Estimating exploitable amount of groundwater abstraction using an integrated surface water–groundwater model: Mihocheon watershed, South Korea

Abstract A holistic approach to groundwater sustainability considers the hydrological, ecological, socio-economic and technological aspects of groundwater utilization. Exploitable groundwater should be determined by physical analysis, as well as by social compromises within a community. In this work, an integrated surface water–groundwater model, SWAT-MODFLOW, is used to examine changes in hydrological components due to various groundwater pumping scenarios in the Mihocheon watershed of South Korea. Under a total groundwater abstraction of 104 mm, which is slightly less than the amount currently permissible by law, a change in storage levels of –16 mm occurred. This abstraction value, which corresponds to 33% of the annual recharge, may be an exploitable groundwater reserve available to Cheongju City, Korea. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor V. Krysanova