MODFLOW-6 model of variable-density groundwater flow and brine discharge to the Dolores River in the Paradox Valley, Colorado

MODFLOW-6 with the Groundwater Flow (GWF) and Groundwater Transport (GWT) models was used to simulate the geohydrology of the aquifer system of the Paradox Valley in western Colorado. Salinity of the Colorado River is a major concern in both the United States and the Republic of Mexico. The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water for about 40 million people and irrigation of about 5.5 million acres in the United States, and for about 3 million people and irrigation of about 500,000 acres in Mexico. In Paradox Valley, groundwater transports salt dissolved from buried halite to the Dolores River and is a major natural contributor to river salinity in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Since July 1996, the Bureau of Reclamation has [...]