Mean annual potential groundwater recharge rates from 1996 - 2010 for Minnesota

These data represent mean annual potential recharge rates from 1996-2010 to surficial materials for Minnesota using the Soil-Water-Balance model (Westenbroek and others, 2010). They can be used wherever regional estimates of recharge are needed, for example, preliminary estimates for watershed planners and groundwater modelers to obtain potential recharge estimates for an area of interest. The methodology is documented in: Smith, E.A., and Westenbroek, S.M., 2015, Potential groundwater recharge for the state of Minnesota using the Soil-Water-Balance model, 1996-2010: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5038 (project report). The original SWB model is documented in: Westenbroek, S.M., Kelson, V.A., Dripps, W.R., Hunt, R.J., and Bradbury, K.R., 2010, SWB - A modified Thornthwaite-Mather Soil-Water-Balance code for estimating groundwater recharge: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 6, chap. A31, 60 p. Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/tm6-a31/