LAND-USE IMPACT ON WATERSHED RESPONSE: THE INTEGRATION OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL HYDROLOGICAL MODELLING AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The integration of a two-dimensional, raster-based rainfall–runoff model, CASC2D, with a raster geographical information system (GIS), GRASS, offers enhanced capabilities for analysing the hydrological impact under a variety of land management scenarios. The spatially varied components of the watershed, such as slope, soil texture, surface roughness and land-use disturbance, were characterized in GRASS at a user-specified grid cell resolution for input into the CASC2D model. CASC2D is a raster-based, single-event rainfall–runoff model that divides the watershed into grid cell elements and simulates the hydrological processes of infiltration, overland flow and channel flow in response to distributed rainfall precipitation. The five-step integration of CASC2D and GRASS demonstrates the potential for analysing spatially and temporally varied hydrological processes within a 50 square mile semi-arid watershed. By defining possible land-use disturbance scenarios for the watershed, a variety of rainfall–runoff events were simulated to determine the changes in watershed response under varying disturbance and rainfall conditions. Additionally, spatially distributed infiltration outputs derived from the simulations were analysed in GRASS to determine the variability of hydrological change within the watershed. Grid cell computational capabilities in GRASS allow the user to combine the scenario simulation outputs with other distributed watershed parameters to develop complex maps depicting potential areas of hydrological sensitivity. This GIS–hydrological model integration provides valuable spatial information to researchers and managers concerned with the study and effects of land-use on hydrological response.     

A simple rainfall–runoff model based on hydrological units applied to the Teba catchment (south‐east Spain)

A hydrological model (YWB, yearly water balance) has been developed to model the daily rainfall–runoff relationship of the 202 km² Teba river catchment, located in semi‐arid south‐eastern Spain. The period of available data (1976–1993) includes some very rainy years with intensive storms (responsible for flooding parts of the town of Malaga) and also some very dry years. The YWB model is in essence a simple tank model in which the catchment is subdivided into a limited number of meaningful hydrological units. Instead of generating per unit surface runoff resulting from infiltration excess, runoff has been made the result of storage excess. Actual evapotranspiration is obtained by means of curves, included in the software, representing the relationship between the ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration as a function of soil moisture content for three soil texture classes. The total runoff generated is split between base flow and surface runoff according to a given baseflow index. The two components are routed separately and subsequently joined. A large number of sequential years can be processed, and the results of each year are summarized by a water balance table and a daily based rainfall runoff time series. An attempt has been made to restrict the amount of input data to the minimum. Interactive manual calibration is advocated in order to allow better incorporation of field evidence and the experience of the model user. Field observations allowed for an approximate calibration at the hydrological unit level. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative analysis of a geomorphology‐based instantaneous unit hydrograph in small mountainous watersheds

A conceptual insytnataneous unit hydrograph (IUH) based on geomorphologival association of linear reservoirs (GR) previously developed by the authors has been compared with other IUH models: a distributed GR variation (GR(v)), the Nash IUH, the Chutha and Dooge IUH, and the Troutman and Karlinger IUH for the analysis of direct runoff hydrographs recorded in three experimental watershed of the north of Spain. The comparison was made through a calibration‐validation process in which a leave‐one‐out cross‐validation method was applied. The results indicate the satisfactory performance of all the models, with the advantage for the GR model of the dependence on only one parameter, which can be identified from the watershed and event characteristics. This property makes its use easier than that of other models. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MODELLING RAINFALL-RUNOFF FROM LARGE CATCHMENT TO BASIN SCALE: THE GOULBURN VALLEY,VICTORIA

A lumped parameter dynamic rainfall-runoff model, IHACRES, is applied to the large upland area (more than 4500 km²) of the Goulburn Valley Basin, Victoria, Australia to predict streamflow under different climatic conditions. This paper presents the first evaluation of a rainfall–runoff model at large catchment scale, which is comprehensive in terms of the number of catchments investigated and the number of calibration and simulation periods used. The basin is subdivided into 12 catchments (from 100 to 700 km²), each of which is calibrated separately. High values of model efficiency and low bias are consistently obtained for different calibration sub-periods for all catchments in the basin. Simulation or so-called validation tests are used to select the best models for each catchment. This allows simulation of the water regime during long historical (approximately 90 year) periods when only climatological (rainfall and temperature) data were available. This procedure is extremely important for the estimation of the effect of climate variability and of the possible impact of climate change on the hydrological regime in the region and, in particular, for supporting irrigation management of the basin. Analysis of a composite catchment (2417 km²) and its five separate subcatchments indicates that the information content in the rainfall–streamflow data is independent of catchment size. Dynamic modelling of the daily water balance at the macroscale is limited principally by the adequacy of the precipitation gauging network. When a good estimate of areal precipitation is available for a catchment, it is not necessary to consider subcatchment-scale variability for modelling if the only interest is the daily discharge and evaporation losses from the catchment.     

