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Hydrodynamic and Watershed Modeling Resources
Updated: June 2, 2010
 Army
Corps of Engineers
- RECOVERY
This model is used to help assess the extent contaminated
sediments influence overlying waters. In the model, the
system is idealized as a well-mixed surface water layer
underlain by a vertically stratified sediment column.
The sediment is well mixed horizon-tally, but segmented
vertically into a well-mixed surface layer and a deep
sedi-ment. The latter, in turn, is segmented into contaminated
and uncontaminated regions. The specification of a mixed
surface layer is included because an unconsolidated layer
is often observed at the surface of sediments because
of a number of processes, including bioturbation and
mechanical mixing.
- TABS-MD
(Multi-Dimensional) Numerical Modeling System
The TABS-MD (Multi-Dimensional) Numerical Modeling System
is a collection of generalized computer programs and
utility codes, designed for studying multi-dimensional
hydrodynamics in rivers, reservoirs, bays, and estuaries.
These models can be used to study project impacts on
flows, sedimentation, constituent transport, and salinity.
TABS is a component of the Surface-water Modeling System
(SMS). TABS-MD models include:
- RMA2 - one-dimensional/two-dimensional model for depth-averaged
flow and water levels.
- RMA4 - one-dimensional/two-dimensional model for depth-averaged
transport of one to six constituents.
- RMA10 - Multi-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical model.
- SED2D - Formally STUDH, a two-dimensional model for
depth-averaged transport of cohesive or a representative
grain size of noncohesive sediments and their deposition,
erosion, and formation of bed deposits.
- TrophicTrace
TrophicTrace is a Microsoft™ Excel™ add-in that can
be used to calculate, with inputs provided by users, potential
human
health and ecological risks due to bioaccumulation of sediment-associated
contaminants. The model estimates expected concentrations
in fish using a sediment-based food-web model for organic
compounds, via trophic transfer factors from invertebrates
to fish for certain metals, and via bioconcentration factors
from water to fish for the remaining metals and hydrophilic
organic compounds. Risks are calculated following USEPA and
USACE risk assessment guidance (USEPA, 1989; 1997a; USEPA/USACE,
1998; Cura et al., 1999). TrophicTrace allows users to characterize
the uncertainty associated with risk estimates using trapezoidal
fuzzy numbers. Uncertainties can be propagated using fuzzy
arithmetic principles that provide risk estimates in the
form of trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Example data sets are
provided within TrophicTrace for demonstration purposes only.
Use of TrophicTrace to evaluate the risks posed by a specific
sediment or site must be based on appropriate, site-specific
inputs.
- Watershed
Modeling System
The WMS software provides a comprehensive environment
for hydrologic analysis of watershed systems. Developed
in cooperation with the Waterways Experiment Station
(WES), WMS provides graphical tools for use in the delineation
of watersheds and flood plains. Hydrologic models using
HEC-1 and TR-20 may be set up and viewed in a user-friendly
graphical environment. Interfaces to the USGS National
Flood Freqency program and the Rational Method provide
other modeling options. The Watershed Modeling System
(WMS) is the most sophisticated watershed modeling software
available today. WMS integrates and simplifies the process
of overland stream flow by bringing together all of the
tools needed to complete a successful study.
 Environmental
Protection Agency
- Allocating
Loads and Wasteloads
States, territories, and authorized tribes are responsible
for allocating loads among point and nonpoint sources
identified under each TMDL. During the allocation process,
EPA encourages authorities to consider a range of allocation
options that are technically feasible and demonstrate
programmatic consistency. Allocations for a particular
watershed or TMDL are likely to be based on competing
measures of desirability such as cost effectiveness,
and equity. Final allocation determinations are policy
decisions and should reflect public perceptions about
acceptable tradeoffs between these measures. As an example,
allocation strategies that minimize costs may be deemed
unfair if particular sources are burdened with most of
the cost, while allocations based on equal load reductions
may be more costly. Watershed modeling frameworks are
tools that can be used to help evaluate the tradeoffs
associated with different allocations. These framworks
are capable of identifying cost minimizing allocations
and comparing cost distributions across stakeholders
under different allocation scenarios. This website demonstrates
such a cost-minimization framework and provides examples
of load allocations and cost distributions for a case
study watershed. A spreadsheet modeling framework has
been developed to identify optimal allocations under
a variety of watershed conditions. This framework has
been applied to a small watershed representing conditions
in rural Idaho. The goal of this framework is to identify
management practices and technical controls (i.e.,
decisions) that: Meet allocation objectives, Satisfy
pollutant criteria, and Satisfy stakeholder constraints.
- AQUATOX
Release 3
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Science
and Technology, has released an enhanced version of the
aquatic ecosystem simulation model AQUATOX. AQUATOX is
a PC-based ecosystem model that predicts the fate of nutrients
and organic chemicals in water bodies, as well as their
direct and indirect effects on the resident organisms.
