Hydrologic Modeling of the Lower Altamaha River Basin

An integrated hydrologic model is developed for the lower Altamaha river basin to facilitate the overall understanding of the system and to provide necessary information for future water quality modeling and management efforts. The numerical model integrates all major surface and subsurface flow pathways and implements the first principles in a multidimensional framework. In its current state, the model includes (i) a one-dimensional river/stream flow component and (ii) a two-dimensional groundwater flow component. These components are linked along the river-bottom interface by using a simultaneous coupling procedure. Simulations performed with this physically-based coupled model reveal the response characteristics of the lower Altamaha basin to various hydrological inputs.