Surface Water Modeling and Analysis
Surface Water Modeling and Analysis
In order to understand complicated surface-water networks within a basin and conduct different land-planning scenarios that affect the hydrology of the system, computer models need to be constructed to account for all the variables in the water budget such as rainfall and evaporation and the effects of the land surface and soils on the timing and amount of runoff. These rainfall-runoff or watershed models use the comparison of observed runoff against simulated runoff to calibrate and validate the model. Hydraulic models examine channel geometry and channel features to simulate river channel velocity and stage for a given river discharge. These models are often used in flood-hazard studies and habitat analysis.
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PNW Tribal Water Resources Assessment
Native American Tribes in western Washington need comprehensive water data in order to protect, restore, and manage their water resources. To understand the factors affecting water quality and quantity on a regional scale, the data must be collected and managed through a systematic, coordinated approach. To help the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) to design a coordinated scientific...
Puyallup Streamflow Trends
Covering about 28 square miles along the lower reaches of the Puyallup River in Pierce County, the Puyallup Indian Reservation is located in the lowest part of the basin. For this reason, all water-related activities in the basin affect the Puyallup Tribe of Indians' water resources and fish. Because of their important links to the Puyallup River, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians want to know more...
Methow River Basin
The Methow River Basin, located in North Central Washington in Okanogan County, is well known for its natural beauty, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and rural lifestyle. The Methow River and its tributaries are home to upper Columbia summer steelhead and spring Chinook salmon, which are both listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and bull trout, which is listed as threatened...
Yakima Watershed and River Systems Management Program
Competition among water-resource users in many basins in the western United States has resulted in a need for near-real-time assessments of water availability and use. The Watershed and River System Management Program (WARSMP) is a collaborative program between the USGS and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to couple watershed and river-reach models that simulate the physical hydrologic...
Water Resources Inventory Area 1 Watershed Management
In recent years, increased use of ground- and surface-water supplies in watersheds of Washington State has created concern that insufficient in-stream flows remain for fish and other users. In response, the Washington State legislature passed the Watershed Management Act of 1998 (ESHB 2514; see also Ch.90.82 RCW - Watershed Planning), which encourages and provides some funding for local watershed...
Elwha-Morse Watershed
Have increased demands for Washington State's ground water and surface water left sufficient stream flows for fish and other uses? To find out, the state's Watershed Management Act of 1998 (ESHB 2514) confers on local people the responsibility for conducting local watershed planning. The Elwha-Morse Watershed area was formed out of the western part of Water Resources Inventory Area 18 (WRIA 18) in...
Probability Flows for Streams in Eastern WA
Under Washington regulations, bridges, culverts, and other stream-crossing structures need to be designed with fish passage in mind. For culverts, maximum flows cannot exceed a 10-percent exceedance probability flow (the flow that is equalled or exceeded 10 percent of the time) when fish are migrating upstream. To help the Washington Department of Natural Resources manage its culverts at more than...