diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 03873d2ddc..d4b34e33d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -110,23 +110,11 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         conda install -n flopy -c conda-forge jupyter nbconvert
 
-    - name: Add jupyter and jupytext to scripts run
-      if: matrix.run-type == 'script'
-      shell: bash -l {0}
-      run: |
-        conda install -n flopy -c conda-forge jupyter jupytext
-
     - name: Add packages to flopy environment
       shell: bash -l {0}
       run: |
         conda env update --name flopy --file etc/environment.yml
 
-    - name: Determine python environment
-      shell: bash -l {0}
-      run: |
-        conda info
-        conda list
-
     - name: Install pymake, xmipy, and flopy
       shell: bash -l {0}
       run: |
@@ -151,53 +139,7 @@ jobs:
         --with-coverage --cover-package=flopy --cover-xml \
         --cover-xml-file=../coverage.xml -w ./autotest ${{ matrix.test-path }}
 
-    - name: List files in the root directory
-      shell: bash
-      run: |
-        ls -l
-
     - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
       uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1.0.12
       with:
         file: ./coverage.xml
-
-    - name: Run jupytext on tutorials
-      if: matrix.run-type == 'script'
-      shell: bash -l {0}
-      run: |
-        cd .docs/
-        python tutorials2ipynb.py
-        cd ../
-
-    - name: Upload completed jupyter notebooks as an artifact for ReadtheDocs
-      if: matrix.run-type == 'script' && github.repository_owner == 'modflowpy'
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
-      with:
-        name: notebooks-for-${{ github.sha }}
-        path: |
-          .docs/_notebooks
-
-  # trigger rtd if previous job was successful
-  rtd:
-    name: ReadtheDocs
-    needs: flopyCI
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
-    if: github.repository_owner == 'modflowpy'
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout flopy repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v2
-
-      - name: Output repo information
-        run: |
-          echo ${{ github.repository_owner }}
-          echo ${{ github.repository }}
-          echo ${{ github.ref }}
-
-      - name: Trigger RTDs build on master and develop branches
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/develop'
-        uses: dfm/rtds-action@v1.0.0
-        with:
-          webhook_url: ${{ secrets.RTDS_WEBHOOK_URL }}
-          webhook_token: ${{ secrets.RTDS_WEBHOOK_TOKEN }}
-          commit_ref: ${{ github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/rtd.yml b/.github/workflows/rtd.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d479c57d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/rtd.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+name: Read the Docs
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [master, develop]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [develop]
+
+jobs:
+
+  build:
+    name: rtd
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+
+    steps:
+      # check out repo
+      - name: Checkout flopy repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+      - name: Output repo information
+        run: |
+          echo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY_OWNER
+          echo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY
+          echo $GITHUB_REF
+          echo $GITHUB_EVENT_NAME
+
+      # Standard python fails on windows without GDAL installation
+      # Using custom bash shell ("shell: bash -l {0}") with Miniconda
+      - name: Setup Miniconda
+        uses: goanpeca/setup-miniconda@v1.6.0
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.8
+          auto-update-conda: true
+          auto-activate-base: true
+          activate-environment: flopy
+
+      - name: Add jupyter and jupytext to scripts run
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          conda install -n flopy -c conda-forge jupyter jupytext
+
+      - name: Add packages to flopy environment
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          conda env update --name flopy --file etc/environment.yml
+
+      - name: Install pymake, xmipy, and flopy
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          pip install https://github.com/modflowpy/pymake/zipball/master
+          pip install xmipy
+          pip install .
+
+      - name: Download executables needed for tests
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          python ./autotest/get_exes.py
+
+      - name: Add executables directory to path
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          echo "::add-path::$HOME/.local/bin"
+
+      - name: Run jupytext on tutorials
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          cd .docs/
+          python tutorials2ipynb.py
+          cd ../
+
+      - name: Upload completed jupyter notebooks as an artifact for ReadtheDocs
+        if:
+          github.repository_owner == 'modflowpy' &&
+          contains(github.ref, '
+          refs/heads/master
+          refs/heads/develop
+          ')
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: notebooks-for-${{ github.sha }}
+          path: |
+            .docs/_notebooks
+
+      - name: Trigger RTDs build on master and develop branches
+        if:
+          github.repository_owner == 'modflowpy' &&
+          contains('
+          refs/heads/master
+          refs/heads/develop
+          ', github.ref)
+        uses: dfm/rtds-action@v1.0.0
+        with:
+          webhook_url: ${{ secrets.RTDS_WEBHOOK_URL }}
+          webhook_token: ${{ secrets.RTDS_WEBHOOK_TOKEN }}
+          commit_ref: ${{ github.ref }}