Metro Model 3
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Groundwater Flow Model, Version 3.0
SUMMARY
Through 2014, the Metropolitan Council used Metro Model 2, a regional groundwater model, for predicting the impacts of planned water demand on aquifers and connected lakes and streams. The Metro Model 2 was a modern and comprehensive groundwater model of the Twin Cities area, but new information collected since 2010 made it out-of-date.
In order to provide the best available information for the update of the Council’s policy plans and related documents and tools, the model was updated with new information, adapted to run transient (seasonal) simulations, and expanded to consider impacts of water supply development in adjacent counties.
DELIVERABLES
All deliverables can be downloaded from the Metropolitan Council’s Metro Model 3 web page:
- MODFLOW model files
- Groundwater Vistas model files
- Technical report
- User manual
OUTCOMES
- Better information to inform recommendations and policies about the local and regional water supply impacts of long-range growth plans in the Regional Development Framework, system policy plans, and in the Metropolitan Area Master Water Supply Plan
- Improvement in the base of technical information needed for sound water supply decisions
- Increased use of the Metro Model by external stakeholders for state-, local-, and watershed-level planning