Central Valley Hydrologic Model - Version 2
A new tool for evaluating water management strategies in California’s Central Valley
A new tool for evaluating water management strategies in California’s Central Valley
By California Water Science Center
September 19, 2025
California’s San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive farming regions in the world. However, heavy use of groundwater has caused the land to sink—a problem that started in the 1900s and still continues.
To better understand and manage this issue, scientists from CAWSC’s Groundwater Availability and Use Assessments Program have developed the Central Valley Hydrologic Model 2 (CVHM2). This tool helps simulate how water moves through the region and how different actions might affect the land through the year 2073. CVHM2 simulates how three key factors might affect land sinking: farming water use, efforts to refill underground water (aquifer recharge), and future climate shifts.
CVHM2 includes a 3D framework of underground sediments, showing how they vary across the valley. The framework uses data from nearly 14,700 boreholes—up from 8,500 in the earlier version of CVHM1—and maps the amount of coarse materials at different depths, from the surface down to 2,800 feet. An interactive map on the website shows how much coarse material is in each layer of the model (screenshot below).
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CVHM2 is supported by nine input data sets. This tool can be used analyze changes in groundwater availability and subsidence that can be used to inform necessary water management decisions.
Related
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These data encompass the geologic framework model for the Central Valley Hydrologic Model Version 2 (CVHM2) study. This includes (1) the Well Log Database which contains borehole information and lithology used in creating the geologic framework, (2) Well Logs with Classification Information which explains how percent coarse values were determined for each borehole, and (3) the Three...
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This digital dataset includes three sets of observational data (groundwater level, streamflow, subsidence) used to calibrate the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2). CVHM2 is a tool that can be used to quantify the sustainability of groundwater resources in the Central Valley.
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Groundwater Pumping Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Groundwater Pumping
This digital dataset contains datasets used to develop the Multi Node Well (MNW2) Package in CVHM2. It includes well locations, well properties for Municipal Pumping, Rural Pumping, Recovery Pumping, and Agricultural Pumping. The data release also includes pumping rates for Municipal Pumping, Rural Pumping, Recovery Pumping. Agricultural Pumping are estimated in CVHM2 by the farm process...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Subsidence Package Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Subsidence Package
This digital dataset contains datasets used to develop the Subsidence Package in CVHM2. Data includes number of delay interbeds per model cell (Neq), equivalent thickness for a delay interbeds (Beq), and the zones used to define subsidence parameters. Beq and Neq are calculated from the database of well logs, which is provided in the parent dataset. Five zones are used to define...
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This digital dataset contains the monthly inflows and diversions to the surface-water network in the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2) for water years 1922-2019. The surface-water network simulates the Central Valley’s complex conveyance network through the Streamflow Routing Package (SFR2) and the Farm-Process (FMP4) at 65 inflow locations with 271 stream segments and 13...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Model Setup Files Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Model Setup Files
The model setup of the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2) is similar to the original Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM). The differences in the model setup are described here as either model discretization, tidal influence, or drain flow. For model discretization, CVHM2 has 13 layers compared to 10 in CVHM. Tidal data for the San Francisco Bay and its influence on the...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Land Use Properties (ver. 3.0, October 2023) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Land Use Properties (ver. 3.0, October 2023)
This digital dataset contains three types of information about the land use properties used in the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2): land use shapefile showing primary land use type for a model cell through time, soil data using the curve number for each region and zone, and farm process parameter values including crop coefficients and rooting depths.
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Climate Data (Precipitation, Evapotranspiration, Recharge, Runoff) from the Basin Characterization Model for water years 1922-2019 (ver. 2.0, June 2023) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Climate Data (Precipitation, Evapotranspiration, Recharge, Runoff) from the Basin Characterization Model for water years 1922-2019 (ver. 2.0, June 2023)
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Managed aquifer recharge is a water-management strategy used to meet water demands during dry periods, or periods of high-water demand, when surface-water supplies are low. One method of managed aquifer recharge uses aquifer systems as subsurface reservoirs or ‘water banks’ to effectively and economically store surface water when surplus is available, and then recover the recharged...
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The Central Valley of California is one of the most prolific agricultural regions in the world. Agriculture is reliant on the conjunctive use of surface-water and groundwater. The lack of available surface-water and land-use changes have led to pumping-induced groundwater-level and storage declines, land subsidence, changes to streamflow and the environment, and the degradation of water...
Authors
Claudia C. Faunt, Jonathan Traum, Scott Boyce, Whitney Seymour, Elizabeth Jachens, Justin Brandt, Michelle Sneed, Sandra Bond, Marina Marcelli
Groundwater Modeling Comparison Groundwater Modeling Comparison
The Central Valley has four hydrologic regions, from north to south: the Sacramento Valley, the Delta & Eastside Streams, the San Joaquin Basin, and the Tulare Basin. Water flows from Sacramento Valley, Tulare Basin, and the San Joaquin Basin, into the Delta & Eastside Streams through the Central Valley's only natural outlet, the Carquinez Strait, on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
Central Valley Hydrologic Model Version 2 Central Valley Hydrologic Model Version 2
The Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2) is an integrated surface–subsurface hydrologic model, representing the major components of the hydrologic system of California’s Central Valley. This new decision support tool is useful for testing water management strategies in California's Central Valley.
