Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-04-03DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70066
Michael J Stephens, Bennett E Hoogenboom, Lyndsay B Ball, Will Chang
{"title":"Deep Groundwater Total Dissolved Solids Mapping in the Dakota Group, Williston Basin, USA.","authors":"Michael J Stephens, Bennett E Hoogenboom, Lyndsay B Ball, Will Chang","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70066","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Growing concern about the quantity of available freshwater around the world has led to interest in surveying groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) below water well depths. Deep TDS has not been systematically mapped, and there is much to learn about the distribution and controls on deeper groundwater. In sedimentary basins across the United States, groundwater resources often overlie hydrocarbon resources, providing an opportunity to use borehole geophysical data collected for hydrocarbons to characterize groundwater and pore space resources. This study adapts a recently developed subsurface geostatistical and geophysical modeling approach to continuously map groundwater TDS, porosity, and temperature in the Dakota Group of the Williston Basin-an undercharacterized regional aquifer system overlying deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs. Groundwater TDS in the Dakota Group ranges from approximately 4800 to 26,900 mg/L. TDS patterns are stratified with higher TDS in the lower and upper Dakota Group, and relatively lower TDS in the middle Dakota Group. The lower TDS in the middle zone may represent a preferential regional flow path for lower-TDS meteoric recharge from the west. The alternating pattern of TDS may also be evidence of higher-TDS inflows into the Dakota Group from underlying and potentially from overlying aquifers. Porosity is lower near the center of the Williston Basin and tends to be higher to the east, which may be related to grain size distributions. The new regional TDS and porosity modeling serves as a quantitative reference for water users and provides supporting evidence for hypotheses on Dakota Group recharge.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"335-349"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13157693/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147611069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-04-14DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70070
Neha Gupta, Ryan Lima, Temuulen Tsagaan Sankey, Caelum Mroczek, Katharine Jacobs, Rayni Lewis, Fern Bromley, Tianfang Xu, Holly Richter, Patrick Broxton, Yoganand Korgaonkar, Travis Zalesky, James Famiglietti, Abraham Springer
{"title":"Opportunistic Recharge Enhancement in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions.","authors":"Neha Gupta, Ryan Lima, Temuulen Tsagaan Sankey, Caelum Mroczek, Katharine Jacobs, Rayni Lewis, Fern Bromley, Tianfang Xu, Holly Richter, Patrick Broxton, Yoganand Korgaonkar, Travis Zalesky, James Famiglietti, Abraham Springer","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70070","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Groundwater supplies are stressed by climatic trends, increasing withdrawals, and multiple competing uses, especially in arid and semi-arid environments. We propose opportunistic recharge enhancement (ORE) as a cross-disciplinary, scalable framework to augment groundwater supplies by strategically integrating recharge co-benefits into existing land and water management practices such as forest thinning and stormwater management. These opportunities would allow for enhanced recharge across diverse landscapes, potentially increasing water availability for both human uses and natural systems. A key incentive for ORE is that, while there may be some increases in cost in some cases, the benefits and opportunities for funding may be significantly expanded. Using Arizona, USA, a region experiencing acute groundwater stresses, as an example, we illustrate how ORE can offer a complementary pathway to groundwater resilience with potential to extend to semi-arid and arid areas globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"263-277"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13157690/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147694474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-03-16DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70059
Mohamed Hayek
{"title":"Analytical Solutions for Steady-State Flow in Heterogeneous Leaky Aquifers: Verification against MODFLOW 6.","authors":"Mohamed Hayek","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70059","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents exact one-dimensional (1D) analytical solutions for steady-state groundwater flow in a heterogeneous leaky confined aquifer, accounting for spatial variability in both aquifer and aquitard properties. Unlike traditional models that assume uniform conditions, the proposed approach incorporates natural heterogeneity arising from variable depositional and post-depositional processes. The aquifer system is divided into discrete vertical zones, each characterized by distinct hydraulic properties. The solutions describe steady-state flow in a horizontally extensive confined aquifer recharged by leakage from an overlying unconfined aquifer through a thin, heterogeneous aquitard and discharging to a downgradient fixed-head boundary. The upgradient boundary may represent either a no-flow condition or a fixed head. The analytical solutions provide exact 1D, steady-state reference results for assessing the effects of lateral heterogeneity and for evaluating the spatial discretization required in numerical groundwater flow models to resolve sharp hydraulic head transitions and flow redistribution across zones with contrasting conductivities. Validation against MODFLOW 6 simulations demonstrates excellent agreement, confirming the correctness and robustness of the analytical formulation. A Python implementation of the analytical solutions is openly available in a public GitHub repository, ensuring reproducibility and facilitating further exploration of heterogeneous leaky aquifer systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"295-302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147470593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-03-19DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70051
Katherine H Markovich, Michael N Fienen, Nicholas Corson-Dosch, Cecile Coulon, Jeremy T White, Stephen B Gingerich
