diff --git a/.docs/Notebooks/mf6_mnw2_tutorial01.py b/.docs/Notebooks/mf6_mnw2_tutorial01.py
index 745afbb95d..6f09a523a6 100644
--- a/.docs/Notebooks/mf6_mnw2_tutorial01.py
+++ b/.docs/Notebooks/mf6_mnw2_tutorial01.py
@@ -77,11 +77,6 @@
 )
 node_data
 
-# #### convert the DataFrame to a recarray for compatibility with flopy
-
-node_data = node_data.to_records()
-node_data
-
 # ### Stress period information
 # (could also be developed externally)
 
@@ -97,7 +92,7 @@
 stress_period_data
 
 pers = stress_period_data.groupby("per")
-stress_period_data = {i: pers.get_group(i).to_records() for i in [0, 1]}
+stress_period_data = {i: pers.get_group(i) for i in [0, 1]}
 stress_period_data
 
 # ### Make ``ModflowMnw2`` package object
diff --git a/autotest/test_modflow.py b/autotest/test_modflow.py
index 62675b9b27..253fa0fec3 100644
--- a/autotest/test_modflow.py
+++ b/autotest/test_modflow.py
@@ -915,11 +915,19 @@ def test_bcs_check(function_tmpdir):
     assert len(chk.summary_array) == 1
 
     ghb = ModflowGhb(mf, stress_period_data={0: [0, 0, 0, 100, 1]})
+    riv_spd = pd.DataFrame(
+        [[0, 0, 0, 0, 101.0, 10.0, 100.0], [0, 0, 0, 1, 80.0, 10.0, 90.0]],
+        columns=["per", "k", "i", "j", "stage", "cond", "rbot"],
+    )
+
+    pers = riv_spd.groupby("per")
+    riv_spd = {i: pers.get_group(i).drop("per", axis=1) for i in [0]}
     riv = ModflowRiv(
         mf,
-        stress_period_data={
-            0: [[0, 0, 0, 101, 10, 100], [0, 0, 1, 80, 10, 90]]
-        },
+        stress_period_data=riv_spd,
+        # stress_period_data={
+        #     0: [[0, 0, 0, 101, 10, 100], [0, 0, 1, 80, 10, 90]]
+        # },
     )
     chk = ghb.check()
     assert chk.summary_array["desc"][0] == "BC in inactive cell"
diff --git a/flopy/modflow/mfmnw2.py b/flopy/modflow/mfmnw2.py
index e3921d6cfb..f778591238 100644
--- a/flopy/modflow/mfmnw2.py
+++ b/flopy/modflow/mfmnw2.py
@@ -1075,6 +1075,12 @@ def __init__(
             dtype=self.get_default_spd_dtype(structured=self.structured),
         )
         if stress_period_data is not None:
+            stress_period_data = {
+                per: sp.to_records(index=False)
+                if isinstance(sp, pd.DataFrame)
+                else sp
+                for per, sp in stress_period_data.items()
+            }
             for per, data in stress_period_data.items():
                 spd = ModflowMnw2.get_empty_stress_period_data(
                     len(data), aux_names=aux
diff --git a/flopy/modflow/mfriv.py b/flopy/modflow/mfriv.py
index 7ab5800007..63e0ee155d 100644
--- a/flopy/modflow/mfriv.py
+++ b/flopy/modflow/mfriv.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 """
 
 import numpy as np
+import pandas as pd
 
 from ..pakbase import Package
 from ..utils import MfList
@@ -194,9 +195,11 @@ def check(self, f=None, verbose=True, level=1, checktype=None):
         chk = self._get_check(f, verbose, level, checktype)
         chk.summary_array = basechk.summary_array
 
-        for per in self.stress_period_data.data.keys():
-            if isinstance(self.stress_period_data.data[per], np.recarray):
-                spd = self.stress_period_data.data[per]
+        for per, data in self.stress_period_data.data.items():
+            if isinstance(data, (np.recarray, pd.DataFrame)):
+                if isinstance(data, pd.DataFrame):
+                    data = data.to_records(index=False).astype(self.dtype)
+                spd = data
                 inds = (
                     (spd.k, spd.i, spd.j)
                     if self.parent.structured
diff --git a/flopy/utils/util_list.py b/flopy/utils/util_list.py
index d1274cc0cb..62fdb5ef5e 100644
--- a/flopy/utils/util_list.py
+++ b/flopy/utils/util_list.py
@@ -417,7 +417,9 @@ def __cast_ndarray(self, kper, d):
         self.__vtype[kper] = np.recarray
 
     def __cast_dataframe(self, kper, d):
-        self.__cast_recarray(kper, d.to_records(index=False))
+        self.__cast_recarray(
+            kper, d.to_records(index=False).astype(self.dtype)
+        )
 
     def get_dataframe(self, squeeze=False):
         """