Estimation of potential evapotranspiration in the mountainous Panama Canal watershed

Spatially distributed hydrometeorological and plant information within the mountainous tropical Panama Canal watershed is used to estimate parameters of the Penman–Monteith evapotranspiration formulation. Hydrometeorological data from a few surface climate stations located at low elevations in the watershed are complemented by (a) typical wet‐ and dry‐season fields of temperature, wind, water vapour and pressure produced by a mesoscale atmospheric model with a 3 × 3 km² spatial and hourly temporal resolution, and (b) leaf area index fields estimated over the watershed during a few years using satellite data with two different spatial and temporal resolutions. The mesoscale model estimates of spatially distributed surface hydrometeorological variables provide the basis for the extrapolation of the surface climate station data to produce input for the Penman–Monteith equation. The satellite information and existing digital spatial databases of land use and land cover form the basis for the estimation of Penman–Monteith spatially distributed parameter values. Spatially distributed 3 × 3 km² potential evapotranspiration estimates are obtained for the 3300 km² Panama Canal watershed. Estimates for Gatun Lake within the watershed are found to reproduce well the monthly and annual lake evaporation obtained from submerged pans. Sensitivity analysis results of potential evapotranspiration estimates with respect to cloud cover, dew formation, leaf area index distribution and mesoscale model estimates of surface climate are presented and discussed. The main conclusion is that even the limited spatially distributed hydrometeorological and plant information used in this study contributes significantly toward explaining the substantial spatial variability of potential evapotranspiration in the watershed. These results also allow the determination of key locations within the watershed where additional surface stations may be profitably placed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating evapotranspiration for a temperate salt marsh,Newcastle, Australia

Evapotranspiration was studied at a salt marsh site in the Hunter River estuary, NSW, Australia, during 1996–8. Estimates of actual evapotranspiration (E_a) were obtained for three sites using the eddy correlation method. These values were compared with results obtained with the Penman and Penman–Monteith equations, and with pan evaporation. The Penman–Monteith method was found to be most reliable in estimating daily and hourly evapotranspiration. Surface resistance values averaging 12 s m^?1 were derived from the eddy correlation estimates. Recent tidal flooding and rainfall were found to decrease surface resistance and increase E_a/E_p ratios. Estimates of evapotranspiration obtained using the Penman–Monteith method were shown to be sensitive to changes in surface resistance, canopy height and the method used to estimate net radiation from incoming solar radiation. These results underline the importance of accurately estimating such parameters based on site‐specific data rather than relying on empirical equations, which are derived primarily for crops and forests. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of pan coefficients for estimating evapotranspiration from riparian woody vegetation

The long‐term ‘Millennium Drought’ has put significant pressure on water resources across Australia. In southeastern Australia and in particular the Murray‐Darling Basin, removal of exotic, high‐water‐use Salix trees may provide a means to return water to the environment. This paper describes a simple model to estimate evapotranspiration of two introduced Salix species under non‐water‐limited conditions across seven biogeoclimatic zones in Australia. In this study, Salix evapotranspiration was calculated using the Penman–Monteith model. Field measurements of leaf area index and stomatal conductance for Salix babylonica and Salix fragilis were used to parameterize the models. Each model was validated using extensive field estimates of evapotranspiration from a semi‐arid (S. babylonica, r² = 0.88) and cool temperate (S. fragilis, r² = 0.99) region. Modelled mean annual evapotranspiration showed strong agreement with field measurements, being within 32 and 2 mm year^?1 for S. babylonica and S. fragilis, respectively. Monthly pan coefficients (the ratio of mean evapotranspiration to mean pan evaporation) were developed from 30 years of meteorological data, for 30 key reference sites across Australia for both species using the validated Penman–Monteith models. Open‐water evaporation was estimated from field measurements and was used to develop a simple linear regression model for open‐water evaporation across the 30 reference sites. Differences between modelled evapotranspiration and open‐water evaporation at each site provide an indication of the amount of water that might be returned to the environment from removal of in‐stream Salix species. The monthly pan coefficient method reported has application across riparian environments worldwide where measured evapotranspiration is available for model validation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of the Penman‐Monteith method and regional calibration of the Hargreaves equation for actual evapotranspiration using SWAT-simulated results in the Seolma-cheon basin,South Korea

ABSTRACT

The Hargreaves method provides reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) estimates when only air temperature data are available, although it requires previous local calibration for an acceptable performance. This method was evaluated using the data from 71 meteorological stations in the Seolma-cheon basin (8.48 km²), South Korea, comparing daily estimates against those from the Penman‐Monteith (PM) method, which was used as the standard. To estimate reference ET_o more exactly, considering the climatological characteristics in South Korea, parameter regionalization of the Hargreaves equation is carried out. First, the modified Hargreaves equation is presented after an analysis of the relationship between solar radiation and temperature. Second, parameter (K_ET) optimization of the regional calibration of the Hargreaves equation (RCH) is performed using the PM method and the modified equation at 71 meteorological stations. Next, an application was carried out to evaluate the evapotranspiration methods (PM, original Hargreaves and RCH) in the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model by comparing these with the measured actual evapotranspiration (AET) in the basin. The SWAT model was calibrated using 3 years (2007–2009) of daily streamflow at the watershed outlet and 3 years (2007–2009) of daily AET measured at a mixed forest. The model was validated with 3 years (2010‐2012) of streamflow and AET. RCH will contribute to a better understanding of evapotranspiration of an ungauged watershed in areas where meteorological information is scarce.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis ASSOCIATE EDITOR Not assigned     

Relationships Between Water Table and Model Simulated ET

This research was conducted to develop relationships among evapotranspiration (ET), percolation (PERC), groundwater discharge to the stream (GWQ), and water table fluctuations through a modeling approach. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrologic and crop models were applied in the Big Sunflower River watershed (BSRW; 7660 km²) within the Yazoo River Basin of the Lower Mississippi River alluvial plain. Results of this study showed good to very good model performances with the coefficient of determination (R²) and Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) index from 0.4 to 0.9, respectively, during both hydrologic and crop model calibration and validation. An empirical relationship between ET, PERC, GWQ, and water table fluctuations was able to predict 64% of the water table variation of the alluvial plain in this study. Thematic maps were developed to identify areas with overuse of groundwater, which can help watershed managers to develop water resource programs.     

The Biscuit Brook and Neversink Reservoir watersheds: Long-term investigations of stream chemistry,soil chemistry and aquatic ecology in the Catskill Mountains,New York,USA, 1983–2020

This data note describes the Biscuit Brook and Neversink Reservoir watershed long-term monitoring data that includes: 1) stream discharge, (1983–2020 for Biscuit Brook and 1937–2020 for the Neversink Reservoir watershed), 2) stream water chemistry, 1983–2020, at 4 stations, 3) fish survey data from 16 locations in the watershed 1990–2019, 4) soil chemistry data from 2 headwater sub-watersheds, 1993–2012 and 5) periodic stream water chemistry sampling data from 364 locations throughout the watershed, 1983–2020. The Neversink Reservoir watershed in the Catskill Mountains of New York, USA drains an area of 172.5 km². The watershed feeds one of six reservoirs in New York City's West of Hudson water supply, which accounts for about 90% of the city's water supply. Biscuit Brook is a 9.63 km² tributary sub-watershed within the Neversink Reservoir watershed.     

Responses of canopy transpiration and canopy conductance of peach (Prunus persica) trees to alternate partial root zone drip irrigation

We investigated canopy transpiration and canopy conductance of peach trees under three irrigation patterns: fixed 1/2 partial root zone drip irrigation (FPRDI), alternate 1/2 partial root zone drip irrigation (APRDI) and full root zone drip irrigation (FDI). Canopy transpiration was measured using heat pulse sensors, and canopy conductance was calculated using the Jarvis model and the inversion of the Penman–Monteith equation. Results showed that the transpiration rate and canopy conductance in FPRDI and APRDI were smaller than those in FDI. More significantly, the total irrigation amount was greatly reduced, by 34·7% and 39·6%, respectively for APRDI and FPRDI in the PRDI (partial root zone drip irrigation) treatment period. The daily transpiration was linearly related to the reference evapotranspiration in the three treatments, but daily transpiration of FDI is more than that of APRDI and FPRDI under the same evaporation demand, suggesting a restriction of transpiration water loss in the APRDI and FPRDI trees. FDI needed a higher soil water content to carry the same amount of transpiration as the APRDI and FPRDI trees, suggesting the hydraulic conductance of roots of APRDI and FPRDI trees was enhanced, and the roots had a greater water uptake than in FDI when the average soil water content in the root zone was the same. By a comparison between the transpiration rates predicted by the Penman–Monteith equation and the measured canopy transpiration rates for 60 days during the experimental period, an excellent correlation along the 1:1 line was found for all the treatments (R² > 0·80), proving the reliability of the methodology. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the use of a gridded climate surface for modelling groundwater recharge in a semi‐arid region (Okanagan Basin,Canada)

