The Basin Characterization Model (BCM) is a simple grid-based model that calculates the water balance for any time step or spatial scale by using climate inputs, precipitation, minimum and maximum air temperature. The BCM can translate fine-scale maps of climate trends and projections into the hydrologic consequences, to permit evaluation of the impacts to water availability at regional, watershed, and landscape scales, as caused by changes in temperature and precipitation.
Software Manual:
The Basin Characterization Model—A Regional Water Balance Software Package
Ongoing changes in climate are influencing water resources throughout the world, by reducing snowpack and causing snow to melt earlier in the spring, which are among the most important challenges to water availability. Climate change also impacts landscapes, vegetation and species, and agriculture, by causing longer dry seasons, more frequent extreme storms, fewer chilling hours, and higher snowlines.
Information available to inform land and resource managers is generally composed of model projections of precipitation and air temperature trends with coarse spatial detail. The Basin Characterization Model (BCM) can translate fine-scale maps of climate trends and projections into the hydrologic consequences to permit evaluation of the impacts to water availability at regional, watershed, and landscape scales, as caused by changes in temperature and precipitation.
Scientists divide the landscape into grid cells, each of which uses specific climate data inputs, such as precipitation and air temperature, to solve the water balance for each cell. Model calculations include potential evapotranspiration, calculated from solar radiation with topographic shading and cloudiness; snow, as it accumulates and melts; and excess water moving through the soil profile, which is used to calculate actual evapotranspiration and climatic water deficit—the difference between potential and actual evapotranspiration. Depending on soil properties and the permeability of underlying bedrock, surface water can be classified for each cell as either recharge or runoff. Post-processing calculations are made to estimate baseflow, streamflow, and potential recharge to the groundwater system for watersheds. The model output can define the water balance for any size polygon representing regions or watersheds, or can define the distribution of the various water-balance variables across the landscape.
To view past information on the BCM, visit the previous version of this page.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Using the Basin Characterization Model (BCM) to Estimate Natural Recharge in Indian Wells Valley, California
Estimates of soil water deficit during California drought, January 1, 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release
Characterization of Hydrologic Conditions for Species Distributions Along Environmental Gradients
Climate and Natural Resources Analysis and Planning for California's Northern Coast
Coping with Drought in the Russian River Watershed
Increasing Soil Organic Carbon to Mitigate Greenhouse Gases and Increase Climate Resiliency for California
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
The Basin Characterization Model - A monthly regional water balance software package (BCMv8) data release and model archive for hydrologic California (ver. 3.0, June 2023)
Daily Basin Characterization Model (BCM) archive for Humboldt Bay/Eel River
Below are publications associated with this project.
Climate change: evaluating your local and regional water resources
The basin characterization model—A regional water balance software package
Fine-scale hydrologic modeling for regional landscape applications: the California Basin Characterization Model development and performance
Development and application of downscaled hydroclimatic predictor variables for use in climate vulnerability and assessment studies
Downscaling future climate scenarios to fine scales for hydrologic and ecological modeling and analysis
Estimation of stream temperature in support of fish production modeling under future climates in the Klamath River Basin
Integration of regional hydrologic modeling using FORTRAN and ArcGIS
Regional analysis of ground-water recharge
Fundamental concepts of recharge in the Desert Southwest: A regional modeling perspective
Simulation of net infiltration and potential recharge using a distributed-parameter watershed model of the Death Valley region, Nevada and California
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Basin Characterization Model (BCM) is a simple grid-based model that calculates the water balance for any time step or spatial scale by using climate inputs, precipitation, minimum and maximum air temperature. The BCM can translate fine-scale maps of climate trends and projections into the hydrologic consequences, to permit evaluation of the impacts to water availability at regional, watershed, and landscape scales, as caused by changes in temperature and precipitation.
The Basin Characterization Model relies on climate input and the rigorous development of potential evapotranspiration to move water through the soil profile and into underlying bedrock to become recharge or runoff. [MPa, megapascal]. CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE. Software Manual:
The Basin Characterization Model—A Regional Water Balance Software PackageOngoing changes in climate are influencing water resources throughout the world, by reducing snowpack and causing snow to melt earlier in the spring, which are among the most important challenges to water availability. Climate change also impacts landscapes, vegetation and species, and agriculture, by causing longer dry seasons, more frequent extreme storms, fewer chilling hours, and higher snowlines.
