GW/SW-MST: A Groundwater/Surface-Water Method Selection Tool

Overview Summary

Groundwater/surface-water (GW/SW) exchange and hyporheic processes are topics receiving increasing attention from the hydrologic community. Hydraulic, chemical, temperature, geophysical, and remote sensing methods are used to achieve various goals (e.g., inference of GW/SW exchange, mapping of bed materials, etc.), but the application of these methods is constrained by site conditions (e.g., water depth, bed material, etc.). Researchers and environmental professionals working on GW/SW problems come from diverse fields and rarely have expertise in all available field methods; hence there is a need for guidance to design field campaigns and select methods that both contribute to study goals and are likely to work under site-specific conditions. Here, we present the spreadsheet-based GW/SW-Method Selection Tool (GW/SW-MST) to help practitioners identify methods for use in GW/SW and hyporheic studies. The GW/SW-MST is a Microsoft Excel-based decision support tool in which the user selects answers to questions about GW/SW-related study goals and site parameters/characteristics. Based on user input, the tool indicates which methods from a toolbox of 32 methods could potentially contribute to achieving the specified goals at the site described.

We envision the GW/SW-MST to serve as a tool to assist project scientists and engineers in selecting data collection methods that:

  1. satisfy study goals
  2. are feasible for application at a given site, based on site characteristics as entered by the user

The Method Selection Tool comprises 32 hydraulic, chemical, temperature, geophysical, and remote sensing methods. The user enters information in two tables for site parameters and project goals. Based on user entry, a third table is populated with indicators for which methods support specified goals and are feasible at the site. Worksheet appendices provide detailed information on various methods.

Downloads

For more information

Instructions on how to operate the tool, as well as additional information regarding data collection methods, are included within the software spreadsheet. Refer to the following resource for further information: Hammett, S., Day-Lewis, F.D., Trottier, B.R., Barlow, P.M., Briggs, M.A., Delin, G., Harvey, J.W., Johnson, C.D., Lane, J.W. Jr., Rosenberry, D.O., and Werkema, D., 2021, GW/SW-MST: A Groundwater/Surface-Water Method Selection Tool: Groundwater

Suggested Citations

Suggested Software Citation

Hammett, S., Day-Lewis, F.D., and Trottier, B.R., 2021, U.S. Geological Survey Software Release for the GW/SW-MST: A Groundwater/Surface-Water Method Selection Tool, v1.0: U.S. Geological Survey Software Release, 27 January 2022, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9YFJALF

Suggested Article Citation

Hammett, S., Day-Lewis, F.D., Trottier, B.R., Barlow, P.M., Briggs, M.A., Delin, G., Harvey, J.W., Johnson, C.D., Lane, J.W. Jr., Rosenberry, D.O., and Werkema, D., 2021, GW/SW-MST: A Groundwater/Surface-Water Method Selection Tool: Groundwater

Point of Contact

Support is provided for correcting bugs and clarification of how the software is intended to work. Only limited assistance can be provided for applying the software to specific problems by contacting the points of contact listed below:

USGS Water Resources Mission Area, Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch
Email: hgb_help@usgs.gov
Address: 11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015, University of Connecticut, Storrs Mansfield, CT 06269
Phone: (860) 487-7402