Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID UT_2025_Shuai

Enhance the representation of groundwater-surface water interactions within a water management system model for Cache Valley, Utah

Institute: Utah
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $32,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $32,015

Principal Investigators: Pin Shuai

Project Summary: Groundwater feeds into rivers and is especially important during dry periods. However, many computer models for water management in the Great Salt Lake (GSL) region do not adequately represent groundwater systems. This project aims to improve groundwater representation in these models and increase understanding of how groundwater affects water supplies and GSL inflows over time. This study's focus area, Cache Valley, is within the Bear River Watershed, which is the largest tributary of GSL. The project's two main goals are (1) building a detailed model using the RiverWare, which includes both surface water and groundwater usage, water rights, and reservoirs; and (2) creating a coupled RiverWare and MODFLOW model representing groundwater-surface water interactions to help with planning during low flows. This work will create better water management tools, support more efficient use of both rivers and underground water sources and help policymakers plan for variable climate and water availability