data import to a transient simulation with a steady-state stress period

[mbm]

I am importing several datasets (observations and boundary conditions) into a transient MODFLOW model, in which the first stress period is steady state. Each dataset is being imported into a conceptual coverage, and then mapped to MODFLOW.

I have never run a transient simulation in which the first stress period is steady state, and so I am wondering about the appropriate format of the imported datasets. Do I format each dataset to match the stress-period setup (i.e. the first record should have the same "dummy" start date as the first stress period)? Or should I create separate steady-state and transient conceptual coverages for each boundary condition/observation dataset?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Alan Lemon]

If you use date/time format for you transient data then you can set up the stress periods with the dates that you want.

If you use relative time (time starts at 0.0 and increases throughout the simulation) for your transient data you can have your first stress period be steady state and have a length of 0.0 and then the following stress periods will be transient. You can see an example of this in one of the GMS tutorials here: http://gmstutorials-9.1.aquaveo.com/MODFLOW-TransientCalibrationPumpTest.pdf