WARMF Watershed Model

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WARMF Watershed Model

• Carl W. Chen and Joel W. Herr
• Systech Engineering, Inc.
• carl_at_systechengineering.com
• joel_at_systechengineering.com
• Presented at
• CWEMF Watershed and Urban Hydrology
• Modeling Workshop
• June 22, 2007
• Sacramento, CA

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DSS for Watershed Approach and TMDL Calculations
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Function of Modules

• Engineering Module perform scientific
  calculations
• Consensus Module supply scientific information
  to stakeholders for alternative evaluations
• Data Module update data supply data to model
• Knowledge Module store reports, pertinent
  information, spreadsheets

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Theory of WARMF

• CSTR divide a basin into canopy, land surface,
  soil layers, stream segments, and lake layers
• Hydrologic network link thousands of CSTR
  along flow paths
• Mass-heat balance equation for each CSTR
  Advection Diffusion Sink Source
• Sink Source kinetic expressions of processes
• Solve mass-heat balance equations for each CSTR
  with hourly or daily time step
• Inputs change daily or hourly by meteorology and
  point sources
• Simulate nonpoint source loads

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Simulated Watershed Processes
Subsurface Processes Mineral Weathering AMD Septic
Systems Organic Matter Decay Nitrification Cation
Exchange Plant Uptake
Schematic of Watershed Processes
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Simulate Hydrologic Water Quality Effects of

• Climate Change
• Point Source Discharges
• Air Pollution (Hg, SO4, NH4, NO3, etc)
• Reservoir Operations, Soil Erosion, Septic
  System, Urbanization, Land Use Change
• Water Diversions
• Irrigations
• Land Application (fertilizer, pesticide)
• Best Management Practices

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CSTR Analog
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Quicken Analogy Modified from Jim Bowen, UNCC
Bank Account Balancing Program
Watershed Model
Quicken WARMF
Account Owner Catchment or River Segment
Dollars Mass
Checking, savings acct. TSS, DO, nitrogen, etc.
Deposit Inflow
Withdrawal Outflow
Bank Fees Reactions
Statement Period Model Time Step
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Summary of Watershed Model
Meteorological Conditions Air Quality

• Watershed Characteristics
• Land use
• Fertilizer
• Catchment areas/slope
• Soil layer characteristics
• Septic systems

• Managed Flow
• Diversions
• Reservoir Releases

Point Sources

• Watershed Model
• Adjustable parameters
• Precipitation weighting, temperature lapse
• Initial conditions
• Reaction rates
• BMPs
• Bank stability / vegetation factors

• Model Output
• Stream flow
• Water quality (nutrients, DO, Chl-a, TSS)
• Loading

COMPARISON

• Measured Data
• Hydrologic Conditions
• Water Quality

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Data Requirements of WARMF

• Topographic data (DEM) to delineate a watershed
  into catchments, rivers, lakes
• Site specific data
• Land Use
• Meteorology
• Air Quality / Rain Chemistry
• Point Sources
• Managed Flow (diversions releases)
• Observed Flow and Water Quality Data

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Model Outputs

• Time series of state variables, i.e. pollutant
  concentrations of each CSTR
• GIS maps with bar charts for pollution loads from
  various sub regions
• Color coded GIS maps showing areas meeting or
  violating criteria
• Annual fluxes between compartments

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Peer Review

• Solicited by USEPA and Followed EPA Guidelines
• Peer Reviews
• General Purpose Use and TMDLs August 2000
• Acid Mine Drainage July 2001
• Onsite Wastewater (Septic) Systems May 2003
• Mercury Transport March 2004
• Reviewers included Local / National Experts
• EPA regional and headquarters
• State WQ agencies
• Research institutes and universities
• Electric utilities and stakeholders
• WARMF modified to incorporate reviewer
  recommendations

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Live Demonstration

• On screen review and edit of data
• Help menu
• Data module and data update
• Road map for TMDL module
• Road map for Consensus module
• Bar chart for pollution source
• GIS map for water quality

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Setting up WARMF for New Applications

• Import topographic data (DEM) and delineate the
  watershed
• Populate WARMF with data
• Land Use
• Meteorology
• Air Quality
• Point Sources
• Managed Flow (diversions releases)
• Observed Flow and Water Quality Data

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WARMF Support

• Complete Technical Documentation, Users Manual,
  context-sensitive help
• WARMF Users Group
• Professional help availableLevel of service
  depends on need
• Set up map and projection
• import data
• hydrologic calibration
• water quality calibration
• Scenarios, reports, stakeholders

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WARMF Applications
Mica Creek, ID
St. Louis River, MN
Hockanum River, CT
NapaRiver, CA
Chartiers Creek, PA
Truckee River, CA/NV
Turtle Creek, IN
Blue River, CO
Cheat River, WV
Mokelumne River, CA
Holston River, TN, VA
San Joaquin River, CA
San Juan River, NM
Catawba River, NC/SC
Santa Clara River, CA
Oostanaula Creek, TN
Santa Margarita River, CA
International
Kyungan River, Korea
Techi Reservoir, Taiwan
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For Hydrologic Analysis

• San Juan River, CO/NM
• Water shortage sharing alternatives
• Impact of climate change on water shortage
• (Confidential Client)
• Water availability for industrial development
• Impact of climate change on water availability

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For Watershed Stewardship

• Catawba River, NC/SC
• Sponsored by a major stakeholder
• Used for hydro relicensing, sediment BMPs,
  nutrient TMDLs for reservoirs
• Mokelumne River, CA
• Funded by state grant to local watershed
  authority
• Watershed management plan for source water
  protection
• Mica Creek, ID
• Effects of forestry practices on water quality
• Model comparison of WARMF and HSPF

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For Water Quality Issues

• Turtle Creek Reservoir, IN
• Power plant cooling water reservoir with
  deteriorating water quality (hardness)
• Sediment filling up the reservoir
• Determine their causes and potential solutions
• Oostanaula Creek, TN
• Impaired for coliform and sediment
• Truckee River, CA/NV
• Periphyton causes large DO fluctuations
• Buy water right from farmers to reduce nonpoint
  nitrogen load periphyton growth

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For TMDL Analyses

• Truckee River, CA/NV
• Trade point and nonpoint load of nitrogen for
  TMDL
• Santa Clara River, CA
• TMDLs of NH4, NO3
• Catawba River, NC/SC
• TMDLs of coliform, Cu, phosphorus
• Cheat River, WV
• TMDLs of Fe, Mn, Al, Zn (acid mine drainage)
• San Joaquin River, CA
• Effect of nutrient loads from upstream farms on
  dissolved oxygen of downstream estuary

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For Stormwater Discharge Permit

• City of Duluth, MN
• Urban trout streams receiving stormwater
  discharges
• Calibrate WARMF to current land use and data
• Simulate flow and water quality for 1988 land use
• Simulate flow and water quality for 2020 land use
• Determine changes in flow and pollution loads
• Calculate effects of detention ponds and other
  BMPs
• Prepare non-degradation report for MS4 permit

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For Cutting Edge Research

• Blue River, CO
• Simulate biozone processes occurring in septic
  systems leaching field
• Evaluate benefits of onsite wastewater treatment
  systems vs centralized sewers
• St. Louis River, MN
• Track mercury from atmosphere to fish
• Model bioaccumulation through food web
• Calculate mercury TMDL of drainage lakes