Spatially distributed groundwater recharge was simulated for a segment of a semi‐arid valley using three different treatments of meteorological input data and potential evapotranspiration (PET). For the same area, timeframe, land cover characteristics and soil properties, groundwater recharge was estimate using (i) single‐station climate data with monthly PET calculated by the Thornthwaite method; (ii) single‐station climate data with daily PET calculated by the Penman–Monteith method; and (iii) daily gridded climate data with spatially distributed PET calculated using the Penman–Monteith method. For each treatment, the magnitude and distribution of actual evapotranspiration (AET) for summer months compared well with those estimated for a 5‐year crop study, suggesting that the near‐surface hydrological processes were replicated and that subsequent groundwater recharge rates are realistic. However, for winter months, calculated AET was near zero when using the Thornthwaite PET method. Mean annual groundwater recharge varied from ～3·2 to 10·0 mm when PET was calculated by the Thornthwaite method, and from ～1·8 to 7·5 mm when PET was calculated by the Penman–Monteith method. Comparisons of bivariate plots of seasonal recharge rates estimated from single‐station versus gridded surface climate reveal that there is greater variability between the different methods for spring months, which is the season of greatest recharge. Furthermore, these seasonal differences are shown to provide different results when compared to the depth to water table, which could lead to different results of evaporative extinction depth. These findings illustrate potential consequences of using different approaches for representing spatial meteorological input data, which could provide conflicting predictions when modelling the influence of climate change on groundwater recharge. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wetland versus open water evaporation: An analysis and literature review

Is the total evaporation from a wetland surface (including: open water evaporation, plant transpiration and wet/dry soil evaporation) similar, lower, or higher than evaporation from an open water surface under the same climatic conditions? This question has been the subject of long debate; the literature does not show a consensus. In this paper we contribute to the discussion in two steps. First, we analyse the evaporation from a wetland with emergent vegetation (E_a) versus open water evaporation (E_w) by applying the Penman–Monteith equation to identical climate input data, but with different biophysical characteristics of each surface. Second, we assess the variability of measured E_a/E_w through a literature review of selected wetlands around the globe.We demonstrate that the ratio E_a/E_w is site-specific, and a function of the biophysical properties of the wetland surface, which can also undergo temporal variability depending on local hydro-climate conditions. Second, we demonstrate that the Penman–Monteith model provides a suitable basis to interpret E_a/E_w variations. This implies that the assumption of wetland evaporation to behave similar to open water bodies is not correct. This has significant implications for the total water consumption and water allocation to wetlands in river basin management.     

Pan evaporation and potential evapotranspiration trends in South Florida

Declining trends in pan and lake evaporation have been reported. It is important to study this trend in every region to evaluate the validity of the trend and water management implications. Data from nine pan evaporation sites in South Florida were evaluated to see if there is a trend and if the quality of the data is sufficient for such analysis. The conclusion is that pan evaporation measurements are prone to too many sources of errors to be used for trend analysis. This condition is demonstrated in South Florida and in other regions by differences in magnitude and direction between spatially related pan stations and unexplainable observations. Also, potential evapotranspiration (ET_p) was estimated with the Simple (Abtew equation) and the Penman–Monteith method. Both cases indicated no decline in evapotranspiration for the period of analysis. Based on the decline in humidity and the increasing trend in vapor pressure deficit for the short period of analysis, 1992–2009, it appears that South Florida is experiencing increase in evaporation and evapotranspiration at this time assuming no systematic error in the weather stations' observations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Season‐based rainfall–runoff modelling using the probability‐distributed model (PDM) for large basins in southeastern Brazil

