Data Release of Final Report to Bureau of Reclamation: Case Study Using KINEROS Model to Assess Potential Hydrologic and Geomorphic Impacts of Installing Gabions in a Developing Subwatershed near Buckeye, Arizona, USA

This data release provides results from a watershed modelling effort to depict the use of natural infrastructure in dryland streams (NIDS), i.e., gabions, as a low-tech and low-cost, nature-based solution for increased water availability in the Buckeye area, west of the White Tank mountains and northwest of Phoenix, AZ, USA. Our goal was to identify impacts of current management and hypothetical installation of gabions, as NIDS to offset expected impacts of planned development (Norman et al., 2022; Tosline & Swick, 2023). This release and associated report (Norman & Petrakis, 2024) describes the methods and results acquired for modeling installation of gabion-style NIDS and the impacts at the apex and outlet of the watershed draining Alluvial Fan #3 (Norman & Petrakis, 2024; Figure 1).
We used the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool, a geographic information systems (GIS) interface, to analyze hydrologic impacts of land cover/land use change in the small watershed, using standardized spatial data sets readily available. Within AGWA, we applied the kinematic runoff and erosion (K2) watershed model to examine a 100-year, 6-hour event, and determine the effects of NIDS on processes of surface runoff and sediment yield. A distinct advantage of K2 and AGWA is the explicit placement of development and conservation practices (e.g., gabion installation) and other modifications in the correct position to receive upslope flow where scenario conditions can be represented as a new model element with distinct hydraulic and erosion parameters (Goodrich et al., 2012).
Runoff from small watersheds (< 100 km) is dominated by overland flow making them highly sensitive to high intensity, short duration rainfalls. Land use within watershed accounts for variability in stream water quality (Omernik, 1987) and risk of erosion (Wischmeier & Smith, 1978). The uncalibrated physically based model results can be used to portray trends and directions of changes in watershed response due to changes in watershed inputs. Resulting flood hydrographs and sediment yield estimates will be used for integrative management of surface water, groundwater, and ecohydrology to accommodate sustainable development.
This data release consists of a series of zipped folders containing graphs, tables, and spatial layers. First, a zipped folder contains a spatial layer geodatabase that includes four shapefiles representing watershed components (i.e., 53 planes - polygon; 21 channels - line; gabion locations for light and heavy installation - point). Second, a zipped folder contains the tables (i.e., .csv file format) showing sediment yield and discharge values for each of the planes (n = 53) and channels (n = 21). The data is separated into two separate folders (i.e., channels, planes), which are then each separated into two additional folders (i.e, discharge, sediment). Finally, similar in structure to the to the tables folder, a zipped folder includes graphs illustrating the sediment yield and discharge values for each of the planes (n = 53) and channels (n = 21), respective of the gabions scenario (i.e., heavy, light, baseline) across time.