Zones Types

Workflow context
For the workflow context, see 📘 Aquifer Attributes (zones)

The Zone Types section can also be used to 1) create a water budget of the zone added to the model domain, 2) assign part of the model domain as inactive or as the submodel domain; 3) to make the polygon ‘virtual’ (i.e., all of the applied will be ignored during simulation);4) generate a refined grid within the zone area; or 5) assign the zone for overland flow modeling and specify model parameters.

Active vs. Inactive

Select the radio button next to ‘Inactive’ to set assign the portion of the model domain covered by the zone as inactive. By default, the zone is assigned as 'Active'

Polygon Only

Select the radio button next to ‘PolygonOnly’ to make the polygon ‘virtual’ (i.e., all of the applied will be ignored during simulation).

Refined Grid

Check this box to utilize the zone feature for refining the numerical grid within the zone area to resolve details and complexities of interest. Click the 'Edit Grid' button to view or change the refinement parameters.

Zone Budget (Water Balance)

Check the radio box next to ‘Zone Budget’. When the model is simulated/run forward, a zone budget for the zone(s) will be available in the Mass Balance Bar chart when analyzing model results with the ‘ViewResult’ button.

Zone Boundary Included

Checking this option ensures that cells along the polygon boundary are mapped following the zone treatment/characteristics (e.g., as a two-way surface water feature). Depending on the discretization (cell size), the boundary cells may be "missed" without checking this option.

However, it may make sense to leave this box unchecked if building a fine-grid model with detailed, complex, and/or high resolution GIS data (e.g., watersheds as zones), because discretization will take much longer with the 'Zone Boundary Included' option being utilized. Users may consider generalizing (or smoothing) detailed vector datasets (polygons or polylines) using the built-in IGW-NET tool to make discretization more efficient.

Zone Name and Data Name

Zone Name is the name that will appear when selecting lines for editing from ZoneAttr drop-down menu (Conceptual Model Tools > Zones > ZoneAttr). DataName is the ID to be used when performing model calibration/evaluation (e.g., comparing simulated fluxes to observed fluxes). Be default, they are the same, but either may be changed using the provided text boxes.

Overland Flow...

Click this button to open the 'Surface Water Overland Flow Options' interface for modeling land surface hydrology (i.e., overland flow, infiltration, and evapotranspiration). The Zone area wil define the overland flow modeling domain. (To use the whole modeling area for overland flow modeling, consider using the Zone=DM option to add a zone that is the same size as the model domain: Conceptual Model Tools > Zones > Zone=DM.)