AQUATOX Release 3 contains many enhancements that increase
the realism and utility of the model. The most important
enhancements include:
- Capability to represent estuaries at a screening level;
- Capability to model multiple linked river and reservoir
segments;
- Enhanced nutrients analysis, including nutrient
release from sediments, daily dissolved oxygen fluctuations,
and toxicity from low oxygen and ammonia;
- Capability to simulate biological effects of suspended
and bedded sediments;
- Calculation of biological metrics;
- Enhanced sensitivity and uncertainty analyses;
- Toxicity data estimation from ICE (Interspecies
Correlation Estimation);
- Expanded data management, graphics and statistical
analysis; and
- The software is now open source - AQUATOX
can be customized by
modelers for their particular application.
- Better
Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources
(BASINS) Update 3
BASINS is a multipurpose environmental analysis
system designed for use by regional, state, and local agencies
in performing watershed and water quality-based studies.
Update 3 of the BASINS 4.0 software was recently released.
Like previous releases, Update3 includes within the open-source
MapWindow GIS™ interface, a Data Download Tool, project
builder, watershed delineation routines, and data analysis
and model output visualization tools. New features in Update
3 include plug-in interfaces for well-known watershed and
water quality models SWMM5 (Stormwater Water Management
Model version 5), WASP7 (Water Quality Analysis Simulation
Program version 7), and SWAT 2005 (Soil and Water Assessment
Tool).
For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/basins/,
or contact Jim Carleton (carleton.jim@epa.gov).
- Cornell
Mixing Zone Expert System (CORMIX)
Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System (CORMIX) can be used for the analysis,
prediction, and design of aqueous toxic or conventional pollutant discharges
into diverse water bodies. The major emphasis is on the geometry and
dilution characteristics of the initial mixing zone, including compliance
with regulatory constraints, but the system also predicts the behavior
of the discharge plume at larger distances. The highly user-interactive
CORMIX system is implemented on microcomputers (IBM-PC, or compatible),
and consists of three integrated subsystems: CORMIX1 for submerged
single port discharges, CORMIX2 for submerged multiport diffuser discharges,
and CORMIX3 for buoyant surface discharges. Two post-processing models
are linked to the CORMIX system, but can also be used independently.
These are CORJET (the Cornell Buoyant Jet Integral Model) for the detailed
analysis of the near-field behavior of buoyant jets, and FFLOCATR (the
Far-Field Plume Locator) for the far-field delineation of discharge
plumes in non-uniform river or estuary environments.
- Enhanced
Stream Water Quality Model (QUAL2E)
The Enhanced Stream Water Quality Model (QUAL2E) is applicable to
well mixed, dendritic streams. It simulates the major reactions of
nutrient cycles, algal production, benthic and carbonaceous demand,
atmospheric reaeration and their effects on the dissolved oxygen balance.
It can predict up to 15 water quality constituent concentrations. It
is intended as a water quality planning tool for developing total maximum
daily loads (TMDLs) and can also be used in conjunction with field
sampling for identifying the magnitude and quality characteristics
of nonpoint sources. By operating the model dynamically, the user can
study diurnal dissolved oxygen variations and algal growth. However,
the effects of dynamic forcing functions, such as headwater flows or
point source loads, cannot be modeled with QUAL2E. QUAL2EU is an enhancement
allowing users to perform three types of uncertainty analyses: sensitivity
analysis, first order error analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation.
- Mercury
Maps
Mercury Maps is a tool that relates changes in mercury
air deposition rates to changes in mercury fish tissue
concentrations, on a national scale. The tool uses a
reduced form of widely-accepted complex mercury fate
and transport models as applied to watersheds in which
air deposition is the sole significant source. The Mercury
Maps model concludes that for long-term equilibrium conditions,
the ratio of current to future air deposition rates will
equal the ratio of current to future fish tissue concentrations.
Mercury Maps can be used to help evaluate the benefits
of technology-based air emission reduction standards
or to perform Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) analyses
for individual or multiple watersheds.
- Pollutant
Routing Model (P-ROUTE)
The Office of Science and Technology in the Office of Water, as part
of the Total Maximum Daily Loading (TMDL) program, developed a screening
level pollutant routing model with a Windows-based interface which
can estimate surface water concentrations, based on point and non-point
source inputs. P-ROUTE is a simple routing model that estimates aqueous
pollutant concentrations on a reach by reach flow basis, using 7Q10
or mean flow. P-ROUTE is similar to the Routing and Graphical Display
System (RGDS) model; however it utilizes an improved method of estimating
average reach concentration of a pollutant.
- Simplified
Method Program - Variable Complexity Stream Toxics Model
(SMPTOX3)
U.S. EPA regulatory programs have sponsored development of an interactive
computer program for performing waste load allocations for toxics --
Simplified Method Program - Variable Complexity Stream Toxics Model
(SMPTOX3). SMPTOX3 provides user-friendly access to a technique for
calculating water column and stream bed toxic substance concentrations
resulting from point source discharges into streams and rivers. It
predicts pollutant concentrations in dissolved and particulate phases
for water column and bed sediments and total suspended solid. SMPTOX3
provides a user-friendly microcomputer program for performing toxics
modeling.