{"title":"Multi-Objective Optimization of a Hydro-Economic Model in an Over-Allocated Agricultural Basin.","authors":"Katherine H Markovich, Michael N Fienen, Nicholas Corson-Dosch, Cecile Coulon, Jeremy T White, Stephen B Gingerich","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70051","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Groundwater depletion for agricultural irrigation poses significant environmental and economic challenges. This study introduces a proof-of-concept that combines hydro-economic modeling, scenario-based modeling, and multi-objective optimization to manage pumping curtailment in an over-allocated basin in the western United States. Three optimization scenarios were evaluated, each offering different degrees of management flexibility. Results reveal that scenarios with finer spatial resolution achieved greater environmental benefits per unit profit loss. Additionally, strategies allowing fractional reductions in curtailed wells-rather than complete shutdowns based on water rights seniority-substantially improved efficiency, highlighting the value of increased decision-making flexibility. Although scenario testing can aid stakeholder engagement and strategy exploration, multi-objective optimization provides a systematic framework to quantify tradeoffs between competing objectives. This combined approach demonstrates promise for building consensus and supporting the design of sustainable water management strategies that balance agricultural livelihoods with ecosystem preservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"278-294"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13157692/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147489121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70064
Stephen R H Worthington
{"title":"Explaining High Celerities and Velocities in Vadose Zone Fractures.","authors":"Stephen R H Worthington","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70064","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preferential flow is common in the vadose zone of bedrock aquifers. Rapid film flow down fracture walls and free-fall flow down open vertical fractures produce velocities that are commonly in the range 10<sup>-4</sup> to 10<sup>-1</sup> m/s.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"253-257"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147506019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-03-30DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70062
Nicole Blin, Jenny Soonthornrangsan, Christopher Lowry, Jorge Gironás, Cristián Chadwick, Francisco Suárez
{"title":"Hydroclimatic Drivers of Groundwater Resilience in Cold Humid Regions.","authors":"Nicole Blin, Jenny Soonthornrangsan, Christopher Lowry, Jorge Gironás, Cristián Chadwick, Francisco Suárez","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70062","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective water resource management, particularly in assessing the impacts of climate change on water-abundant regions, is crucial for ensuring long-term sustainability. This study investigates the hydrological response of a cold humid basin with strong groundwater-surface water interactions located in the Great Lakes Basin. We employ a coupled groundwater-surface water model (GSFLOW) to simulate the complex hydrological processes and evaluate the potential buffering capacity of groundwater on surface water systems. Results reveal a strong linear relationship between changes in mean annual precipitation and groundwater recharge (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.96), with annual precipitation increases over 165 mm required to generate positive changes in recharge. The groundwater system demonstrates significant buffering capacity, particularly in areas with shallow water tables and during hydrological recession periods. Key buffering mechanisms include lagged responses to projected changes in precipitation and recharge relative to the reference period, shifts toward winter recharge, and stable baseflow during dry periods. The aquifer shows greater resilience under the more extreme SSP5 8.5 scenario, suggesting more dynamic surface-groundwater interactions under intense climate conditions. Spatial analysis indicates higher sensitivity to precipitation changes in areas with deeper water tables. The shifts in recharge timing suggest a transition from snow-dominated to rain-dominated winter hydrology, potentially enhancing the system's buffering capacity. These findings provide crucial insights for water resource management in cold humid regions, emphasizing the importance of considering a range of climate scenarios in long-term planning and highlighting the critical role of groundwater in maintaining hydrological resilience under changing climate conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"303-322"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147577316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-03-30DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70063
Martin A Briggs, Eric A White, Patrick T Scordato, Hayley G Lind, Zachary O O'Neal, David M Rey, Timothy D McCobb, Christopher T Green, Denis R LeBlanc
{"title":"PFAS from a Discrete-Event Terrestrial Source Migrates with Groundwater to Intertidal Seepages.","authors":"Martin A Briggs, Eric A White, Patrick T Scordato, Hayley G Lind, Zachary O O'Neal, David M Rey, Timothy D McCobb, Christopher T Green, Denis R LeBlanc","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70063","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gwat.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Groundwater transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from terrestrial sources to marine coastal ecosystems is a topic of growing recognition, though with few published field studies. Furthermore, most research on PFAS fate and transport dynamics has focused on source areas with long histories like fire training and manufacturing facilities; the effect of single PFAS dispersal events to the coastal environment is not well documented. We have assessed PFAS mobility in groundwater to intertidal seepages from two discrete, adjacent tanker-truck rollover events that occurred in 1997 and 2000 where aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) were applied to suppress fuel vapors. Using a combination of groundwater-flow and particle-track modeling, geophysical field characterization, and chemical sampling, we found substantial concentrations of PFAS (up to 530.5 ng/L), mainly perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in groundwater discharging to a shoreline along an embayment used for swimming and recreational shellfish harvesting. The general groundwater trajectory to the embayment was predicted by numerical particle tracking. The highest concentrations of PFAS were found in discharges near the landward side of the intertidal zone. The discharges had variable salinity at the time of sampling. Our research generated the finding that even in areas of strong, preferential groundwater discharge at low tide, there was tidal \"pumping\" of ocean water into the aquifer sediments during higher tides. Therefore, there are likely to be continuously variable salinity conditions at similar seepage interfaces that have not been broadly considered in previous conceptual models of PFAS fate and transport.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"323-334"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13157691/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147577356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2026-04-08DOI: 10.1111/gwat.70065
