Evaluating the HYPE model for estimating groundwater recharge in a groundwater dominated catchment in Poland

Abstract

Hydrological models can be useful tools simulating climate and land use changes and their impact on nutrients outflows from a catchment area. One of them is the HYPE (Hydrological Predictions for the Environment) water quality model applicable to different spatial scales. Groundwater recharge via infiltrating precipitation is a significant water budget component. The rate of groundwater recharge in the HYPE model is estimated from the water balance in soils. The Kocinka river catchment is one of the test areas in the BONUS-Soils2Sea project where HYPE model modelling was carried out. A hydrograph, among others, is one of the modelling results and, based on it, the recharge rate of groundwater was determined. This value was compared with groundwater recharge rates estimated by the infiltration method used for the Groundwater Vulnerability Map of Poland.