Forecast of natural aquifer discharge using a data-driven, statistical approach.

In the Western United States, demand for water is often out of balance with limited water supplies. This has led to extensive water rights conflict and litigation. A tool that can reliably forecast natural aquifer discharge months ahead of peak water demand could help water practitioners and managers by providing advanced knowledge of potential water-right mitigation requirements.

Forecasting natural aquifer discharge using a numerical model and convolution.

If the nature of groundwater sources and sinks can be determined or predicted, the data can be used to forecast natural aquifer discharge. We present a procedure to forecast the relative contribution of individual aquifer sources and sinks to natural aquifer discharge. Using these individual aquifer recharge components, along with observed aquifer heads for each January, we generate a 1-year, monthly spring discharge forecast for the upcoming year with an existing numerical model and convolution.