Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Hydrological modeling of storm runoff and snowmelt in Taunton River Basin by applications of HEC-HMS and PRMS models

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Reliable predictions of storm runoff from rainfall and snowmelt are important for flood hazard mitigation and resilience. In this study, the HEC-HMS and PRMS hydrological models have been applied to simulate storm runoff in Taunton River Basin for the storm event in 2010 when maximum rainfall intensity reached approximate 5 in/day in March, and the snowfall reached about 11 inches in December. Model parameters were calibrated, and model performance was evaluated by comparing model-simulated daily stream flow with observations. For the rainstorm period during March–April, results indicate that both HEC-HMS and PRMS provide very good predictions of rainfall runoff with the correlation values above 0.95, and PRMS produces lower root-mean-square errors than those from HEC-HMS. Over the 12-month period including the snowfall in December, the time series of flow by PRMS match better with observations than those from the HEC-HMS. The 12-month overall correlation values for HEC-HMS and PRMS are 0.91 and 0.97 at Bridgewater Station, and 0.89 and 0.97 at Threemile Station, respectively. For an extreme storm scenario of the maximum historical 36.7-inch snowfall in early February in combination with the rainstorm in March–April of 2010, model simulations indicate that the flow would substantially increase by about 50% or more. Comparisons between HEC-HMS and RPMS models have been analyzed to provide references for storm runoff modeling.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

(source National Weather Service, USA)

Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amengual A, Romero R, Alonso S (2008) Hydro-meteorological ensemble simulations of flood events over a small basin of Majorca Island, Spain. Q J R Meteorol Soc 134:1221–1242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson ML, Chen ZQ, Kavvas ML, Feldman A (2012) Coupling HEC-HMS with atmospheric models for prediction of watershed runoff. J Hydrol Eng 7(4):312–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beighley RE, Melack JM, Dunne T (2003) Impacts of California’s climatic regimes and coastal land use change on streamflow characteristics. J Am Water Resour 39(6):1419–1433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beighley RE, Eggert KG, Dunne T, He Y, Gummadi V, Verdin KL (2009) Simulating hydrologic and hydraulic processes throughout the Amazon River Basin. Hydrol Process 23:1221–1235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang H, Jung IW (2010) Spatial and temporal changes in runoff caused by climate change in a complex large river basin in Oregon. J Hydrol 388(3–4):186–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C, Huang W (2013) Hydrological modeling of typhoon-induced extreme storm runoffs from Shihmen watershed to reservoir, Taiwan. Nat Hazards 67(2):747–761

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Ren Q, Huang F, Xu H, Cluckie I (2011) Liuxihe model and its modeling to river basin flood. J Hydrol Eng 16(1):33–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chow VT (1959) Open channel hydraulics. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen DE, Markstrom SL, Hay LE (2011) Impacts of climate change on growing season in the United States. Earth Interact 15(33):1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunderlik JM, Simonovic SP (2007) Inverse flood risk modeling under changing climatic conditions. Hydrol Process 21(563):577

    Google Scholar 

  • Dressler KA, Leavesley GH, Bales RC, Fassnacht SR (2006) Evaluation of gridded snow water equivalent and satellite snow cover products for mountain basins in a hydrologic model. Hydrol Process 20(4):673–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du SQ, Shi PJ, Van Rompaey A, Wen JH (2015) Quantifying the impact of impervious surface location on flood peak discharge in urban areas. Nat Hazards 76(3):1457–1471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaytán R, Anda J, Nelson J (2008) Computation of changes in the runoff regimen of the Lake Santa Ana watershed. Lakes Reserv Res Manag 13:155–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goleij H, Haghiabi AH, Parsaie A (2017) An experimental study on plunging depth of density currents. Front Struct Civ Eng. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-017-0417-7

    Google Scholar 

  • Halwatura D, Najim MMM (2013) Application of the HEC-HMS model for runoff simulation in a tropical catchment. Environ Model Softw 46:155–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hay LE, Wilby RL, Leavesley GH (2000) A comparison of delta change and downscaled GCM scenarios for three mountainous basins in the United States. J Am Water Resour As 36:387–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hay LE, Leavesley GH, Clark MP, Markstrom SL, Viger RJ, Umemoto M (2006a) Step-wise, multiple objective calibration of a hydrologic model for a snowmelt-dominated watershed. J Am Water Resour 42(4):877–890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hay LE, Leavesley GH, Clark MP (2006) Use of remotely sensed snow-covered area in watershed model calibration for the Sprague River. In: Oregon in joint 8th federal interagency sedimentation conference and 3rd federal interagency hydrologic modeling conference, 2–6 April 2006, Reno, Nevada

  • HEC-HMS User Manual (2016) Hydrologic modeling system (HEC-HMS) user manual: version 4.2.0., USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA

  • IPCC Report (2013) Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. http://www.climatechange2013.org/

  • Knebl MR, Yang ZL, Hutchison K, Maidment DR (2005) Regional scale flood modeling using NEXRAD rainfall, GIS, and HEC-HMS/RAS: a case study for the San Antonio River Basin Summer 2002 storm event. J Environ Manag 75(4):325–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laouacheria F, Mansouri R (2015) Comparison of WBNM and HEC-HMS for Runoff hydrograph prediction in a small Urban Catchment. Water Resour Manag 29(8):1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JF, Chen YD, Zhang L, Zhang Q, Chiew FHS (2016) Future changes in floods and water availability across China: linkage with changing climate and uncertainties. J Hydrometeorol 17(4):1295–1314. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-0074.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markstrom SL, Niswonger RG, Regan RS, Prudic DE, Barlow PM (2008) GSFLOW—coupled ground-water and surface-water flow model based on the integration of the precipitation-runoff modeling system (PRMS) and the modular ground-water flow model (MODFLOW-2005). Techniques and methods 6-D1. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Viginia

