MODFLOW 6 groundwater flow models and supporting data for evaluation of stream capture related to groundwater pumping, middle Humboldt River Basin, Nevada

A calibrated numerical groundwater flow model was developed for the middle Humboldt River Basin (MHRB), Nevada, to estimate stream capture from groundwater pumping over time. Stream capture was estimated for water years (WY) 1961–2015 with pumping from that period, and the model was then used to predict future stream capture based on constant non-mining pumping rates in WY 2015. The model also was used to predict the spatial distribution of stream capture in the MHRB by calculating capture for every active model cell in every layer in the model that was not dry using a pumping rate of about 459 acre-ft/yr. This data release contains ancillary, bin, georef, model, output, and source folders with the necessary executable and input files for the following models:

(1) a combined steady-state and transient historical MODFLOW-6 groundwater flow model used for calibration (tr_mf6_sim);
(2) a combined steady-state and transient forecast capture MODFLOW-6 groundwater flow model that includes historical and predictive periods used for estimating annual stream capture (tr_mf6_forecast);
(3) a 100-year transient capture MODFLOW-6 groundwater flow model used for estimating hypothetical capture (tr_mf6_capture);
(4) a 100-year transient capture MODFLOW-6 groundwater flow model used for estimating capture uncertainty (tr_mf6_capt_uncert); and
(5) a precipitation runoff modeling system (PRMS) model used to estimate spatial and temporal variations of recharge.

This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files for the model described in the associated model documentation report (https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1906).