Assessing Environmental Streamflow Characteristics in Texas

1
Assessing Environmental Streamflow
Characteristics in Texas

• Eric S. Hersh
• CE394K.3
• November 29, 2005

(Wisconsin DNR)
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environmental flow

• Definition
• water left in or released into a river system
• often for managing some aspect of its conditions
• Flow the master variable
• controlling factor in riverine physical,
  biological, and chemical processes
• natural flow regime

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hydrologic alteration software
USGS
The Nature Conservancy
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project goals

• assess models for use in the Texas Instream Flow
  Program
• improve functionality
• using the models
• producing meaningful results

5
GUI vs. automation

• HAT initiated discussion with USGS
• possible CRWR partnership
• batch processing and/or synthesis with ArcGIS

6
TS Download Tool
Tim Whiteaker, CRWR

Parser XML
(Optional)
Raw User Inputs XML
User Inputs
GIS
Refined User Inputs XML
Features
Data Retrieval from Web
Time Series XML
Time Series Table
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statewide study
n 409

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TWDB priority basins
n 24

Trinity
Brazos
Sabine
San Antonio
Guadalupe
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major ecoregions

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normalized median flow

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normalized median flow interpolation

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normalized median flow interpolation

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Kriging prediction error

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Brazos-Trinity basins interpolation

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future work

• HAT automation
• dialog with USGS
• develop NWIS Peak Streamflow tool
• moving toward a Texas stream classification
  system
• analogous to terrestrial ecoregions, but riparian
  
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for priority
  sites and statewide
• eliminate redundancy and simplify use

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data sources

• daily and peak streamflow data USGS
• http//water.usgs.gov/
• via TSDownload Tool
• streams NHD
• http//nhd.usgs.gov/
• HUCs TNRIS
• http//www.tnris.state.tx.us/

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acknowledgements

• CRWR David Maidment, Venkatesh Merwade, Tim
  Whiteaker
• TWDB Jordan Furnans
• TCEQ Wendy Gordon
• The Nature Conservancy Tom Fitzhugh
• USGS Jim Henriksen