  • Markstrom SL, Hay LE (2009) Integrated watershed scale response to climate change for selected basins across the United States. Water Resour Impact 11(2):8–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Markstrom SL, Regan RS, Hay LE, Viger RJ, Webb RMT, Payn RA, LaFontaine JH (2015) PRMS-IV, the precipitation-runoff modeling system, version 4: U.S. Geological survey techniques and methods, book 6, chap. B7. https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/6b7/

  • McLin SG, Springer EP, Lane LJ (2001) Predicting floodplain boundary changes following the Cerro Grande wildfire. Hydrol Process 15:2967–2980

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meenu R, Rehana S, Mujumdar PP (2013) Assessment of hydrologic impacts of climate change in Tunga-Bhadra river basin, India with HEC-HMS and SDSM. Hydrol Process 27(11):1572–1589

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal A, Stephenson TS, Brown AA, Campbell JD, Taylor MA, Lumsden TL (2016) Rainfall-runoff simulations using the CARIWIG simple model for advection of storms and hurricanes and HEC-HMS: implications of Hurricane Ivan over the Jamaica Hope River watershed. Nat Hazards 83(3):1635–1659

    Google Scholar 

  • Neshaei MAL, Ghanbarpour F (2017) The effect of sea level rise on beach morphology of Caspian sea coast. Front Struct Civ Eng. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-017-0398-6

    Google Scholar 

  • Onusluel GG, Harmancioglu N, Gul A (2010) A combined hydrologic and hydraulic modeling approach for testing efficiency of structural flood control measures. Nat Hazards 54(2):245–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Najafi MR, Moradkhani H, Jung IW (2011) Assessing the uncertainties of hydrologic model selection in climate change impact studies. Hydrol Process 25(18):2814–2826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niswonger RG, Allander KK, Jenton AE (2014) Collaborative modelling and integrated decision support system analysis of a developed terminal lake basin. J Hydrol 517:521–537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Zheng Y, Wu B, Wu X, Liu J, Zheng CM (2015) Modeling surface water–groundwater interaction in arid and semi-arid regions with intensive agriculture. Environ Model Softw 63:170–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) (2010) Snowmelt modeling in HEC-HMS. Flood and Coastal Storm Damage Reduction R&D Program, Engineering Center, Davis

  • US EPA (2015) BASINS 4.1 (Better Assessment Science Integrating point & Non-point Sources) Modeling Framework. National Exposure Research Laboratory, RTP, North Carolina. https://www.epa.gov/exposure-assessment-models/basins. Accessed 1st Jan 2016

  • Verdhen A, Chahar BR, Sharma OP (2013) Snowmelt runoff simulation using HEC-HMS in a himalayan watershed. In: World environmental and water resources congress 2013: showcasing the future 3206–3215

  • Wu B, Zheng Y, Wu X, Tian Y, Han F, Liu J, Zheng CM (2015) Optimizing water resources management in large river basins with integrated surface water–groundwater modeling: a surrogate-based approach. Water Resour Res 51(4):2153–2173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yates D, Warner TT, Brandes EA, Leavesley GH, Sun J, Mueller CK (2001) Evaluation of flash-flood discharge forecasts in complex terrain using precipitation. J Hydrol Eng 6(4):265–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz AG, Imteaz MA, Ogwuda O (2012) Accuracy of HEC-HMC and LBRM models in simulating snow runoffs in upper Euphrates Basin. J Hydrol Eng 17:342–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang D, Hagen SC, Alizad K (2013) Climate change impact and uncertainty analysis of extreme rainfall events in the Apalachicola River basin, Florida. J Hydrol 480(2013):125–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zarriello PJ, Bent GC (2011) Elevation of the March–April 2010 flood high water in selected river reaches in central and eastern Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010–1315

  • Zarriello PJ, Ahearn EA, Levin SB (2012) Magnitude of flood flows for selected annual exceedance probabilities in Rhode Island through 2010 (ver. 1.2, revised 27 Mar 2013): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5109. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2012/5109

  • Zhang Q, Chen YD, Chen XH, Li JF (2011) Copula-based analysis of hydrological extremes and implications of hydrological behaviors in the Pearl River Basin, China. J Hydrol Eng 16(7):598–607. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000350

    Article  Google Scholar 

Websites

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study is supported in part by the Coastal Resilience Center, Department of Homeland Security, through the University of North Carolina. The authors also thank the advices for snowmelt modeling in HEC-HMS by Tom Brauer and Mike Bartles at Hydrologic Engineering Center of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydraulic Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Fei Teng & Wenrui Huang

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida A&M University - Florida State University, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA

    Wenrui Huang

  3. School of Ocenography, University of Rhode Isalnd, Narragansset, RI, USA

    Isaac Ginis

Authors
  1. Fei Teng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wenrui Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Isaac Ginis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wenrui Huang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Teng, F., Huang, W. & Ginis, I. Hydrological modeling of storm runoff and snowmelt in Taunton River Basin by applications of HEC-HMS and PRMS models. Nat Hazards 91, 179–199 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3121-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3121-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation