Reservoir Losses to Groundwater

Seepage losses from reservoirs can be significant, particularly in lakes and unlined reservoirs. To model these losses, specify the groundwater node and flow to it for each timestep. Net gains from groundwater to the reservoir should be entered as negative numbers.

Reservoir losses to groundwater can also be used to model infiltration ponds and retention basins. This type of structure, one of several "Best Management Practices" (BMPs), is useful for holding stormwater runoff to allow it to recharge the aquifer, and as a means for reducing non-point source pollution runoff into surface water. Typically, this would be represented in WEAP by a catchment (to model the stormwater runoff) that runs off into a reservoir (with no operations--set the top of inactive equal to the total storage), which has losses to groundwater and overflows to a river (which flows into the received surface water body).

Entered on: Data View, Branch: Supply and Resources \ Local or River \ Reservoir, Category: Physical, Tab: Loss to Groundwater