for the calibration and validation processes, respectively. These results are indicative of a good agreement between predicted and observed groundwater levels. However, further improvements in the conceptual model may be needed to improve predictions in other parts of the CAR for evaluating alternative groundwater management strategies.

Comments

This document was originally published by David Publishing in Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology B. http://www.davidpublishing.com/

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