WMS Tutorials Groundwater Modeling in GSSHA

v. 11.0

WMS 11.0 Tutorial

Groundwater Modeling in GSSHA
Setup a basic groundwater model using GSSHA

Objectives
Learn how to set up a groundwater model from a basic GSSHA long term model.

Prerequisite Tutorials Required Components Time

 Long Term Simulations in  Data  30–60 minutes
GSSHA  Drainage
 Map
 Hydrology
 2D Grid
 GSSHA

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1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 2
2 Open an Existing GSSHA Project ..................................................................................... 2
3 Creating Groundwater Datasets ........................................................................................ 3
3.1 Aquifer Bottom ............................................................................................................ 3
3.2 Initial Water Table Elevations ...................................................................................... 5
3.3 Checking Water Table Elevation Data ......................................................................... 6
3.4 Adjusting the Water Table Elevation Data ................................................................... 9
3.5 Hydraulic Conductivity and Porosity ........................................................................... 9
4 Groundwater Job Control ................................................................................................ 11
5 Groundwater Map Table .................................................................................................. 11
6 Verifying Long Term Simulation Data ........................................................................... 12
7 Setting Output Control ..................................................................................................... 12
8 Saving and Running the GSSHA Model ......................................................................... 12
9 Viewing Groundwater Model Results ............................................................................. 13
10 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 14

1 Introduction
This tutorial teaches how to set up a groundwater model in GSSHA. It begins with an
existing long term simulation project with all the parameters for a basic surface water
simulation already defined.

2 Open an Existing GSSHA Project

Open a GSSHA project file for the Eight Mile Creek watershed.
1. Make the 2D Grid Module active.
2. Select GSSHA | Open Project File… to bring up the Open dialog.
3. Locate the data files folder for this tutorial, and select the file “Base.prj” file.
4. Click Open to import the project.
5. In the Project Explorer, turn off the display of “ Map Data” then turn on the
“ GSSHA” coverage.
The project should appear similar to Figure 1:

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Figure 1 Initial project

Before continuing, save the project under a new name.
1. Select GSSHA | Save Project File to open the Save GSSHA Project File dialog.
2. Enter the File Name as “GW.prj” and click Save to create the project and close
the Save GSSHA Project File dialog.

3 Creating Groundwater Datasets

To simulate groundwater in a GSSHA model, the following index maps and tables need
to be defined:
 Aquifer bottom map,
 Initial water table elevation map,
 Boundary condition map
 Subsurface hydraulic conductivity map
 Subsurface porosity map.
The aquifer bottom and water table elevation maps are created from x, y, z points stored
in a CSV file. These points were derived from borehole logs. The hydraulic conductivity
and porosity inputs will be developed using a geology shape file.

3.1 Aquifer Bottom

The aquifer bottom map is created from XYZ data of the aquifer bottom. These data can
be derived from borehole data that contain information about depth to different layers in
the subsurface.
1. Select File | Open to bring up the Open dialog.

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2. Select the file “aquifer_bot_elevs.csv” and click Open to bring up the File
Import Wizard dialog.
3. Make certain the Space and Comma delimters are turned on.
4. Change Start import at row value to “2”. Do not turn on the Heading Row option.

Figure 2 File Import Wizard – Step 1 of 2

5. Click Next to go to Step 2 of 2 of the File Import Wizard dialog.
6. Make sure the WMS data type is set to “2D Scatter Points”.
7. Make sure the first column is mapped to “X”, the second column to “Y", and the
third column to “Dataset”.

Figure 3 File Import Wizard – Step 2 of 2

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8. Click Finish to import the dataset as a 2D scatter point dataset.

A new scatter point dataset named “ aquifer_bot_elevs” should appear in the Project
Explorer and the points are plotted in the Graphics Window.

