Examining the challenges of simulating surface water–groundwater interactions in a post-glacial environment

Although integrated models are increasingly used for water management purposes, detailed applications of these models under different conditions are necessary to guide their implementation. The objective of this study was to examine some of the challenges encountered when simulating surface water–groundwater interactions in a post-glacial geological environment. The integrated Mike SHE model was used to simulate transient-state heads and flows in the Raquette River watershed in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region of southwestern Quebec (Canada) over a 2-year period. This application benefited from a detailed hydrogeological database recently developed for the region. Overall, flows, heads and groundwater inputs to the river were adequately simulated. A sensitivity analysis has shown that many hydrogeologic and surface flow parameters have an impact on both flow rates and heads, thus underlining the importance of using an integrated model to study watershed-scale water issues. Additional flow rate measurements ...