Teach Me How to <scp>PyCap</scp> : A High‐Capacity Well Decision Support Tool Using Analytical Solutions in Python

Regulatory agencies in humid temperate environments rely on timely evaluations of streamflow depletion and drawdown to protect aquatic ecosystems and existing water users. Numerical models offer detailed insights, but their complexity and time demands often preclude their practical use in rapid decision-making. We present pycap-dss, an open-source Python package that implements a suite of analytical solutions for estimating streamflow depletion and drawdown. The tool supports superposition of multiple wells and time-varying pumping, enabling cumulative impact assessments in situations with multiple wells and streams. The software is modular and extensible, allowing users to interchange solutions or add new analytical methods. A YAML-based configuration supports batch processing of multiple wells, and an optional AnalysisProject class facilitates integration with regulatory workflows. Rigorous unit and regression testing ensures computational reliability, and continuous integration supports ongoing development. We demonstrate deterministic examples of drawdown where multiple solutions are readily compared and streamflow depletion with multiple wells in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin. We also show the value of Monte Carlo analyses of streamflow depletion in the same Central Sands example, leveraging computational efficiency to evaluate the uncertainty of individual and cumulative streamflow depletion calculations from over 200 high-capacity wells.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ground Water
Published
2026-01-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.70046
Primary Topic
Flood Risk Assessment and Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Teach Me How to PyCap : A High‐Capacity Well Decision Support Tool Using Analytical Solutions in Python

Howard W. Reeves, Michael N. Fienen, Aaron H. Pruitt
Ground Water
Flood Risk Assessment and Management
article

Teach Me How to PyCap : A High‐Capacity Well Decision Support Tool Using Analytical Solutions in Python

Howard W. Reeves, Michael N. Fienen, Aaron H. Pruitt
article en

Abstract

Regulatory agencies in humid temperate environments rely on timely evaluations of streamflow depletion and drawdown to protect aquatic ecosystems and existing water users. Numerical models offer detailed insights, but their complexity and time demands often preclude their practical use in rapid decision-making. We present pycap-dss, an open-source Python package that implements a suite of analytical solutions for estimating streamflow depletion and drawdown. The tool supports superposition of multiple wells and time-varying pumping, enabling cumulative impact assessments in situations with multiple wells and streams. The software is modular and extensible, allowing users to interchange solutions or add new analytical methods. A YAML-based configuration supports batch processing of multiple wells, and an optional AnalysisProject class facilitates integration with regulatory workflows. Rigorous unit and regression testing ensures computational reliability, and continuous integration supports ongoing development. We demonstrate deterministic examples of drawdown where multiple solutions are readily compared and streamflow depletion with multiple wells in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin. We also show the value of Monte Carlo analyses of streamflow depletion in the same Central Sands example, leveraging computational efficiency to evaluate the uncertainty of individual and cumulative streamflow depletion calculations from over 200 high-capacity wells.

Ground WaterVol. 64(2)
United States Geological Survey (US), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (US), Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Openalex Percentile: Top 85%
Flood Risk Assessment and Management
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