Figure 4 2D Scatter set in the Project Explorer

9. Make sure “ Data set” is selected as the active dataset.

10. Right-click on the “ aquifer_bot_elevs” scatter set and select Interpolate | ...To
Grid.to open the Interpolate to 2D Grid dialog.
11. Change the New interpolated dataset name to “Aquifer Bottom”. Do not toggle
on the option to Map elevations.
12. Click OK to close the Interpolate to 2D Grid dialog and to create a new grid
dataset from the aquifer bottom scatter points.
A new continuous map named “ Aquifer Bottom” should be visible among the other
continuous datasets for the grid.
13. Right-click on the “ Continuous Maps” folder underneath the “ GW” folder
in the Project Explorer and select Assign | Aquifer Bottom.

Figure 5 Assigning dataset to the conituous maps

3.2 Initial Water Table Elevations

Ideally, there will be observation well data from which to derive an initial representation
of the water table. This XYZ data can be interpolated to the grid to develop the required
continuous map in the same way the aquifer bottom map was created. In lieu of
measured values, develop an initial water table by assuming an initial water table and
running GSSHA to derive a water table map. In this example, use XYZ data that
represent well water surface elevations scattered throughout the domain.

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1. Select File | Open to bring up the Open dialog.

2. Select the file “water_table_elevs.csv” and click Open to bring up the File
Import Wizard dialog.
3. Make certain the Space and Comma delimters are turned on.
4. Change Start import at row value to “2”. Do not turn on the Heading Row option.
5. Click Next to go to Step 2 of 2 of the File Import Wizard dialog.
6. Make sure the WMS data type is set to “2D Scatter Points”.
7. Make sure the first column is mapped to “X”, the second column to “Y", and the
third column to “Dataset”.
8. Click Finish to import the dataset as a 2D scatter point dataset.
A new scatter point dataset named “ water_table_elevs” should appear in the Project
Explorer and the points are plotted.

Figure 6 Scatter sets in the Project Explorer

9. Make sure “ Data set”under “ water_table_elevs” is selected as the active

dataset.
10. Right-click on the “ water_table_elevs” scatter set and select Interpolate |
...To Grid.to open the Interpolate to 2D Grid dialog.
11. Change the New interpolated dataset name to “Initial Water Table”. Do not
toggle on the option to Map elevations.
12. Click OK to close the Interpolate to 2D Grid dialog and to create a new grid
dataset.
13. In the Project Explorer, right-click on the “ Continuous Maps” folder
underneath the “ GW” folder and select Assign | Initial Water Table.
Notice the new continuous map named “ Initial Water Table” among the other
continuous datasets of the grid.

3.3 Checking Water Table Elevation Data

After interpolating the water table XYZ data to define the water table elevation map, the
water table elevation at some locations could be higher than the ground elevation or
lower than the aquifer bottom which is not desirable. Be sure to check this and fix any
anomalies before using the water table elevation map with the model.

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One of the easiest ways to check this is to use the data calculator to subtract the water
table map from the elevations map or subtract the aquifer bottom from the water table
elevations.
1. With the 2D Grid Module active, select Data | Data Calculator to open the
Data Calculator dialog.
2. Double-click “elevation (elev)” data which will insert a dataset symbol such as
“d1” in the Expression field. Note that the dataset symbol might be different in
this case.
3. Click the – (minus) button or type it from the keyboard.
4. Double-click the “Initial Water Table” dataset.
5. Enter “Elev-Water table” in Result field.
The data calculator will look similar to Figure 7:

Figure 7 The Data Calculator

6. Click Compute to create the new dataset.
7. Click Done to close the Data Calculator dialog.
8. In the Project Explorer, right-click on the “ Elev-Water table” map and select
Properties to open the Data Set Info dialog.
In the Data Set Info dialog, notice the Histogram of the values in the data selected.
9. Double-click on the plot area to open the Histogram Customication dialog.
10. Select the Maximize button.

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Figure 8 Maximize button location

In the maximized histogram plot, check to see if there are any negative values. This
example has a negative value. This means that the water table elevation is greater than the
ground elevation at these cells. If desired, change the contour options to display the
locations where the negative values occur.

Figure 9 Histogram with showing where negative values occur

Similarly, if desired, use the expression InitialWaterTable - Aquifer Bottom in the data
calculator to see if any cells have a water table elevation that is below the aquifer bottom.
Then view the properties of the new dataset to see if there are any negative values. There
are negative values in this case which means that, for some cells, the water table
elevation is lower than the aquifer bottom.
11. When done, close the historgram plot by clicking on the window bar.
12. Click Cancel to close the Data Set Info dialog.

