MODFLOW-NWT model used to simulate and assess groundwater flow and surface-water exchanges in lakes of the Northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, 2003 through 2013

A three-dimensional, steady-state groundwater-flow model representing 2003-13 mean hydrologic conditions was developed and calibrated to assess groundwater and lake-water exchanges and the effects of groundwater withdrawals and precipitation on water levels in lakes in the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota. The USGS groundwater-flow model program MODFLOW-NWT version 1.0.8 was used to simulate groundwater flow in the approximately 1,000-square-mile area of the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area and western Wisconsin. Water levels were below normal for several lakes in the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area during 2003 through 2013. Previous periods of low lake-water levels generally correlate with periods of below-normal precipitation but increases in groundwater withdrawals and land-use changes have put into question whether recent lake-water-level declines are due solely to declines in precipitation. The groundwater-flow model was developed to provide a thorough understanding of regional groundwater and surface-water exchanges under different groundwater withdrawal and precipitation scenarios.
This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files for the simulations described in the associated U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5139B (https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165139B).
This data release also contains input and output data for ancillary soil-water balance (SWB) models used to simulate runoff to a subset of lakes and areal groundwater recharge.