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MIKE SHE Public Data Catalog

Texas, United States

Version: 0.1 test template
Purpose: State-specific public dataset catalog for building simple to advanced MIKE SHE models
Region: Texas, USA

Quick Start

Minimum Public Datasets for Recharge Modelling with MIKE SHE (United States)

If your objective is to calculate distributed groundwater recharge (without simulating groundwater flow or rivers), only five dataset categories are required.

The datasets below are recommended for almost all U.S. states and provide an excellent starting point for building a physically based recharge model.

MIKE SHE Input Dataset Type Recommended Dataset Spatial Availability Why recommended
Topography (DEM) Gridded USGS 3DEP United States High-quality national elevation data for defining surface elevation, slopes, drainage pathways and overland-flow gradients.
Land Cover Gridded NLCD United States Standard U.S. land-cover dataset for assigning vegetation types, impervious areas and overland-flow parameters.
Soil Hydraulic Properties Gridded POLARIS Continental United States Provides spatially distributed soil properties at 30 m resolution, including parameters suitable for deriving van Genuchten hydraulic functions.
Precipitation Gridded NOAA MRMS for hourly and event-scale modelling

gridMET for daily, long-term modelling		 Continental United States MRMS is particularly suitable for spatially distributed precipitation during convective storms and short-term events. gridMET provides consistent daily precipitation for long-term water-balance and recharge simulations.
Time Series NOAA COOP

NOAA ASOS

CoCoRaHS

State mesonets, such as TexMesonet and CoAgMet		 Nationwide (station-dependent) Recommended whenever reliable local rain-gauge observations are available. Station measurements can be used directly or for checking and bias-correcting gridded precipitation products.
Meteorological Forcing / Potential ET Gridded gridMET Continental United States Provides daily reference evapotranspiration together with temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation in one spatially consistent product.
Time Series NOAA ASOS

State mesonets and agricultural weather networks

For Texas: TexasET Network and TexMesonet

For California: CIMIS		 Nationwide for ASOS; otherwise state-specific or local Appropriate when complete local meteorological observations or calculated reference ET time series are available. These data can be assigned directly to climate zones or used to calculate potential evapotranspiration within MIKE SHE.

Optional Improvements

Dataset Purpose
SSURGO Higher-resolution local soil information
MODIS MCD15A3H Dynamic Leaf Area Index (LAI)
Sentinel-2 Verification and updating of land-cover maps
OpenET Validation of simulated actual evapotranspiration
SMAP Regional soil-moisture validation
  1. Download the USGS 3DEP DEM.
  2. Delineate the model domain and prepare the terrain model.
  3. Download NLCD and assign MIKE SHE vegetation classes.
  4. Download POLARIS and derive soil hydraulic parameters.
  5. Choose your meteorological forcing:
  6. Option A (recommended): Use gridMET together with NOAA MRMS for a fully gridded model setup.
  7. Option B: Import precipitation and meteorological observations from NOAA ASOS, NOAA COOP, or a State Mesonet directly into MIKE SHE.
  8. Let MIKE SHE calculate evapotranspiration internally using the selected vegetation and soil parameters.
  9. Export the distributed groundwater recharge for use in MODFLOW, FEFLOW, or other groundwater models.

1. Introduction for advanced data sources

1.1 Purpose

This document summarizes public datasets that can be used to construct a physically based MIKE SHE model for Texas.