Related
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Well Log Lithology Database and Texture Model Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Well Log Lithology Database and Texture Model
These data encompass the geologic framework model for the Central Valley Hydrologic Model Version 2 (CVHM2) study. This includes (1) the Well Log Database which contains borehole information and lithology used in creating the geologic framework, (2) Well Logs with Classification Information which explains how percent coarse values were determined for each borehole, and (3) the Three...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Observation Data (Groundwater Level, Streamflow, Subsidence) (ver. 2.2, May 2024) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Observation Data (Groundwater Level, Streamflow, Subsidence) (ver. 2.2, May 2024)
This digital dataset includes three sets of observational data (groundwater level, streamflow, subsidence) used to calibrate the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2). CVHM2 is a tool that can be used to quantify the sustainability of groundwater resources in the Central Valley.
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Groundwater Pumping Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Groundwater Pumping
This digital dataset contains datasets used to develop the Multi Node Well (MNW2) Package in CVHM2. It includes well locations, well properties for Municipal Pumping, Rural Pumping, Recovery Pumping, and Agricultural Pumping. The data release also includes pumping rates for Municipal Pumping, Rural Pumping, Recovery Pumping. Agricultural Pumping are estimated in CVHM2 by the farm process...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Subsidence Package Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Subsidence Package
This digital dataset contains datasets used to develop the Subsidence Package in CVHM2. Data includes number of delay interbeds per model cell (Neq), equivalent thickness for a delay interbeds (Beq), and the zones used to define subsidence parameters. Beq and Neq are calculated from the database of well logs, which is provided in the parent dataset. Five zones are used to define...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Surface Water Network for Water Years 1922 - 2019 (ver. 2.1, June 2024) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Surface Water Network for Water Years 1922 - 2019 (ver. 2.1, June 2024)
This digital dataset contains the monthly inflows and diversions to the surface-water network in the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2) for water years 1922-2019. The surface-water network simulates the Central Valley’s complex conveyance network through the Streamflow Routing Package (SFR2) and the Farm-Process (FMP4) at 65 inflow locations with 271 stream segments and 13...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Model Setup Files Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Model Setup Files
The model setup of the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2) is similar to the original Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM). The differences in the model setup are described here as either model discretization, tidal influence, or drain flow. For model discretization, CVHM2 has 13 layers compared to 10 in CVHM. Tidal data for the San Francisco Bay and its influence on the...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Land Use Properties (ver. 3.0, October 2023) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Land Use Properties (ver. 3.0, October 2023)
This digital dataset contains three types of information about the land use properties used in the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2): land use shapefile showing primary land use type for a model cell through time, soil data using the curve number for each region and zone, and farm process parameter values including crop coefficients and rooting depths.
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Climate Data (Precipitation, Evapotranspiration, Recharge, Runoff) from the Basin Characterization Model for water years 1922-2019 (ver. 2.0, June 2023) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Climate Data (Precipitation, Evapotranspiration, Recharge, Runoff) from the Basin Characterization Model for water years 1922-2019 (ver. 2.0, June 2023)
This digital dataset consists of monthly climate data from the Basin Characterization Model v8 (BCMv8) for the updated Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM2) for water years 1922 to 2019. The BCMv8 data are available in a separate data release titled "The Basin Characterization Model - A regional water balance software package (BCMv8) data release and model archive for hydrologic...
Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Water Banking for water years 1961-2019 (ver. 2.0, Aug 2023) Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2): Water Banking for water years 1961-2019 (ver. 2.0, Aug 2023)
Managed aquifer recharge is a water-management strategy used to meet water demands during dry periods, or periods of high-water demand, when surface-water supplies are low. One method of managed aquifer recharge uses aquifer systems as subsurface reservoirs or ‘water banks’ to effectively and economically store surface water when surplus is available, and then recover the recharged...
Groundwater sustainability and land subsidence in California’s Central Valley Groundwater sustainability and land subsidence in California’s Central Valley
The Central Valley of California is one of the most prolific agricultural regions in the world. Agriculture is reliant on the conjunctive use of surface-water and groundwater. The lack of available surface-water and land-use changes have led to pumping-induced groundwater-level and storage declines, land subsidence, changes to streamflow and the environment, and the degradation of water...
Authors
Claudia C. Faunt, Jonathan Traum, Scott Boyce, Whitney Seymour, Elizabeth Jachens, Justin Brandt, Michelle Sneed, Sandra Bond, Marina Marcelli
Groundwater Modeling Comparison Groundwater Modeling Comparison
The Central Valley has four hydrologic regions, from north to south: the Sacramento Valley, the Delta & Eastside Streams, the San Joaquin Basin, and the Tulare Basin. Water flows from Sacramento Valley, Tulare Basin, and the San Joaquin Basin, into the Delta & Eastside Streams through the Central Valley's only natural outlet, the Carquinez Strait, on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
Central Valley Hydrologic Model Version 2 Central Valley Hydrologic Model Version 2
The Central Valley Hydrologic Model version 2 (CVHM2) is an integrated surface–subsurface hydrologic model, representing the major components of the hydrologic system of California’s Central Valley. This new decision support tool is useful for testing water management strategies in California's Central Valley.