Geological Survey

Description

The U.S. Geological Survey California Water Science Center (USGS CAWSC) is offering a funding opportunity to one or more partners of the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) Program. The project is titled Development of Linkage Between MODFLOW’s Farm Process and Local Grid Refinement Process. This USGS-funded project is associated with the San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP), a large multi-agency program with the goal of restoring salmon and other fisheries to the river. A key component of the USGS CAWSC role in the SJRRP is to develop a plan for monitoring and adapting to potential increases in seepage from the San Joaquin River into the local groundwater system and associated exacerbation of existing agricultural drainage problems. Numerical modeling will be an important tool for developing an understanding of the potential effects of increased seepage, and for evaluating adaptation strategies. An existing USGS MODFLOW model of the region makes use of the Farm Process (FMP2), a complex tool for simulating irrigated agriculture. Meeting the objectives of the SJRRP will require spatial refinement of this model, which is best accomplished using the existing Local Grid Refinement (LGR) capability within MODFLOW; however, FMP2 and LGR are not compatible. The research objectives are to, in collaboration with USGS researchers: 1. Develop a plan for modifying FMP2 and LGR to enable compatibility, specifically allowing for parsing of virtual farms (water budget subareas) from the original to refined versions; 2. Execute the plan; 3. Test the revised code; 4. Provide technical support during application of the revised codes; and 5. Prepare a report documenting the revisions. The CESU study component will be focused on modification of the source code of FMP2, but the CESU partner will work closely with USGS participants familiar with use and the source code of both LGR and FMP2, and will participate in all aspects of the research with an emphasis on source code development and testing.

Who can apply

• Others

Contact

FAITH GRAVES <br/>Contract Specialist <br/>Phone 703-648-7356
fgraves@usgs.gov