The catalog is organized according to the typical MIKE SHE model-building workflow rather than only by dataset type. It covers datasets for:

  • terrain and overland flow
  • land cover and vegetation
  • meteorological forcing
  • potential and actual evapotranspiration
  • rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands
  • soil and unsaturated-zone parameterization
  • groundwater and hydrogeology
  • pumping and water management
  • calibration and validation

1.2 Intended Use

This catalog is intended for:

  • rapid screening models
  • regional water-balance models
  • groundwater recharge studies
  • surface-water / groundwater interaction studies
  • irrigation and water-use assessments
  • applied MIKE SHE model setup

2. Hydrological Characteristics of Texas

2.1 Climate

Texas covers several strong climatic gradients:

  • humid subtropical climate in East Texas
  • semi-arid to arid climate in West Texas
  • coastal climate along the Gulf of Mexico
  • convective storm systems across much of the state
  • tropical-storm and hurricane influence in coastal basins
  • strong drought variability

2.2 Topography

Major topographic settings include:

  • Gulf Coastal Plain
  • Edwards Plateau
  • High Plains / Llano Estacado
  • Central Texas Hill Country
  • Trans-Pecos mountains and basins
  • major low-gradient river floodplains

2.3 Major Hydrological Challenges

Important Texas modelling challenges include:

  • groundwater depletion in heavily pumped aquifers
  • irrigation demand and agricultural water use
  • recharge estimation in semi-arid regions
  • episodic storm runoff and flash flooding
  • river-aquifer interaction
  • reservoir operation and surface-water regulation
  • coastal groundwater and salinity issues
  • strong spatial gradients in rainfall and ET

2.4 Major Aquifer Systems

Important aquifers include:

  • Ogallala Aquifer
  • Edwards Aquifer
  • Gulf Coast Aquifer
  • Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer
  • Trinity Aquifer
  • Seymour Aquifer
  • Pecos Valley Aquifer
  • Hueco-Mesilla Bolson Aquifer

3. Recommended Dataset Stack

Component Recommended Dataset Alternative Dataset Importance
DEM USGS 3DEP Copernicus GLO-30 ★★★★★
Land cover NLCD ESA WorldCover ★★★★★
LAI MODIS MCD15A3H Sentinel-derived LAI products ★★★★☆
Precipitation NOAA MRMS PRISM, gridMET ★★★★★
Climate forcing gridMET ERA5-Land ★★★★★
Potential ET gridMET TexasET Network ★★★★★
Rivers NHDPlus HR USGS National Hydrography Dataset ★★★★★
Lakes / reservoirs National Hydrography Dataset Texas Water Development Board ★★★★☆
Soil POLARIS SSURGO ★★★★★
Hydrogeology Texas Water Development Board Aquifer Maps USGS Principal Aquifers ★★★★★
Groundwater heads Texas Water Development Board USGS NWIS ★★★★★
Pumping Texas Water Development Board USGS Water Use Program ★★★★☆
Streamflow calibration USGS NWIS Local agencies ★★★★★
Actual ET validation OpenET MODIS MOD16, SSEBop ★★★★★
Soil moisture validation SMAP ESA CCI Soil Moisture ★★★★☆

4. Terrain Model

4.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Terrain data are required for:

  • model surface elevation
  • overland-flow gradients
  • surface-storage controls
  • catchment delineation
  • river network verification
  • floodplain and wetland connectivity

4.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution Format MIKE SHE Suitability Advantages Limitations Recommendation
USGS 3DEP United States 1 m to 10 m products GeoTIFF / web services Primary DEM source High-quality national DEM; best standard for Texas Requires hydrological conditioning ★★★★★
Copernicus GLO-30 Global 30 m GeoTIFF Backup DEM Consistent global coverage Coarser and less locally authoritative ★★★☆☆
FABDEM Global 30 m GeoTIFF Urban / built-up support Buildings and vegetation partly removed Still coarser than 3DEP ★★★☆☆
SRTM Near-global 30 m GeoTIFF Fallback Easy access Older and less accurate than 3DEP ★★☆☆☆

4.3 Typical Preprocessing

  • reproject to model coordinate system
  • clip to model domain plus buffer
  • fill or breach sinks with care
  • resample to model grid
  • compare drainage paths with mapped rivers
  • smooth only where needed for numerical stability

