Both reviewers have provided useful, thorough and constructive reviews. They found the manuscript to be an important contribution to modeling chalk in the framework of both a land-surface and groundwater model.

I agree with the reviewers that the manuscript should be accepted following minor revision. I now request that authors incorporate their proposed changes into the manuscript.

I thank the reviewers for their thoughtful and thorough reviews and to the authors for their responses to the reviewers and their changes to the manuscript. I feel that the manuscript should be accepted.

I do ask, given the large number of abbreviations and parameter abbreviations in the text, that the authors carefully review the manuscript preparation standards for HESS. For example, in the first use of the PDM model (Section 3.2, Paragraph 2), 'PDM' is not spelled out. The guidance for authors is here: http://www.hydrology-and-earth-system-sciences.net/for_authors/manuscript_preparation.html.