Behzad Ataie Ashtiani
{"title":"Layered Radial Aquifer Model for Open-Pit Mine Closure with Managed Aquifer Recharge.","authors":"Behzad Ataie Ashtiani","doi":"10.1111/gwat.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Open-pit mine dewatering can delay post-closure pit-lake recovery and is increasingly managed using managed aquifer recharge (MAR). We develop a radially symmetric two-aquifer model that couples an unconfined aquifer, a leaky aquitard, and an underlying confined aquifer to a pit water-balance equation, extending Cook et al. (2022) to layered systems. MAR is represented by reinjecting prescribed fractions of the time-varying pumping rate at a ring radius r<sub>1</sub>, with flexible allocation between unconfined and confined injection. Nondimensionalization yields transferable type curves and a design workflow controlled by K<sub>u</sub>/S<sub>y</sub>, Kc/Sc, Λ/S<sub>c</sub>, r<sub>1</sub>/r<sub>0</sub>, and the far-field head ratio α. We evaluate 15 hydrogeologic scenarios (H0-H14) under three MAR allocations (no MAR, MAR<sub>u80</sub>, MAR<sub>split</sub>). Across scenarios, reinjecting 80% of pumped water to the unconfined aquifer (MAR<sub>u80</sub>) reduces the time for the pit water level to return within 5 m of the pre-mining unconfined head from 21-48 year (no MAR) to 1.8-28 year, with a median recovery-time ratio of 0.17, while increasing mean pumping by a median factor of 1.31. Splitting the same reinjection fraction between unconfined and confined aquifers can further shorten recovery when vertical coupling is moderate to high (Λ/S<sub>c</sub> ≳1), but increases mounding and recycling. Layering matters: for the same MAR policy, the layered base case predicts recovery times a factor of ~2-3 shorter than the homogeneous limit. The results provide screening guidance on when confined-aquifer injection can accelerate recovery without unacceptable unconfined mounding.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147635488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2013-01-01Epub Date: 2012-04-26DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00943.x
Muniram Budhu, Ibrahim Adiyaman
{"title":"The influence of clay zones on land subsidence from groundwater pumping.","authors":"Muniram Budhu, Ibrahim Adiyaman","doi":"10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00943.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00943.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this article is to analyze the influence of clay zones on subsidence from groundwater pumping. Finite element analyses were conducted on a sand-only aquifer and a sand aquifer with two clay zones located at different distances from the well face. A model that accounts for recoverable and nonrecoverable strains was used to simulate the sand and clay. This model couples the groundwater flow with the stress-deformation response of the aquifer materials. Each aquifer was pumped from a single well for a period of 6 months, and then the groundwater level was lowered gradually to an elevation below the elevation of the clay zones and kept there for 10 years. The groundwater level was then raised gradually back to the original elevation over a period of 10 years. The results of the analyses show that the ground surface subsidence profile is strongly influenced by the presence of the clays zones. The ground surface sags where these clay zones are present resulting in a wavy ground surface profile. Subsidence continued when pumping is stopped, albeit at a much slower rate than during pumping, and when the groundwater level is below the elevation of the clay zones. Clay zones further away from the well face lag the subsidence of clay zones nearer the well face because of lower changes in hydrostatic head. Sags in ground surface subsidence profile from groundwater pumping are indicators of the presence of low hydraulic conductive geological materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"51-7"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00943.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40185539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ground waterPub Date : 2013-01-01Epub Date: 2012-03-30DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00926.x
K J Reddy, T R Roth
{"title":"Arsenic removal from natural groundwater using cupric oxide.","authors":"K J Reddy, T R Roth","doi":"10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00926.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00926.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Groundwater is a main source of drinking water for some rural areas. People in these rural areas are potentially at risk from elevated levels of arsenic (As) due to a lack of water treatment facilities. The objectives of this study were to (1) measure As concentrations in approximately 50 groundwater samples from rural domestic wells in the western United States, (2) explore the potential of cupric oxide (CuO) particles in removal of As from groundwater samples under natural conditions (i.e., without adding competing anions and adjusting the pH or oxidation state), and (3) determine the effects of As removal on the chemistry of groundwater samples. Forty-six groundwater well samples from rural domestic areas were tested in this study. More than 50% of these samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Limit (US EPA MCL) of 10 µg/L for As. CuO particles effectively removed As from groundwater samples across a wide range of pH (7.11 and 8.95) and concentrations of competing anions including phosphate (<0.05 to 3.06 mg/L), silica (<1 to 54.5 mg/L), and sulfate (1.3 to 735 mg/L). Removal of As showed minor effects on the chemistry of groundwater samples, therefore most of the water quality parameters remained within the US EPA MCLs. Overall, results of this study could help develop a simple one-step process to remove As from groundwater.</p>","PeriodicalId":94022,"journal":{"name":"Ground water","volume":" ","pages":"83-91"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2012.00926.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40203374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}