Importing Modflow Files

[Cameron Jenkins 0]

If you have questions about importing MODFLOW files into GMS look at our wiki

Importing MODFLOW files

[CTGMS 0]

If you have questions about importing MODFLOW files into GMS look at our wiki

Importing MODFLOW files

I would like to know if others can successfully import MODFLOW files into GMS.

I have been trying to import a MODFLOW 2000 file into GMS that was constructed by a groundwater specialist at the USGS. I have not been successful -- first I got an error message about the .dis file. I changed the file format and now I am getting an error message about the .rch file. I contacted Tech Support in both instances and they simply point me to a generalized USGS site where I am supposed to search for the file formats.

Is the problem with my simple USGS model or have others had problems importing into GMS????

[Rob Virtue 0]

I have successfully imported PMWIN files simply by opening the *.nam file from the GMS "File" menu. This did not require re-naming of any files to suit the GMS naming convention. If there is no .nam file, you may need to rename various files from, for a visual modflow example, BAS.DAT to blah.bas, or RCH.DAT to blah.rch, where blah is the project name.

I have not had much success with old Visual MODFLOW files but I have not tried files generated by current versions.

Rob Virtue

I would like to know if others can successfully import MODFLOW files into GMS.

I have been trying to import a MODFLOW 2000 file into GMS that was constructed by a groundwater specialist at the USGS. I have not been successful -- first I got an error message about the .dis file. I changed the file format and now I am getting an error message about the .rch file. I contacted Tech Support in both instances and they simply point me to a generalized USGS site where I am supposed to search for the file formats.

Is the problem with my simple USGS model or have others had problems importing into GMS????

Edited June 11, 2008 by Rob Virtue

[CTGMS 0]

From the beginning, I tried to import the MODFLOW files into GMS by opening the .nam file, as you suggest and as recommended in the wiki. The good news is that I can now open the files in GMS. The issues were a minor format error in the .dis file (0s were in a column and GMS appears to require them in a row) and a format error in the .rch file (there were single quote marks (') that were unacceptable in GMS). Tech support solved that problem. The bad news is that even though GMS can read the files, MODFLOW cannot be run and it comes up with the message "Error reading array". The bottom line is that GMS is not compatible with a basic MODFLOW model produced by the USGS without some tinkering.