| This study examines how recharge values vary spatially and temporally in the temperate climate of southeastern New Hampshire. A three dimensional groundwater model (MODFLOW) linked with a one dimensional unsaturated zone model (UZF package) was used to estimate recharge from July to November 2009 at the Burley Demeritt farm watershed in Lee, NH. The results show that topography, specifically its control on the depth of the water table, is the main factor controlling the spatial recharge patterns, with soil characteristics playing a secondary role; the main factors controlling the temporal recharge patterns are the intensity and timing of the precipitation. Net recharge amounts varied drastically spatially from 0% up to almost 60% of precipitation in different locations across the farm watershed. The watershed-wide net recharge average was 10% of precipitation, which is slightly lower than 24% net recharge average for the state of New Hampshire (Flynn and Tasker, 2004). |
