Analytic Modeling Systems—Three-Dimensional Fence Diagrams

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation manages many large federal dams in the western United States. One of these dams, Shasta, is currently undergoing studies in preparation for enlarging its reservoir capacity. Research is under way to examine potential changes in groundwater levels and movement that may occur because of this facility expansion.

HydroSphere, a finite-element model, is being implemented to assist these studies. HydroSphere is somewhat unique in that it solves the surface and groundwater equations simultaneously, rather than using several models. From a GIS perspective, this project is interesting because ArcGIS is being used to generate three-dimensional fence diagrams.