Potential recharge for groundwater-flow models in north-central Nevada

A potential precipitation-recharge distribution was estimated across 23 hydrographic areas (HAs) to constrain water balances of groundwater-flow models in north-central Nevada that are operated by Nevada Gold Mines. This recharge distribution was estimated from the annual 1991–2020 PRISM precipitation distribution. Precipitation volumes were reduced to representative published recharge volumes using the Maxey-Eakin method, where recharge efficiencies varied as a function of elevation, latitude, and longitude instead of precipitation rates. Estimated potential recharge agreed with the conceptual model, where potential recharge primarily occurs in mountains. In Nevada, potential precipitation recharge commonly occurs over low-permeability rocks in mountain blocks, and this study illustrates how to estimate an in-place recharge distribution for this condition, with an example from the Carlin Trend model.