The Frenchman Creek basin in semi-arid southwestern Nebraska is an area dominated by agriculture where water levels in the aquifer have declined significantly since predevelopment. Analysis of streamflow data at several gages along Frenchman Creek indicates a streamflow reduction since the 1950s. The cause of this reduction is a combination of groundwater abstraction for irrigation, terracing, and other land use changes. However, the relative influence for each factor is not well quantified. The objective of this study is to develop a physically-based analytical model that characterizes the effects of pumping, terracing, and other land use changes on streamflow of Frenchman Creek from predevelopment to today. The model utilizes data [...]
