Modeling Runoff and Sediment Load Using the HEC-HMS Model in an Arid Watershed
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 3
Abstract
Flash floods induced by high-intensity and short-duration monsoon rainfall can cause severe damage in arid regions. To properly size in-stream infrastructures, such as levees, bridges, and culverts, it is crucial to accurately calculate the peak runoff and sediment load from these flash floods. This case study utilized the Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model to simulate flash floods and sediment transport in the Lucky Hills watershed located in the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in southern Arizona. The Lucky Hills watershed has two rain gauges and three flumes to measure runoff and sediment load. The HEC-HMS model was used to simulate the three largest precipitation events observed in 2007, 2009, and 2010 with precipitation volumes of 41.66, 46.36, and 37.85 mm, and durations of 126, 99, and 101 min, respectively. The study discussed various methods for simulating rainfall loss, surface and channel flow routing, and soil erosion. Watershed delineations were adopted to evaluate the accuracy of the simulated runoff and sediment concentration. Results showed that the HEC-HMS model can accurately predict surface runoff and sediment concentration, but the threshold value for subbasin size is critical for the model to converge to accurate results.
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Data Availability Statement
Field data including precipitation, runoff, and sediment load measurements are publicly available from the Southwest Watershed Research Center, Tucson, AZ (https://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dap/). HEC-HMS is a public domain software developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-hms/downloads.aspx).
Acknowledgments
This project is partially funded by the Salt River Project. The field observation data were acquired from USDA Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson, Arizona. We sincerely appreciate Dr. Mary Nichols and Dr. David Goodrich for their help obtaining the data.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 3 • June 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 26, 2023
Accepted: Nov 21, 2023
Published online: Feb 27, 2024
Published in print: Jun 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jul 27, 2024
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