General purpose finite element based numerical groundwater models were developed and applied to a shallow unconfined aquifer near Ames, Iowa. The models are microcomputer based continuous simulation models able to simulate both confined and unconfined aquifer systems in two or three dimensions. The programs have the ability to simulate the impact of such hydrologic variables as pumping, stream flow, infiltration and evapotranspiration on the aquifer. The models were written with a modular structure which separates the different hydrologic variables within the program for easy modification;The two dimensional model was calibrated and verified with data collected over a fifteen year period by various researchers. Data for the calibration of the three dimensional model were collected from a set of piezometers installed near a stream which recharges the aquifer.