4.4 Quality Checks

  • confirm river channels follow topographic lows
  • check artificial depressions in urban or flat coastal areas
  • verify coastal elevations in Gulf Coast models
  • inspect floodplains and reservoirs
  • compare derived catchments with HUC boundaries

5. Surface Water

5.1 Rivers

Dataset Coverage Format MIKE SHE / MIKE 1D Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
NHDPlus HR United States Vector + raster hydrography River network, catchments, topology Best national hydrography backbone Requires simplification for hydraulic routing ★★★★★
USGS National Hydrography Dataset United States Vector GIS Rivers, lakes, water bodies Authoritative national source Less integrated than NHDPlus HR for modelling ★★★★☆
HydroRIVERS Global Vector GIS Fallback river network Global consistency Less detailed than USGS products ★★☆☆☆

5.2 Lakes and Reservoirs

Dataset Use Recommendation
National Hydrography Dataset Lake and reservoir polygons ★★★★☆
Texas Water Development Board Texas reservoirs and water supply context ★★★★☆

5.3 Wetlands

Potential sources:

Wetland data are useful for overland-flow validation, groundwater-dependent ecosystem studies, and surface storage parameterization.

5.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • simplify river network
  • remove minor branches not relevant at model scale
  • align river network with DEM
  • define cross-sections or approximate channel geometry
  • define river-bed conductance
  • assign river boundary conditions
  • check connection to reservoirs and lakes

6. Land Cover and Vegetation

6.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Land cover and vegetation define:

  • interception
  • evapotranspiration parameters
  • root depth
  • crop coefficients
  • Manning roughness
  • irrigation zones
  • impervious areas
  • surface detention/storage behavior

6.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution Format MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
NLCD United States 30 m Raster Primary land-cover zones Best standard US land-cover product Needs hydrological reclassification ★★★★★
ESA WorldCover Global 10 m Raster Alternative land-cover map Higher spatial resolution Global legend less tailored to US modelling ★★★★☆
Dynamic World Global 10 m Cloud / Earth Engine Recent land-cover dynamics Useful for recent change detection Requires postprocessing ★★★★☆

6.3 Vegetation Datasets

Parameter Dataset Use Recommendation
LAI MODIS MCD15A3H Seasonal LAI time series ★★★★☆
NDVI MODIS / Sentinel-2 Vegetation activity and crop seasonality ★★★★☆
Root depth LANDFIRE EVT + literature Root-depth assignment by vegetation class ★★★★☆
Crop coefficient FAO-56 / USDA Agricultural ET parameterization ★★★★☆

6.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • reclassify land-cover classes into MIKE SHE vegetation zones
  • separate urban, forest, grassland, shrubland, cropland, wetlands, and open water
  • assign rooting depth by vegetation type
  • assign LAI curves or seasonal LAI maps
  • define irrigated and non-irrigated agriculture
  • assign roughness values for overland flow

7. Meteorological Forcing

7.1 Precipitation

Dataset Coverage Resolution Temporal Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
NOAA MRMS United States ~1 km Sub-hourly / hourly High-resolution precipitation forcing Good for convective storms and event dynamics Large data volume; bias correction recommended ★★★★★
PRISM United States ~4 km Daily / monthly Daily rainfall forcing Strong climatological consistency Daily only ★★★★☆
gridMET CONUS ~4 km Daily Weather forcing and water balance Convenient with other variables Daily only ★★★★☆
ERA5-Land Global ~9 km Hourly Backup forcing Physically consistent Coarser and may require bias correction ★★★☆☆

7.2 Climate Variables

Variable Recommended Dataset Alternatives MIKE SHE Use
Air temperature gridMET PRISM, ERA5-Land ET, snow/rain distinction
Wind speed gridMET ERA5-Land, TexMesonet Penman-Monteith / Shuttleworth-Wallace
Relative humidity gridMET ERA5-Land, TexMesonet Vapor-pressure deficit
Solar radiation gridMET ERA5-Land, NASA POWER ET energy term
Reference ET gridMET TexasET Network PET / ETo forcing or validation