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3.4 Adjusting the Water Table Elevation Data

There are different ways to get around having a water table elevation that is lower than
the aquifer bottom. This exercise will explore using the max(x, y) and min(x, y)
functions available in the Data Calculator. These functions pick the maximum and
minimum value from two datasets and assign them to the new dataset.
The water table dataset should be adjusted so it is:
 At least 0.25m below the ground surface
 At least 0.5m above the aquifer bottom
This can be done by using the min(x, y) function to select the lesser of the water table
and the ground surface elevation values. Then, subtract 0.25m from this so that the water
table is at least 0.25m below the ground surface. Finally use the max(x, y) function
between the result from the previous step and the aquifer bottom and add 0.5m to it. This
ensures that the water table is at least 0.5m higher than the aquifer bottom.
The user may create a new water table dataset for each step or use the following formula
directly:
Max((min(InitialWaterTable, ground elevation)-0.25), (aquifer bottom +0.5))
Use the formula to create a new water table dataset.
1. With the 2D Grid Module active, select Data | Data Calculator to open the
Data Calculator dialog.
2. In the Expression field, enter the modified water table equation:
max((min(d6,d1)-0.25),(d5+0.5))
3. Enter “New Water Table” in the Result field.
4. Click Compute to create the new dataset.
5. Click Done to close the Data Calculator dialog.
Once the updated water table map is computed, it should automatically get associated
with the current GSSHA model. If “ New Water Table” is listed under the “
Continuous Maps” folder under the GSSHA model “ GW”, then it is already assigned.
If it is not listed, use the following step:
6. In the Project Explorer, right-click on the “ Continuous Maps” folder
underneath the “ GW” folder and select Assign | New Water Table.

3.5 Hydraulic Conductivity and Porosity

To define the hydraulic conductivity and porosity, use a geology shapefile which has
information about the underground soil type distribution. In GSSHA, hydraulic
conductivity and porosity are used to derive the values of transmissivity and storage.
1. In the Project Explorer, right-click on “ Coverages” and select New Coverage
to bring up a Properties dialog.
2. Select “Soil Type” for Coverage type and change the Coverage name to
“Geology”.

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3. Select OK to close the Properties dialog.

This will add a coverage named “ Geology” under the “ Coverages” folder.
4. Select File | Open to bring up the Open dialog.
5. Select the file “Geology.shp” and click Open to import the shapefile in the GIS
module.
6. Make sure that the “ Geology” coverage is selected and “ Geology.shp” is
active.
7. In the GIS module, select Mapping | Shapes → Feature objects to bring up the
GIS to Feature Objects Wizard.
8. Make certain Select a coverage for mapping is set to “Geology” and that Select
shapefile to map has “Geology.shp” checked, then click Next.
9. Accept the default mapping options and click Next then Finish to close the GIS
to Feature Objects Wizard.
The geology shapefile has now been mapped to the map coverage. Feel free to delete the
shapefile from the Project Explorer and turn off the display of “ Geology” coverage.
10. Select the “ GSSHA” coverage to make this coverage active.
11. In 2D Grid module, select GSSHA | Maps to open the GSSHA Maps dialog.
12. Select “Geology” as the Input coverage and “Texture” as the Coverage attribute.
13. Enter “Geology” for the Index map name.
14. Click Coverages→Index Map.
15. When the index map is finished, click Done to close the GSSHA Maps dialog.