Information available to inform land and resource managers is generally composed of model projections of precipitation and air temperature trends with coarse spatial detail. The Basin Characterization Model (BCM) can translate fine-scale maps of climate trends and projections into the hydrologic consequences to permit evaluation of the impacts to water availability at regional, watershed, and landscape scales, as caused by changes in temperature and precipitation.
Scientists divide the landscape into grid cells, each of which uses specific climate data inputs, such as precipitation and air temperature, to solve the water balance for each cell. Model calculations include potential evapotranspiration, calculated from solar radiation with topographic shading and cloudiness; snow, as it accumulates and melts; and excess water moving through the soil profile, which is used to calculate actual evapotranspiration and climatic water deficit—the difference between potential and actual evapotranspiration. Depending on soil properties and the permeability of underlying bedrock, surface water can be classified for each cell as either recharge or runoff. Post-processing calculations are made to estimate baseflow, streamflow, and potential recharge to the groundwater system for watersheds. The model output can define the water balance for any size polygon representing regions or watersheds, or can define the distribution of the various water-balance variables across the landscape.
To view past information on the BCM, visit the previous version of this page.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Using the Basin Characterization Model (BCM) to Estimate Natural Recharge in Indian Wells Valley, California
Located in the northern Mojave Desert, the Indian Wells Valley has an arid environment, receiving only 4-6 inches of precipitation annually. Like most desert areas, Indian Wells Valley communities rely mostly on groundwater for their available groundwater supply. Increases in urban and agricultural development have resulted in increased groundwater pumpage for public and agricultural use, causing...Estimates of soil water deficit during California drought, January 1, 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release
Because the following information has immediate and time-sensitive relevance to public health and welfare owing to the Governor's declared drought emergency it is being released as preliminary information. As preliminary information, it had been reviewed and approved to meet the needs for timely best science, but the methodology is subject to refinement. The information is provided on the...Characterization of Hydrologic Conditions for Species Distributions Along Environmental Gradients
Plant distributions at local to global scales are influenced by the interplay among plant traits (physiology, anatomy, morphology), the physical setting, biotic interactions, and historical factors such as disturbances and responses to past climate change. Physiological strategies and functional traits provide a key starting point to understand how distributions are shaped along gradients of...Climate and Natural Resources Analysis and Planning for California's Northern Coast
The North Coast Resource Partnership (NCRP) is an innovative, stakeholder-driven collaboration among local government, Tribes, watershed groups, and interested partners in the North Coast region of California. The North Coast comprises seven counties, Tribal lands, major watersheds, and a planning area of 19,390 square miles representing 12% of California's landscape. The NCRP integrates long-term...Coping with Drought in the Russian River Watershed
Drought in the Russian River region is keyed to the absence of large winter storms-the RR is winter rain-driven, with a few atmospheric river (AR) storms each year bringing 40-50% of the annual rainfall. Two multi-purpose reservoirs provide storage for warm-season uses, and there is little to no snow pack to extend the runoff season. The same ARs that provide beneficial water supply can also cause...Increasing Soil Organic Carbon to Mitigate Greenhouse Gases and Increase Climate Resiliency for California
Rising air temperatures are projected to continue to drive up urban, agricultural, and rangeland water use, straining both surface and groundwater resources. Scientific studies have shown that managing farms, ranches, and public lands to increase soil carbon can increase soil waterholding capacity and increase hydrologic benefits such as increased baseflows and aquifer recharge, reduced flooding... - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
The Basin Characterization Model - A monthly regional water balance software package (BCMv8) data release and model archive for hydrologic California (ver. 3.0, June 2023)
This data release accompanies the USGS Techniques and Methods report titled: "The Basin Characterization Model - A Regional Water Balance Software Package", and includes all necessary Basin Characterization Model version 8 (BCMv8) inputs and outputs for water years 1896 to 2021. The BCMv8 was refined from the previous BCMv65 version to improve the accuracy of the water-balance components, particulDaily Basin Characterization Model (BCM) archive for Humboldt Bay/Eel River
