Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ND-2025-Mahmood-1

Groundwater Head Response to Seasonal Snowmelt, Rainfall Recharge, and Climate Variability in a Cold Region Unconfined Aquifer (Oakes Aquifer)

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $13,200 Total Non-Federal Funds: $13,201

Principal Investigators: Taufique Mahmood

Project Summary: Understanding how unconfined aquifers in cold regions respond to groundwater recharge and pumping is essential for effective water management. This study focuses on a snow-dominated watershed, where groundwater flow is simulated using MODFLOW to assess aquifer responses under varying hydrological conditions. Groundwater recharge will be estimated using the process-based Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM), which accounts for key factors such as soil lithology, land cover, altitude, and snowmelt processes. The groundwater model will be set up with site-specific hydrogeological parameters and boundary conditions to represent real-world conditions accurately. Calibration and validation will be performed by comparing simulated groundwater heads with observed data, using statistical metrics. The results will show spatial variability in groundwater head fluctuations, influenced by recharge distribution, geological heterogeneity, and pumping. The findings will provide valuable insights into sustainable groundwater management in cold regions, particularly in areas experiencing seasonal and long-term climate variability.