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Recharge modelling

A quite common task is to produce groundwater recharge rates as inputs for other common groundwater models, like FEFLOW or MODFLOW, which are not capable of simulating groundwater recharge theirselves, like MIKE SHE can do.
Especially for this purpose, it is possible to deactivate the full 3D groundwater module in MIKE SHE and use MIKE SHE only as surface water hydrology model in a limited version.

1. Required license options

This use case of MIKE SHE does not require a full MIKE SHE HD license and can be achieved with the Recharge Modelling Subscription Package:

This package includes MIKE SHE modules for Overland Flow and Unsaturated Zone simulations. Groundwater processes have been simplified, with the Finite-Difference method for the Saturated Zone and all Water Quality options are excluded. The Linear-Reservoir method for groundwater–river interaction is available but only applies when used with the River Hydraulics module.
- Simulate hydrological processes affecting groundwater recharge using a fully distributed approach. Apply precipitation and evapotranspiration as constant values, station data, or transient grids. Choose lumped or discretised methods for Overland Flow and Unsaturated Zone simulations, and assess land use impacts on recharge rates. Optional snowmelt and irrigation features account for seasonal and agricultural effects.

  • Generate accurate groundwater recharge rates for models such as FEFLOW or MODFLOW, or assess recharge directly as a key freshwater resource within your catchment.

  • When combined with the River Hydraulics add-on, the Linear Reservoir method converts simulated recharge into lateral inflows for your coupled MIKE+ Rivers model, enabling direct calculation of river discharge and water levels as key inputs for groundwater modelling.

  • This basic MIKE SHE version excludes the fully distributed 3D Finite-Difference groundwater model for the Saturated Zone and therefore does not simulate groundwater levels or flows. Instead, the groundwater table must be defined as an input for the Unsaturated Zone model. This simplification is suitable for regions with groundwater depths greater than two to three metres, where capillary rise effects are minimal.

  • If rising groundwater levels and increased capillary rise significantly affect evapotranspiration, the Hydrology and Hydraulics subscription package is recommended, which provides the full capabilities of MIKE SHE including interactions between rivers, groundwater, and evapotranspiration.

  • For use in the MODFLOW RCH package, DHI has developed a methodology in MIKE OPERATIONS, based on Zonal Statistics, to preserve mass when transforming DFS2 gridded recharge rates to MODFLOW grid files. Contact mike@dhigroup.com to request a standalone executable tool, that automatically does the transformation for you.

  • Recharge rates generated as DFS2 grids can be imported directly into FEFLOW using its built-in import function (see KA-01204 on the DHI Customer Care Portal for details).

2. Detailed Step-by-Step guide how to build a basic MIKE SHE model to simulate only groundwater recharge

UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WILL BE FINISHED BY FEBRUARY