Water Quality Data and Simulation Model in GIS for the Rio Bravo/Grande Basin

In previous research, the Center for Research in Water Resources (CRWR) of The University of Texas at Austin, and the National Water Commission (CNA) of Mexico cooperated to develop the Rio Grande/Bravo database in which most of the data are referenced geographically (i.e., a geodatabase). The geodatabase consists of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a relational database containing hydrologic, hydraulic and related data for the basin. The ArcHydro data model structure was used as the basis of the geodatabase since it allows the river basin to be represented in a realistic network of upstream to downstream connections. The ArcHydro data model defines attributes, relationships and connectivity between hydrologic features in a GIS database. Once the Rio Grande/Bravo geodatabase was created, it used in various water management agencies within the U.S. and Mexico. In this project, CRWR and CNA have cooperated to build on their previous results to accomplish three tasks: (1) add water quality data to the Rio Grande/Bravo geodatabase; (2) add water related infrastructure data to the Rio Grande/Bravo geodatabase; and (3) determine the main river segments in this basin to be used in water quality modeling. Also, some water quality simulations have been started for the rio Bravo/Grande basin, based on the water quality data model.