7.3 Potential ET

Dataset Coverage Resolution Temporal Resolution Use Recommendation
gridMET CONUS ~4 km Daily Distributed reference ET ★★★★★
TexasET Network Texas stations Point Daily / station dependent Local ETo validation ★★★★☆
TexMesonet Texas stations Point Sub-daily Direct ET calculation / climate validation ★★★★☆

7.4 Snow

Snow is usually secondary for most Texas models but may be relevant in the Panhandle or for rare cold-weather events.

Dataset Use Recommendation
SNODAS Snow water equivalent and snowpack checks ★★★☆☆
MODIS Snow Cover Snow extent validation ★★☆☆☆

8. Soil Data

8.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Soil data control:

  • infiltration
  • water retention
  • evapotranspiration limitation
  • recharge generation
  • capillary rise
  • soil-water storage
  • runoff generation

8.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution Parameters MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
POLARIS CONUS 30 m Ks, texture, VG parameters, bulk density, water contents Primary distributed UZ parameterization Excellent gridded product for MIKE SHE Requires parameter checking and conversion ★★★★★
SSURGO United States Detailed map units Soil horizons and properties Detailed local model Highest local detail Complex database structure ★★★★★
gNATSGO United States Gridded Soil properties Regional models National consistency Requires conversion ★★★★☆
SoilGrids Global 250 m Global soil properties Backup Easy global access Less detailed than US products ★★★☆☆

8.3 Required Soil Parameters

Typical MIKE SHE soil parameters include:

  • saturated hydraulic conductivity
  • residual water content
  • saturated water content
  • van Genuchten alpha
  • van Genuchten n
  • field capacity
  • wilting point
  • bulk density
  • soil layering

8.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • select relevant soil depth layers
  • harmonize soil layers with MIKE SHE unsaturated-zone layers
  • resample to model grid
  • aggregate detailed soil classes
  • check unrealistic Ks values
  • calibrate sensitive parameters against runoff, groundwater heads, ET, and soil moisture

9. Hydrogeology

9.1 Purpose

Hydrogeologic data are required for:

  • defining aquifer boundaries
  • defining model layers
  • hydraulic conductivity zones
  • storage zones
  • specific yield
  • groundwater boundary conditions
  • conceptual groundwater model development

9.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Texas Water Development Board Aquifer Maps Texas Aquifer boundaries and conceptualization Best Texas-specific hydrogeology source Parameter values require interpretation ★★★★★
USGS Principal Aquifers United States Regional aquifer context National consistency Too generalized for local model ★★★★☆
GLHYMPS Global Permeability screening Useful fallback Too generalized for local Texas models ★★☆☆☆
USGS Geologic Maps United States Geological framework Useful for layer interpretation Requires hydrogeological translation ★★★★☆

9.3 Conceptual Model Recommendations

For Texas, special attention should be paid to:

  • karst and conduit effects in the Edwards Aquifer
  • thick unsaturated zones in semi-arid regions
  • shallow coastal aquifers along the Gulf Coast
  • intensive irrigation and pumping in the High Plains
  • stream-aquifer interaction in alluvial valleys
  • variable recharge mechanisms from diffuse infiltration to focused recharge

10. Groundwater Data

10.1 Initial Heads and Monitoring Wells

Dataset Coverage Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Texas Water Development Board Texas Groundwater levels and well data Best Texas-specific source Uneven spatial and temporal coverage ★★★★★
USGS NWIS United States Groundwater levels Authoritative national source Monitoring density varies ★★★★★

10.2 Pumping Wells and Water Use

Dataset Coverage Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Texas Water Development Board Texas Pumping and water-use context Texas-specific Data may require interpretation ★★★★☆
USGS Water Use Program United States Regional water-use estimates National consistency Often aggregated ★★★☆☆