This data set includes: 1) A shapefile of the Humboldt Bay Eel River (HBER) 13 sub watersheds, 2) A shape file of the streamflow gages used in calibration, and 3) Daily Basin Characterization Model (BCM) model climate inputs (minimum and maximum air temperature, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration) and outputs of recharge and runoff for the year 2010 used to develop streamflow estimate - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Climate change: evaluating your local and regional water resources
The BCM is a fine-scale hydrologic model that uses detailed maps of soils, geology, topography, and transient monthly or daily maps of potential evapotranspiration, air temperature, and precipitation to generate maps of recharge, runoff, snow pack, actual evapotranspiration, and climatic water deficit. With these comprehensive environmental inputs and experienced scientific analysis, the BCM proviAuthorsLorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, James H. ThorneThe basin characterization model—A regional water balance software package
This report documents the computer software package, Basin Characterization Model, version 8 (BCMv8)—a monthly, gridded, regional water-balance model—and provides detailed operational instructions and example applications. After several years of many applications and uses of a previous version, CA-BCM, published in 2014, the BCMv8 was refined to improve the accuracy of the water-balance componentsAuthorsLorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, Michelle A. SternFine-scale hydrologic modeling for regional landscape applications: the California Basin Characterization Model development and performance
IntroductionResource managers need spatially explicit models of hydrologic response to changes in key climatic drivers across variable landscape conditions. We demonstrate the utility of a Basin Characterization Model for California (CA-BCM) to integrate high-resolution data on physical watershed characteristics with historical or projected climate data to predict watershed-specific hydrologic resAuthorsLorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, James H. Thorne, Ryan BoyntonDevelopment and application of downscaled hydroclimatic predictor variables for use in climate vulnerability and assessment studies
This paper outlines the production of 270-meter grid-scale maps for 14 climate and derivative hydrologic variables for a region that encompasses the State of California and all the streams that flow into it. The paper describes the Basin Characterization Model (BCM), a map-based, mechanistic model used to process the hydrological variables. Three historic and three future time periods of 30 yearsAuthorsJames Thorne, Ryan Boynton, Lorraine Flint, Alan Flint, Thuy N'goc LeDownscaling future climate scenarios to fine scales for hydrologic and ecological modeling and analysis
Introduction Evaluating the environmental impacts of climate change on water resources and biological components of the landscape is an integral part of hydrologic and ecological investigations, and the resultant land and resource management in the twenty-first century. Impacts of both climate and simulated hydrologic parameters on ecological processes are relevant at scales that reflect the heterAuthorsLorraine E. Flint, Alan L. FlintEstimation of stream temperature in support of fish production modeling under future climates in the Klamath River Basin
Stream temperature estimates under future climatic conditions were needed in support of fish production modeling for evaluation of effects of dam removal in the Klamath River Basin. To allow for the persistence of the Klamath River salmon fishery, an upcoming Secretarial Determination in 2012 will review potential changes in water quality and stream temperature to assess alternative scenarios, incAuthorsLorraine E. Flint, Alan L. FlintIntegration of regional hydrologic modeling using FORTRAN and ArcGIS
No abstract available.AuthorsAlan L. Flint, Lorraine E. FlintRegional analysis of ground-water recharge
A modeling analysis of runoff and ground-water recharge for the arid and semiarid southwestern United States was performed to investigate the interactions of climate and other controlling factors and to place the eight study-site investigations into a regional context. A distributed-parameter water-balance model (the Basin Characterization Model, or BCM) was used in the analysis. Data requirementsAuthorsLorraine E. Flint, Alan L. FlintFundamental concepts of recharge in the Desert Southwest: A regional modeling perspective
Recharge in arid basins does not occur in all years or at all locations within a basin. In the desert Southwest potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation on an average annual basis and, in many basins, on an average monthly basis. Ground-water traveltime from the surface to the water table and recharge to the water table vary temporally and spatially owing to variations in precipitation,AuthorsAlan L. Flint, Lorraine E. Flint, J.A. HevesiSimulation of net infiltration and potential recharge using a distributed-parameter watershed model of the Death Valley region, Nevada and California
This report presents the development and application of the distributed-parameter watershed model, INFILv3, for estimating the temporal and spatial distribution of net infiltration and potential recharge in the Death Valley region, Nevada and California. The estimates of net infiltration quantify the downward drainage of water across the lower boundary of the root zone and are used to indicate potAuthorsJoseph A. Hevesi, Alan L. Flint, Lorraine E. Flint - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.