Southeastern Brazil is characterized by seasonal rainfall variability. This can have a great social, economic, and environmental impact due to both excessive and deficient water availability. During 2014 and 2015, the region experienced one of the most severe droughts since 1960. The resulting water crisis has seriously affected water supply to the metropolitan region of São Paulo and hydroelectric power generation throughout the entire country. This research considered the upstream basins of the southeastern Brazilian reservoirs Cantareira (2,279 km²; water supply) and Emborcação (29,076 km²), Três Marias (51,576 km²), Furnas (52,197 km²), and Mascarenhas (71,649 km²; hydropower) for hydrological modelling. It made the first attempt at configuring a season‐based probability‐distributed model (PDM‐CEMADEN) for simulating different hydrological processes during wet and dry seasons. The model successfully reproduced the intra‐annual and interannual variability of the upstream inflows during 1985–2015. The performance of the model was very satisfactory not only during the wet, dry, and transitional seasons separately but also during the whole period. The best performance was obtained for the upstream basin of Furnas, as it had the highest quality daily precipitation and potential evapotranspiration data. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and logarithmic Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency were 0.92 and 0.93 for the calibration period 1984–2001, 0.87 and 0.88 for the validation period 2001–2010, and 0.93 and 0.90 for the validation period 2010–2015, respectively. Results indicated that during the wet season, the upstream basins have a larger capacity and variation of soil water storage, a larger soil water conductivity, and quicker surface water flow than during the dry season. The added complexity of configuring a season‐based PDM‐CEMADEN relative to the traditional model is well justified by its capacity to better reproduce initial conditions for hydrological forecasting and prediction. The PDM‐CEMADEN is a simple, efficient, and easy‐to‐use model, and it will facilitate early decision making and implement adaptation measures relating to disaster prevention for reservoirs with large‐sized upstream basins.     

Ecohydrologic considerations for modeling of stable water isotopes in a small intermittent watershed

Naturally occurring stable water isotope tracers provide useful information for hydrologic model development and calibration. Existing models include varied approaches concerning unsaturated zone percolation mixing (preferential versus matrix flow) and evapotranspiration (ET) partitioning. We assess the impact of unsaturated zone simplifying assumptions when simulating the Shale Hills Watershed, a small (7.9 ha), temperate, forested watershed near Petersburg, Pennsylvania, USA, with a relatively simple model. We found that different model structures/assumptions and parameterizations of unsaturated zone percolation had substantial impacts on the agreement between simulated and observed unsaturated‐zone water isotopic signatures. We show that unsaturated zone percolation mixing primarily affects the unsaturated zone δ¹⁸O and δ²H during winter and spring and that percolation was best represented as a combination of both preferential and matrix flow. We evaluate the importance and implications related to the partitioning of ET into evaporation and transpiration and demonstrated that incorporation of a plant growth model for ET partitioning substantially improved reproduction of observed hydrologic isotopic patterns of the unsaturated zone during the spring season. We show that unsaturated zone percolation mixing and ET partitioning approaches do not substantially influence stream δ¹⁸O and δ²H and conclude that observed streamflow isotopic data is not always a strong predictor of model performance with respect to intrawatershed processes.     

Comparative hydrology: analysis of a semiarid and a humid tropical watershed

This paper analyses measured data from two small tropical watersheds: one in a semiarid (Aiuaba, Brazil, 12·0 km², 5 years of measurements) and another in a humid environment (Jaruco, Cuba, 43·5 km², 21 years of measurements). The watersheds are similar with respect to catchment area (tens of km²), potential evaporation (2·1–2·6 m year^?1), temperature (22–30 °C) and relief (mild hillslope steepness); but show considerable hydrological discrepancies: average precipitation in the humid watershed is two times higher; average river discharge (mm year^?1) is five times higher; and surface water availability (mm year^?1) is 14 times higher than in the semiarid watershed. Long‐term operation of hypothetical surface reservoirs in both basins is simulated. The analysis shows that 73% of the average river discharge are available (with 90% annual reliability) in the humid watershed, against only 28% in the semiarid. The main cause of this difference is the excess evaporation, which consumes 55% of the stored water in the semiarid reservoir, but only 12% in the humid one. The research concludes that: (1) although precipitation indicators are higher in the humid area, they are of the same order of magnitude as in the semiarid; and (2) fluvial‐regime and water‐availability variables are more than one order of magnitude higher in the humid basin, which shows a multiplication effect of these hydrological processes. Such major hydrological differences, despite the similarities between the two tropical watersheds, show the importance of further investigations in the field of comparative hydrology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple method using climatic variables to estimate canopy temperature,sensible and latent heat fluxes in a winter wheat field on the North China Plain

