This is an executive summary of the three state model developed by the Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska modeling team. Click on the link below to view the whole document.
In accordance with the December 15, 2002 Final Settlement Stipulation in Kansas v. Nebraska and Colorado, No. 126 Original, the Republican River Ground Water Modeling Committee developed a comprehensive ground water model to represent the ground water flow system in the Republican River Basin. The primary purpose of the Republican River Compact Administration Ground Water Model (RRCA Model) is to determine the amount, location, and timing of streamflow depletions to the Republican River caused by well pumping and to determine streamflow accretions from recharge of water imported from the Platte River Basin into the Republican River Basin.
Representatives from the State of Colorado, State of Kansas, and State of Nebraska developed the RRCA Model, with participation from the United States Bureau of Reclamation and United States Geological Survey. The data and information used in construction and calibration of the RRCA Model were provided and shared by all three States and the United States in a collegial manner. In a similar vein, the RRCA Model was constructed and calibrated in a collaborative exercise by technical experts from all three States.
The RRCA Model is fully operational and calibrated to represent the physical and hydrogeological characteristics of the Republican River Basin to a reasonable degree. The RRCA Model matches the trend and magnitude of ground water level changes and stream baseflow targets distributed throughout the Republican River Basin, without significant bias in any region or hydrologic characteristic. The RRCA Model is calibrated to a sufficient degree that depletions from ground water pumping and accretions from imported water from the Platte River System to the Republican River may be quantified and assigned to prescribed streamflow reaches in accord with the RRCA Accounting Procedures. View Model Website