Continuous Hydrologic Models and Curve Numbers: A Path Forward
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Volume 13, Issue 7
Abstract
The suitability of applying the NRCS curve number (CN) to continuous runoff prediction is examined using a new technique of back-calculating CN values from the output of a complex nonlinear hydrologic model. The continuous watershed model Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) is employed as a simple theoretical watershed in two numerical procedures designed to link CNs with model parameters. The influence of soil type, soil depth, storm depth, storm distribution, and initial abstraction ratio value on the calculated CN value is investigated. For the first procedure, a soil physics model was developed to calculate the soil moisture content equivalent to the NRCS antecedent runoff condition (ARC) II based on soil type and soil depth. Additionally, the model provides estimates for HSPF soil moisture and infiltration parameters with the remaining parameters adopted from previous calibrations on real watersheds. Curve numbers are back-calculated from HSPF parameter sets using the direct runoff produced from a cyclic synthetic storm event time series input to HSPF. The second numerical method is based on an established asymptotic curve fitting approach to determining CNs from data using real time series rainfall records and simulated runoff events. It was determined that the calculated CN values demonstrated a nonlinear dependence on the computational variables listed above. While significant error was found to be associated with the CNs resulting from the first numerical procedure, the second method suggests some promise for the use of CN values as surrogates for HSPF parameter sets for long term hydrologic analysis.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 13 • Issue 7 • July 2008
Pages: 621 - 635
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 30, 2007
Accepted: Sep 19, 2007
Published online: Jul 1, 2008
Published in print: Jul 2008
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