10.3 Boundary Conditions

Potential boundary-condition sources:

Boundary Type Source Comment
Coastal boundary Gulf of Mexico shoreline and sea-level assumptions Relevant for Gulf Coast models
River boundary NHDPlus HR, USGS NWIS River stages may require hydraulic modelling
No-flow boundary Groundwater divides, geologic boundaries Must be justified conceptually
Pumping wells Texas Water Development Board Major uncertainty in many models

11. Water Management

11.1 Relevant Processes

Water management is often central in Texas models:

  • irrigation
  • groundwater pumping
  • surface-water diversions
  • reservoirs
  • canals
  • municipal and industrial water use
  • managed aquifer recharge
  • water rights and basin-scale water planning

11.2 Dataset Sources

Topic Dataset / Agency Use
Groundwater pumping Texas Water Development Board Pumping estimates and groundwater management
Water use USGS Water Use Program Regional water-use estimates
Reservoirs Texas Water Development Board Reservoir storage and water supply context
Irrigation ET OpenET Field-scale ET and irrigation water-use validation

12. Remote Sensing Products

Dataset Coverage Resolution Use Recommendation
OpenET Western US / CONUS availability depending on service 30 m Actual ET validation and irrigation water use ★★★★★
MODIS MOD16 Global 500 m to 1 km Regional actual ET validation ★★★☆☆
SSEBop Global / US products Product dependent Actual ET validation ★★★★☆
SMAP Global Coarse Soil moisture validation ★★★★☆
Sentinel-1 SAR Global 10 m Flood extent and wetness mapping ★★★★☆
Sentinel-2 Global 10 m Land cover and vegetation dynamics ★★★★☆
Landsat Global 30 m Long-term vegetation, land cover, ET support ★★★★☆
ECOSTRESS Selected global coverage ~70 m class Surface temperature and plant water stress ★★★☆☆

13. Calibration Datasets

Target Dataset Use Recommendation
River discharge USGS NWIS Streamflow calibration ★★★★★
Groundwater heads Texas Water Development Board / USGS NWIS Saturated-zone calibration ★★★★★
Actual ET OpenET ET validation ★★★★★
Soil moisture SMAP Regional UZ validation ★★★★☆
Reservoir storage Texas Water Development Board Reservoir/system validation ★★★★☆
Snow SNODAS Rare-event or Panhandle validation ★★☆☆☆

A robust Texas MIKE SHE model should avoid calibration against only discharge. Recommended targets are:

  1. river discharge at USGS gauges
  2. groundwater heads in representative wells
  3. seasonal and annual actual ET patterns
  4. water-balance plausibility by basin
  5. irrigation or pumping estimates where relevant

14. Typical MIKE SHE Workflow

  1. Define modelling objective and domain.
  2. Download and preprocess USGS 3DEP.
  3. Delineate catchments and surface drainage.
  4. Build river network from NHDPlus HR.
  5. Prepare land cover from NLCD.
  6. Assign vegetation parameters from MODIS MCD15A3H, LANDFIRE EVT, and literature.
  7. Prepare precipitation from NOAA MRMS or gridMET.
  8. Prepare climate forcing from gridMET.
  9. Prepare soil properties from POLARIS or SSURGO.
  10. Build hydrogeological layers from Texas Water Development Board Aquifer Maps.
  11. Import initial groundwater heads from Texas Water Development Board and USGS NWIS.
  12. Add pumping and water-use data where relevant.
  13. Couple rivers and groundwater.
  14. Calibrate discharge and groundwater heads.
  15. Validate actual ET against OpenET.
  16. Document assumptions and uncertainties.