Figure 10 Geology shapfile mapped to GSSHA

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4 Groundwater Job Control

Now to assign the job control parameters to use groundwater.
1. Select GSSHA | Job Control to open the GSSHA Job Control Paramters dialog.
2. Turn on the Groundwater option and click the Edit parameter button next to
this option. This will open the GSSHA Groundwater dialog.
Note: When turning on the groundwater option, a groundwater boundary condition index
map named “ Gw boundary” is created automatically in the Project Explorer. Also,
GSSHA assumes a no-flow groundwater boundary condition around the perimeter of the
watershed.
3. In the Dataset column, set Aquifer bottom to “AquiferBottom” and WaterTable
to “New WaterTable”.
The Hydraulic Conductivity and the Porosity will be set for the groundwater mapping
table in the next section.
4. Set the Time Step to be “600”.
5. Set the LSOR direction to “Horizontal”.
6. Set the LSOR convergence to “0.00001”.
7. Set the Relaxation coefficient to “1.2”.
8. Set the Leakage rate to “0.0”.
9. Click OK to close GSSHA Groundwater dialog.
10. Click OK to close the GSSHA Job Control Parameters dialog.

5 Groundwater Map Table

The hydraulic conductivity and porosity maps have not been defined for groundwater
model yet. Use the geology index map to define these values in a groundwater mapping
table.
1. Select GSSHA | Map Tables to open the GSSHA Map Table Editor dialog.
2. Select the Groundwater tab.
3. Select “Geology” for Using index map and click Generate IDs.
Notice the four different IDs.
4. Enter the values as shown in the following table:
Parameter Loamy Sand Sandy Loam Loam Silt Loam
Hydraulic Conductivity 5.98 2.18 1.32 0.68
Porosity 0.437 0.453 0.463 0.501
5. Once finished entering the values, click Done to close the GSSHA Map Table
Editor dialog.

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6 Verifying Long Term Simulation Data

Before running the groundwater model, make sure that the long term simulation is set up
correctly.
1. Select GSSHA | Job Control to open the GSSHA Job Control Paramters dialog.
2. Next to the Long term simulation option, click Edit parameters to open the
Long Term Simulation dialog.
3. Make sure the Latitude is “44.81”, Longitude is “267.83”, GMT is “-6” hours,
Minimum Event Discharge is “0.1” cms, and Soil Moisture depth is “0.25” m.
4. Click on the browse button next to the HMET Data file option to bring up an
Open dialog.
5. Select the file “HMETData.txt” and click Open.
6. Make sure continuous simulation Format is set to WES.
7. Click OK to close the Long Term Simulation dialog.

7 Setting Output Control

1. In GSSHA Job Control Parameters dialog, click Output Control to open the
GSSHA Output Control dialog.
2. In the Gridded datasets section, turn off Surface Depth and turn on Groundwater
elevations and Cumulative groundwater recharge.
3. Change the Write frequency to “180” minutes for the grid data and leave the
hydrograph write frequency as it is.
4. Click OK to close the GSSHA Output Control dialog.
5. Click OK to close the GSSHA Job Control Parameters dialog.

8 Saving and Running the GSSHA Model

The project is now ready to be saved, and the GSSHA model can be run.
1. Select GSSHA | Save Project File to open the Save GSSHA Project File dialog.
2. Enter the File Name as “GW.prj” and click Save to create the project and close
the Save GSSHA Project File dialog.
3. Select GSSHA | Run GSSHA to bring up the GSSHA Run Options dialog.
4. Click OK to close the GSSHA Run Options dialog and bring up the Model
Wrapper dialog.
The model should take about 10–15 minutes to run, depending on the capacity of the
computer.
5. When the model run is complete, turn on Read solution on exit and click Close to
exit the Model Wrapper and load in the solution.

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9 Viewing Groundwater Model Results

With the model run completed and the solution set imported into WMS, the results can be
visualized.
1. Using the Select Hydrographs tool, double-click on the hydrograph icon at
the outlet location to bring up a hydrograph plot.

Figure 11 Hydrographs plot

2. When done reviewing the hydrograph, close the window.
3. In the Project Explorer, select the “ groundwater_head” dataset and toggle
through the time steps to see how the groundwater head varied with time.
4. In the Project Explorer, select “ gw_recharge_cum” (Cumulative groundwater
recharge) dataset and toggle through the time steps to see the amount of recharge
in various parts of the watershed as the simulation progresses.

Figure 12 Groundwater recharge

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10 Conclusion
This concludes the “Groundwater Modeling in GSSHA” tutorial. Additional options and
functionalities of groundwater modeling with GSSHA are explored in other tutorial.
If desired, continue exploring the model or exit the program.

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