Abstract
In the absence of measured streamflow, statistically simulated daily streamflow can be used to support the ability of physical models to represent hydrologic processes at ungauged locations. This study determined the feasibility of using statistical simulations in place of measured streamflow to calibrate physical models in ungauged basins. Daily streamflow was simulated at each of the 1,410 gauged watersheds using a cross-validated implementation of pooled ordinary kriging (POK). In this manner, the streamflow at each gauge was simulated as if no at-site streamflow information were available. The National Hydrologic Model application of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System was then calibrated through two separate procedures: (1) with measured streamflow, and (2) with statistically simulated streamflow in lieu of measured streamflow. Calibrating with statistically simulated streamflow produced performance within 23% of the performance of applications with knowledge of at-site measurements. Furthermore, statistically generated streamflow produced accurate timing information, which, when combined with alternative data sets (e.g., evapotranspiration, recharge, and so forth), can be used to improve representation of hydrologic processes at ungauged locations.
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Acknowledgments
We are indebted to the anonymous reviewers who took the time to consider this manuscript. All data, including streamflow observations and simulations, used and analysis conducted in this work are available in the associated data release (Farmer et al. 2019). This work was funded through the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program.
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Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 11 • November 2019
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Sep 26, 2018
Accepted: Jul 10, 2019
Published online: Sep 14, 2019
Published in print: Nov 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Feb 14, 2020
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