- Storm
Water Management Model
SWMM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model,
primarily but not exclusively for urban areas, for single-event
or long-term (continuous) simulation. Flow routing is
performed for surface and sub-surface conveyance and
groundwater systems, including the option of fully dynamic
hydraulic routing in the Extran Block. Nonpoint source
runoff quality and routing may also be simulated, as
well as storage, treatment and other best management
practices (BMPs).
- Water
Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP)
The Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) is a generalized
framework for modeling contaminant fate and transport in surface waters.
Based on the flexible compartment modeling approach, it can be applied
in one, two or three dimensions and is designed to permit easy substitution
of user- written routines into program structure. Problems studied
using WASP framework include biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved
oxygen dynamics nutrients and eutrophication, bacterial contamination,
and organic chemical and heavy metal contamination.
- The
Wildlife Comtaminants Exposure Model Software (WCEM)
The Wildlife Contaminant Exposure Model (WCEM) is being developed
as a tool to improve the quality of wildlife risk assessments. It is
a Windows application developed in Visual Basic 5.0 to estimate wildlife
exposure to substances through inhalation and through ingestion of
food, water, and soil in North American environments. It was developed
by the Canadian Wildlife Service through a cooperative agreement with
the National Center for Environmental Assessment of the Office of Research
and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The WCEM is designed to make wildlife exposure modeling more consistent,
transparent and efficient. It is suitable for any screening-level risk
assessment exercise requiring an estimate of wildlife exposure to organic
or inorganic compounds but can also support more detailed risk characterizations.
It makes calculating exposure via the diet easier and more accurate
by calculating energy requirements using allometric equations; calculating
the energy content of food items; linking food energy content with
measured dietary item intakes; and allowing for user adjustment of
diet scenarios. It facilitates review by indicating values that have
been adjusted by the user; providing references; and generating standard
reports outlining assumptions and calculations.
 Geological
Survey
- Hydrological
Simulation Program for Fortran (HSPF)
HSPF simulates for extended periods of time the hydrologic,
and associated water quality, processes on pervious and
impervious land surfaces and in streams and well-mixed
impoundments. HSPF uses continuous rainfall and other
meteorologic records to compute streamflow hydrographs
and pollutographs. HSPF simulates interception soil moisture,
surface runoff, interflow, base flow, snowpack depth
and water content, snowmelt, evapotranspiration, ground-water
recharge, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), temperature, pesticides, conservatives, fecal
coliforms, sediment detachment and transport, sediment
routing by particle size, channel routing, reservoir
routing, constituent routing, pH, ammonia, nitrite-nitrate,
organic nitrogen, orthophosphate, organic phosphorus,
phytoplankton, and zooplankton.
The program can simulate one or many pervious or impervious
unit areas discharging to one or many river reaches or
reservoirs. Frequency-duration analysis can be done for
any time series. Any time step from 1 minute to 1 day
that divides equally into 1 day can be used. Any period
from a few minutes to hundreds of years may be simulated.
HSPF is generally used to assess the effects of land-use
change, reservoir operations, point or nonpoint source
treatment alternatives, flow diversions, etc. Programs,
available separately, support data preprocessing and
postprocessing for statistical and graphical analysis
of data saved to the Watershed Data Management (WDM)
file.
- Surface-water
quality and flow Modeling Interest Group (SMIG)
The scope of the USGS Surface-water quality and flow
modeling Interest Group includes all surface-water modeling
activities. Topics of interest include any issues relevant
to the hydraulic modeling and/or water-quality modeling
of surface waters (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, estuaries,
and watersheds).
- SPARROW-
SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed Attributes
SPARROW relates in-stream water-quality measurements
to spatially referenced characteristics of watersheds,
including contaminant sources and factors influencing
terrestrial and stream transport. The model empirically
estimates the origin and fate of contaminants in streams,
and quantifies uncertainties in these estimates based
on model coefficient error and unexplained variability
in the observed data.
- Surface-Water
Software
This WWW page offers 27 different modeling programs
dealing with such topics as floods, fluvial sediments,
and streamflow simulations, as well as solute-transport
modeling with biodegredation.
 National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Marine
Modelling and Analysis Programs
Marine Modeling and Analysis Programs (MMAP) develops,
improves and applies analytical methods and numerical
techniques for the analysis, simulation and real-time
forecasting of oceanographic (e.g., water levels,
currents, temperature, salinity), atmospheric (e.g.,
winds, sea level pressure, temperature, relative humidity)
and water quality (e.g., dissolved oxygen, nutrients,
sediment transport) parameters in support of the National
Ocean Service mission of providing accurate information
on these variables for U.S. estuarine and coastal marine
areas. Oceanographic systems developed in MMAP are used
to provide products and services for the coastal marine
community in support of safe and efficient navigation
and for environmentally sound utilization, management,
and protection of the coastal zone.
MMAP programs fall into three categories:
- Estuarine and Port Modeling and Forecasting
- Coastal Modeling and Forecasting
- Operational Data Resources
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