Interactive groundwater flow model to support water right applications in agricultural regions

The evaluation of the groundwater level development in Lower Saxony by the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) has shown that a decline in groundwater levels can be observed from 2002 onwards. At the same time, the number of applications for groundwater abstraction is increasing regionally, especially for irrigation purposes but also for the supply of livestock facilities. To estimate the groundwater supply and to support the application process for further water rights, a regional, interactive groundwater model (FEFLOW (c)) was developed for the district of Vechta. This model can be extended or modified by the user via an Excel input mask. The results, such as drawdown funnels, are automatically displayed in an interactive result map in HTML-format. This enables the authority itself to make an initial model-based assessment of the potential impact of new water right applications.