Seasonal Influences of Precipitation and River Stage on Groundwater Levels in Platte River Watersheds Vulnerable to Spring Floods

Spring floods occurring in the Midwest US are often aggravated by meteorological and hydrological conditions. In this study, the seasonal influences of precipitation (PRCP) and river stage (RS) on groundwater level (GWL) fluctuations were analyzed for the Middle and Lower Platte watersheds along the Platte River in a Midwestern catchment that is vulnerable to spring floods. Statistical analysis was conducted to simulate GWL with a moving average-based time lag consideration approach by using multiple hydrological data sets for 25 study sites. The results showed that the time lag consideration approach appropriately provided the regional information of water infiltration characteristics among GWL, PRCP, and RS for each study site. Also, the correlations of GWL with PRCP and RS were found to vary depending on the season. Especially in the early spring season, the correlation of GWL with PRCP is very weak (correlation coefficient=0.001 to 0.198). This may be due to entirely or partially frozen ground, which prevents rainwater from penetrating into the aquifer, causing large amounts of runoff and contributing to frequent flooding in early spring. In addition, statistical analysis showed that accounting for the time lag of PRCP and RS improved GWL simulation performance, and their influence varied by season. © 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)