Estimation of evapotranspiration from a crop field is of great importance for detecting crop water status and proper irrigation scheduling. The Penman–Monteith equation is widely viewed as the best method to estimate evapotranspiration but it requires canopy resistance, which is very difficult to determine in practice. This paper presents a simple method simplified from the Penman–Monteith equation for estimating canopy temperature (T_c). The proposed method is a biophysically‐sound extended version of that proposed by Todorovic. The estimated canopy temperature is used to calculate sensible heat flux, and then latent heat flux is calculated as the residual of the surface energy balance. An eddy covariance (EC) system and an infrared thermometer (IRT) were installed in an irrigated winter wheat field on the North China Plain in 2004 and 2005, to measure T_c, and sensible and latent heat fluxes were used to test the modified Todorovic model (MTD). The results indicate that the original Todorovic model (TD) severely underestimates T_c and sensible heat flux, and hence severely overestimates the latent heat flux. However, the MTD model has good capability for estimating T_c, and gives acceptable results for latent heat flux at both half‐hourly and daily scales. The MTD model results also agreed well with the evapotranspiration calculated from the measured T_c. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a fen‐dominated forested watershed,James Bay region,Quebec

The hydrology of Quebec, Canada, boreal fens is poorly documented. Many peatlands are located in watersheds with impounded rivers. In such cases, their presence influences reservoir inflows. In recent years, some fens have been subjected to an increase of their wet area, a sign that they may be evolving towards an aquatic ecosystem. This dynamic process is called aqualysis. This article presents the seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a small watershed including a highly aqualysed fen (James Bay region). The monitoring of precipitation (P), runoff (Q) and groundwater levels (WL) was conducted during the ice‐free season. Three semiempirical equations (Thornthwaite, Priestley–Taylor and Penman–Monteith) were used and compared to calculate potential evapotranspiration. The first two equations, having fewer parameters, estimate higher potential evapotranspiration values than the third equation. The use of pressure‐level gauges installed in wells, for the calculation of peatland water storage, is inconclusive. Swelling of peat, peat decomposition and plant composition could be responsible for nonnegligible amounts of absorbed water, which are not entirely accounted for by well levels. The estimation of peat matrix water storage is potentially the largest source of error and the limiting factor to calculate water balances in this environment. The results show that the groundwater level and the water storage vary depending on the season and especially after a heavy rainfall. Finally, the results illustrate the complexity of water routing through the site and thus raise several questions to be resolved in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial-temporal evaluation of different reference evapotranspiration methods based on the climate forecast system reanalysis data

Evapotranspiration is a major component of the interaction between land-surface processes and the atmosphere. Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data offer a promising database for overcoming the limitations in availability and reliability of climatological data and, hence, for understanding the evapotranspiration process. Using these data on grid-by-grid daily, seasonal and yearly scales, the present study attempts to advance the spatio-temporal evaluation of two radiation-based and three temperature-based methods for estimating potential evapotranspiration (PET) against estimates of grass reference evapotranspiration (ETo) by FAO Penman–Monteith method (FAO-PM). The analysis was performed for the period 1979–2013, considering the second largest (79 000 km²) river system in Ethiopia, that is, Omo-Gibe basin, which accommodates national parks and vast hydropower, cultivation and afforestation developments and discharges its flow to Lake Turkana in Kenya. Despite the large regional variations in climate and elevation, the results in overall emphasize the outperformance of the simple temperature method, viz. Hargreaves–Samani method, in capturing both the annual and seasonal FAO-PM estimates. Calibration of the Hargreaves–Samani equation is, however, a requisite for spectacular improvement of its performance. Accordingly, new coefficients of the equation are proposed. The annual trends in the basin's ETo increased with rising temperature and decreasing relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation, but with decreasing (increasing) rainfall in the upper region (the middle and lower regions). It is deduced that trends in simple methods do not necessarily reflect the true trends in ETo. Annual ETo decreases with increasing elevation and annual rainfall. The present findings are discussed in the context of a worldwide literature, thereby improving the understanding of the best performing PET methods in similar data-scarce national or transboundary rivers basin in Ethiopia, the region or worldwide. The wider implications regarding water loss from reservoirs and the rain-fed food and sugar production in the basin under study are also highlighted.     