15. Minimum Dataset Package

For a simple screening model:

Model Element Dataset
DEM USGS 3DEP
Land cover NLCD
Precipitation gridMET
Climate forcing gridMET
Reference ET gridMET
Rivers NHDPlus HR
Soils POLARIS
Aquifers Texas Water Development Board Aquifer Maps
Streamflow USGS NWIS
Groundwater heads Texas Water Development Board / USGS NWIS

16. Recommended Dataset Package

For a professional regional MIKE SHE model:

Model Element Dataset
DEM USGS 3DEP
Sub-daily precipitation NOAA MRMS
Climate forcing gridMET
Local climate validation TexMesonet
Land cover NLCD + Sentinel-2 checks
Vegetation MODIS MCD15A3H + LANDFIRE EVT
Soils POLARIS + SSURGO
Hydrogeology Texas Water Development Board + USGS Principal Aquifers
Groundwater heads Texas Water Development Board + USGS NWIS
Pumping Texas Water Development Board + USGS Water Use Program
Actual ET OpenET
Soil moisture SMAP

17. Premium Dataset Package

For high-quality consulting, regulatory, or research models, add:

Dataset Type Possible Source Purpose
Local LiDAR State / county / municipal datasets High-resolution floodplain and channel geometry
Local rain gauges Local water districts / municipalities Precipitation bias correction
Detailed pumping records Groundwater conservation districts Pumping stress refinement
Local geological models TWDB / local studies / consultants Aquifer layering and hydraulic properties
Aquifer tests Reports / local studies Hydraulic conductivity and storage calibration
Reservoir operations River authorities / water districts Managed river systems
Field soil data Local surveys Unsaturated-zone parameter validation
Crop and irrigation maps Agricultural agencies / remote sensing Irrigation demand and water use

18. Dataset Comparison Table Template

Use this table for adding new datasets.

Dataset Coverage Spatial Resolution Temporal Resolution Time Period Format API / Access License MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
★☆☆☆☆

19. Data Preparation Checklist

Terrain

  • [ ] DEM downloaded
  • [ ] DEM projected
  • [ ] DEM clipped
  • [ ] DEM conditioned
  • [ ] drainage paths checked

Surface Water

  • [ ] river network downloaded
  • [ ] river network simplified
  • [ ] river elevations checked
  • [ ] reservoirs identified
  • [ ] boundary conditions assigned

Land Cover and Vegetation

  • [ ] land-cover map downloaded
  • [ ] classes reclassified
  • [ ] vegetation zones defined
  • [ ] LAI assigned
  • [ ] rooting depths assigned
  • [ ] irrigation zones defined

Weather

  • [ ] precipitation downloaded
  • [ ] climate variables downloaded
  • [ ] PET / ETo checked
  • [ ] time series gap-checked
  • [ ] units converted
  • [ ] model forcing files prepared

Soil

  • [ ] soil data downloaded
  • [ ] hydraulic parameters extracted
  • [ ] soil layers harmonized
  • [ ] parameter zones created
  • [ ] unrealistic values checked

Groundwater

  • [ ] aquifer boundaries downloaded
  • [ ] hydrogeologic layers defined
  • [ ] initial heads interpolated
  • [ ] pumping data added
  • [ ] boundary conditions defined

Calibration and Validation

  • [ ] discharge gauges selected
  • [ ] groundwater wells selected
  • [ ] OpenET data prepared
  • [ ] soil moisture data prepared if needed
  • [ ] calibration periods defined
  • [ ] validation periods defined

20. References and Official Data Portals

21. Notes on Uncertainty

Important uncertainties for Texas MIKE SHE models include:

  • precipitation bias during convective storms
  • groundwater pumping uncertainty
  • irrigation timing and amount
  • soil hydraulic parameter uncertainty
  • recharge mechanisms in semi-arid and karst regions
  • river-bed conductance uncertainty
  • reservoir operations
  • coastal boundary assumptions
  • mismatch between satellite ET and modelled ET
  • aggregation from fine datasets to model-grid resolution

A defensible model should document dataset choices, preprocessing assumptions, calibration strategy, validation results, and known limitations.