Characterization of Ground‐Water Flow by Field Mapping and Numerical Simulation, Ross Creek Basin, Alberta, Canada

Hydrogeological mapping and numerical simulation techniques have been used to characterize the flow of ground water in Ross Creek Basin, Alberta, Canada. Forty percent of the basin's ground water is recharged in the Cypress Hills and discharged through local, intermediate, and regional flow systems at lower topographic elevations north of the hills. The remaining 60 percent is recharged through randomly distributed areas of restricted sizes. The similarity between the flow patterns mapped in the field and simulated numerically is an indication that the mapping technique is useful in determining ground‐water flow patterns throughout the various climatic regions in the Alberta prairies. Ground‐water discharge was found not to be restricted to the thalwegs of the main drainage ways, Ross and Gros Ventre Creeks, and their tributaries. Consequently, measurable base flow cannot represent the total discharge of ground water, which is estimated to be 2·0 × 10⁻⁴ m³/s or 22 percent of the total precipitation in the basin. There is evidence that soil development has been influenced by ground water in this area.