Understanding water quality and quantity changes due to land use and climate changes in a karst watershed
Keywords
hydrological modeling; climate change; water quality
Start Date
25-6-2018 2:00 PM
End Date
25-6-2018 3:20 PM
Abstract
The Santa Fe River watershed in north central Florida overlies the Floridan Aquifer System (FAS), which is one of the most productive aquifers in the world. FAS productivity is due to the porous carbonate rock material that contains large interconnected caverns that are hydraulically joined to surface waters via springs. Observed reductions in spring flow have been attributed to a combination of climate shifts and water withdrawals for potable and agricultural use. Additionally, because of rapid water transport into and through the aquifer, water quality in the FAS has become a concern as agricultural fertilizers and other nutrient sources have contributed to regional nutrient loading. These concerns have initiated a multidisciplinary project aimed at understanding how long-term water quality and quantity in the FAS are affected by climate change, increased water demand, and different agricultural practices. The need to simulate different climate scenarios and agricultural practices led to the use of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a widely used, process-based surface water model developed to handle climate and land use changes on water quality and yield. However, because of dynamic surface and groundwater interactions in the region, we couple SWAT to an existing (MODFLOW) groundwater flow model of the FAS to more accurately capture the flow and transport through the aquifer to surface waters. Here we present results of the coupled model calibration and validation along with preliminary results of future scenario analyses that consider modeled future climate and varying management practices.
Understanding water quality and quantity changes due to land use and climate changes in a karst watershed
The Santa Fe River watershed in north central Florida overlies the Floridan Aquifer System (FAS), which is one of the most productive aquifers in the world. FAS productivity is due to the porous carbonate rock material that contains large interconnected caverns that are hydraulically joined to surface waters via springs. Observed reductions in spring flow have been attributed to a combination of climate shifts and water withdrawals for potable and agricultural use. Additionally, because of rapid water transport into and through the aquifer, water quality in the FAS has become a concern as agricultural fertilizers and other nutrient sources have contributed to regional nutrient loading. These concerns have initiated a multidisciplinary project aimed at understanding how long-term water quality and quantity in the FAS are affected by climate change, increased water demand, and different agricultural practices. The need to simulate different climate scenarios and agricultural practices led to the use of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a widely used, process-based surface water model developed to handle climate and land use changes on water quality and yield. However, because of dynamic surface and groundwater interactions in the region, we couple SWAT to an existing (MODFLOW) groundwater flow model of the FAS to more accurately capture the flow and transport through the aquifer to surface waters. Here we present results of the coupled model calibration and validation along with preliminary results of future scenario analyses that consider modeled future climate and varying management practices.
Stream and Session
E1: Coupled Surface-Subsurface Hydrologic Modelling