Modeling Shallow Urban Groundwater at Regional and Local Scales: A Case Study in Detroit, MI

Abstract

Groundwater plays a significant role in the vitality of the Great Lakes Basin, supplying water for various sections. Due to the interconnection of groundwater and surface water features in this region, the groundwater quality can be affected, leading to potential economic, political, health, and social issues for the region. Groundwater resources have received less emphasis, perhaps due to an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. The incomplete characterization of groundwater, especially shallow, near-surface waters in urban centers, is an added source of environmental vulnerability for the Great Lakes Basin. This paper provides an improved understanding of urban groundwater to reduce this vulnerability. Towards that end, two approaches for improved characterization of groundwater in southeast Michigan are employed in this project. In the first approach, we construct a regional groundwater model that encompasses four major watersheds to define the large-scale groundwater features. In the second approach, we adopt a local scale and develop a local urban water budget with subsequent groundwater simulation. The results show the groundwater movement in the two different scales, implying the effect of urban settings on the subsurface resources. Both the regional and local scale models can be used to evaluate and mitigate environmental risks in urban centers.

Measuring city-scale green infrastructure drawdown dynamics using internet-connected sensors in Detroit

“…Teimoori et al (2021) found that the modeled depth to groundwater in Detroit ranged from approximately 1-3 meters below the ground surface. 45 Detroit's climate follows a four-season pattern, with average temperatures ranging from −7.11 °C to 28.7 °C. Detroit averages 87 cm and 137 days of precipitation per year.…”

“…This illustrates the importance of evaluating groundwater levels when planning urban GI installations, especially since many urban areas have shallow groundwater tables, 61 including Detroit. 45 The correlation with longitude may be explained by prolonged soil compaction from development in central Detroit. 62 Some physiographic features had low correlation with the decay constants.…”

Urban Hydrogeology Studies

“…The main directions of the current research worldwide in urban hydrogeology are well balanced in this Special Issue. Three papers [3][4][5] describe different research experiences in quantitative urban groundwater studies with case studies in Detroit, USA, and Nantes, France, the third one being a laboratory study. The qualitative urban groundwater nucleus of this volume is represented by three other papers of three distinct cases studies that describe distinct groundwater contamination problems.…”

“…A study [3] in the Great Lakes Basin in Detroit, USA, provides an improved understanding of urban groundwater focusing on two approaches: the regional and local areas. A regional groundwater model that encompasses four major watersheds has been defined to outline the large-scale groundwater characteristics.…”

Groundwater in Crisis? Addressing Groundwater Challenges in Michigan (USA) as a Template for the Great Lakes

“…Anthropogenic modifications to urban groundwater systems-urban areas are zones of high anthropogenic disturbance that alter the natural water cycle. Urban water cycles require new and diverse strategies to adequately manage groundwater depth, flow, and quality [90,91].…”