Improved Recharge Estimation from Portable, Low-Cost Weather Stations

Area of Science:

• Hydrology
• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Accurate groundwater recharge estimation is vital for sustainable water resource management.
• Physical-based modeling offers a robust approach for assessing groundwater recharge.
• Low-cost weather stations and remote sensing techniques enhance data acquisition for hydrological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and robustness of groundwater recharge estimation using physical-based modeling.
• To assess recharge using data from a low-cost weather station and remote sensing in Southern Abbotsford, BC.
• To validate model performance with observed soil moisture and temperature data.

Main Methods:

• Employed the Richards-based vadose zone hydrological model, HYDRUS-1D.
• Utilized meteorological data from a HOBO weather station (1 year) and Abbotsford A weather station (27 years).
• Incorporated soil hydraulic parameters derived from undisturbed soil cores and validated with remote sensor data.

Main Results:

• Estimated short-term recharge at 863 and 816 mm.
• Calculated mean annual recharge over 27 years as 848 and 859 mm/year.
• Determined annual recharge-precipitation ratios between 43% and 69%, with 80% occurring in winter.

Conclusions:

• The HYDRUS-1D model, with local data, provides reliable groundwater recharge estimates.
• The method is robust and suitable for transient recharge predictions.
• This approach can aid in estimating nutrient leaching, particularly nitrate, influenced by precipitation events.