Conceptual modelling to assess how the interplay of hydrological connectivity,catchment storage and tracer dynamics controls nonstationary water age estimates

Although catchment storage is an intrinsic control on the rainfall–runoff response of streams, direct measurement remains a major challenge. Coupled models that integrate long‐term hydrometric and isotope tracer data are useful tools that can provide insights into the dynamics of catchment storage and the volumes of water involved. In this study, we use a tracer‐aided hydrological model to characterize catchment storage as a dynamic control on system function related to streamflow generation, which also allows direct estimation of the nonstationarity of water ages. We show that in a wet Scottish upland catchment dominated by runoff generation from riparian peats (histosols) with high water storage, nonstationarity in water age distributions is only clearly detectable during more extreme wet and dry periods. This is explained by the frequency and longevity of hydrological connectivity and the associated relative importance of flow paths contributing younger or older waters to the stream. Generally, these saturated riparian soils represent large mixing zones that buffer the time variance of water age and integrate catchment‐scale partial mixing processes. Although storage simulations depend on model performance, which is influenced by input variability and the degree of isotopic damping in the stream, a longer‐term storage analysis of this model indicates a system that is only sensitive to more extreme hydroclimatic variability. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of differential hillslope‐scale water retention characteristics on rainfall–runoff response at the Landscape Evolution Observatory

Hillslopes turn precipitation into runoff and thus exert important controls on various Earth system processes. It remains difficult to collect reliable data necessary for understanding and modeling these Earth system processes in real catchments. To overcome this problem, controlled experiments are being conducted at the Landscape Evolution Observatory at Biosphere 2, The University of Arizona. Previous experiments have revealed differences in hydrological response between 2 landscapes within Landscape Evolution Observatory, even though both landscapes were designed to be identical. In an attempt to discover where the observed differences stem from, we use a fully 3‐dimensional hydrological model (CATchment HYdrology) to show the effect of soil water retention characteristics and saturated hydraulic conductivity on the hydrological response of these 2 hillslopes. We also show that soil water retention characteristics can be derived at hillslope scale from experimental observations of soil moisture and matric potential. It is found that differences in soil packing between the 2 landscapes may be responsible for the observed differences in hydrological response. This modeling study also suggests that soil water retention characteristics and saturated hydraulic conductivity have a profound effect on rainfall–runoff processes at hillslope scale and that parametrization of a single hillslope may be a promising step in modeling rainfall–runoff response in real catchments.     

Rainfall–runoff modelling of ephemeral streams in the Valencia region (eastern Spain)

This paper presents preliminary results from the application of a transfer‐function rainfall–runoff model to ephemeral streams in Mediterranean Spain. Flow simulations have been conducted for two small catchments (Carraixet and Poyo basins), located in close proximity to one another yet with significantly different geological characteristics. Analysis of flow simulations for a number of high‐flow events has revealed the dominant influence of the rainfall on the catchment response, particularly for high‐rainfall events. Particular success has been attained modelling the highest magnitude events in both catchments and for all events in the faster responding (Poyo) catchment. In order to investigate the viability of the model for forecasting floods in ungauged catchments, additional investigations have been conducted by calibrating the model for one catchment (donor catchment) and then applying it to another (receptor catchment). The results indicate that this can be successful when either the donor catchment is a fast response catchment or when the model is calibrated using a high‐magnitude event in the donor catchment, providing that the modelled receptor catchment event is of a lower magnitude. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Semi‐distributed flood runoff model at the subcontinental scale for southwestern Iran

Rainfall–runoff modelling, as a surface hydrological process, on large‐scale data‐poor basins is currently a major topic of investigation that requires the model parameters be identified by using basin physical characteristics rather than calibration. This paper describes the application of the TOPMODEL framework accompanied by a kinematic wave model to the Karun River sub‐basins in southwestern Iran with just one conceptual parameter for calibration. ISLSCP1, HYDRO1K and Reynolds data sets are presented in a geographical information system and used as data sources for meteorological information, hydrological features and soil characteristics of the study area respectively. The results show that although the model developed can adequately predict flood runoff in the catchment with only one calibrated parameter, it is suggested that the effect of surface reservoirs be considered in the proposed model. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.