SEEPAGE, a New MODFLOW DRAIN Package

The prediction of the location of ground water discharge areas is a key aspect for the protection and (re)development of ground water‐dependent wetlands. Ground water discharge areas can be simulated with MODFLOW using the DRAIN package by setting the drain level equal to the topography, while the conductance is mostly set to an arbitrary high value. However, conceptual and practical problems arise in the calculation of the ground water discharge by the DRAIN package as calculated water tables above the land surface, difficult parameterization of the conductance, and large water balance errors. To overcome these problems, a new SEEPAGE package for MODFLOW is proposed. The basic idea of this package is an adaptable constant head cell. It has a variable head, unless the ground water rises above the seepage level, in which case it has a constant head cell. The estimation of the ground water discharge location along a homogeneous, isotropic, linear sloping profile is used to verify the model and to compare it to the DRAIN solution. In an application to three basins in Belgium, it is shown that the SEEPAGE package can be used in combination with the DRAIN package in situations where an upper boundary for a free water table and additional resistance for drainage is required. It is clearly demonstrated that the identification and delineation of regional ground water discharge areas is more accurate using the SEEPAGE package.