Multi‐site evaluation of hydrology component of SWAT in the coastal plain of southwest Georgia

Simulation of watershed scale hydrologic and water quality processes is important for watershed assessments. Proper characterization of the accuracy of these simulations, particularly in cases with limited observed data, is critical. The Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is frequently used for watershed scale simulation. The accuracy of the model was assessed by extrapolating calibration results from a well studied Coastal Plain watershed in Southwest Georgia, USA, to watersheds within the same geographic region without further calibration. SWAT was calibrated and validated on a 16.7‐km² subwatershed within the Little River Experimental Watershed by varying six model parameters. The optimized parameter set was then applied to a watershed of similar land use and soils, a smaller watershed with different land use and soils and three larger watersheds within the same drainage system without further calibration. Simulation results with percent bias (PB) ±15% ≤ PB < ±25% and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) 0.50 < NSE ≤ 0.65 were considered to be satisfactory, whereas those with PB < ±10% and 0.75 < NSE ≤ 1.00 were considered very good. With these criteria, simulation results for the five non‐calibration watersheds were satisfactory to very good. Differences across watersheds were attributed to differences in soils, land use, and surficial aquifer characteristics. These results indicate that SWAT can be a useful tool for predicting streamflow for ungauged watersheds with similar physical characteristics to the calibration watershed studied here and provide an indication of the accuracy of hydrologic simulations for ungauged watersheds. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the functionality and streamflow impacts of explicitly modelling forest–snow interactions and canopy gaps in a distributed hydrologic model

Many plot‐scale studies have shown that snow‐cover dynamics in forest gaps are distinctly different from those in open and continuously forested areas, and forest gaps have the potential to alter the magnitude and timing of snowmelt. However, the watershed‐level impacts of canopy gap treatment on streamflows are largely unknown. Here, we present the first research that explicitly assesses the impact of canopy gaps on seasonal streamflows and particularly late‐season low flows at the watershed scale. To explicitly model forest–snow interactions in canopy gaps, we made major enhancements to a widely used distributed hydrologic model, distributed hydrology soil vegetation model, with a canopy gap component that represents physical processes of snowpack evolution in the forest gap separately from the surrounding forest on the subgrid scale (within a grid typically 10–150 m). The model predicted snow water equivalent using the enhanced distributed hydrology soil vegetation model showed good agreement (R² > 0.9) with subhourly snow water equivalent measurements collected from open, forested, and canopy gap sites in Idaho, USA. Compared with the original model that does not account for interactions between gaps and surrounding forest, the enhanced model predicted notably later melt in small‐ to medium‐size canopy gaps (the ratio of gap radius (r) to canopy height (h) ≤ 1.2), and snow melt rates exhibited great sensitivity to changing gap size in medium‐size gaps (0.5 ≤ r/h ≤ 1.2). We demonstrated the watershed‐scale implications of canopy gaps on streamflow in the snow‐dominated Chiwawa watershed, WA, USA. With 24% of the watershed drainage area (about 446 km²) converted to gaps of 60 m diameter, the mean annual 7‐day low flow was increased by 19.4% (i.e., 0.37 m³/s), and the mean monthly 7‐day low flows were increased by 13.5% (i.e., 0.26 m³/s) to 40% (i.e., 1.76 m³/s) from late summer through fall. Lastly, in practical implementation of canopy gaps with the same total gap areas, a greater number of distributed small gaps can have greater potential for longer snow retention than a smaller number of large gaps.     

A process-based,distributed hydrologic model based on a large-scale method for surface–subsurface coupling

Process-based watershed models are useful tools for understanding the impacts of natural and anthropogenic influences on water resources and for predicting water and solute fluxes exported from watersheds to receiving water bodies. The applicability of process-based hydrologic models has been previously limited to small catchments and short time frames. Computational demands, especially the solution to the three-dimensional subsurface flow domain, continue to pose significant constraints. This paper documents the mathematical development, numerical testing and the initial application of a new distributed hydrologic model PAWS (Process-based Adaptive Watershed Simulator). The model solves the governing equations for the major hydrologic processes efficiently so that large scale applications become relevant. PAWS evaluates the integrated hydrologic response of the surface–subsurface system using a novel non-iterative method that couples runoff and groundwater flow to vadose zone processes approximating the 3D Richards equation. The method is computationally efficient and produces physically consistent solutions. All flow components have been independently verified using analytical solutions and experimental data where applicable. The model is applied to a medium-sized watershed in Michigan (1169 km²) achieving high performance metrics in terms of streamflow prediction at two gages during the calibration and verification periods. PAWS uses public databases as input and possesses full capability to interact with GIS datasets. Future papers will describe applications to other watersheds and the development and application of fate and transport modules.