Application of GIS and Terrain
Analysis to Watershed Model
Calibration
for the CHIA Project
Sam Lamont
Robert Eli
Jerald Fletcher
Background

CHIA: Cumulative Hydrologic
Impact Assessment of a mine site

Required of WVDEP , for each
proposed mine permit

Surface and groundwater quality and
quantity
WVU’s Role
 Ultimate
goal: Graphical tool to simulate
pre- and post-mining conditions
 Water
quantity: Calibrate watershed
model (HSPF) to 235 basins in WV
235 Study Watersheds and Their Outlets
BASINS-GIS Framework
• ArcView based environment for display
and analysis of watershed features
• Develops input files for HSPF
- watershed file (landuse, slope,
area)
- stream network
- reach attributes
- point sources
• This project: WCMS
HSPF: Hydrologic Systems
Program - Fortran
 Continuous
Calculates water balance for each time step
R = P – ET – IG – S
where: R = Runoff
P = Precipitation
ET = Evapotranspiration
IG = Deep/Inactive Groundwater
S = Change in soil storage
 Surface and sub-surface hydrology
 Inputs = Precip, PET, Temp
 Output = Simulated flow
Modeled Precipitation Grid
- Hourly Precip
- 1948 – 2002
- 5 km resolution
How HSPF Represents a Watershed
Outlet point
Example:
- 5 Sub-watersheds
- 5 Stream reaches
Watershed
boundary
(Storage-Outflow routing)
- Land use types
Forest (Steep,Moderate, Mild)
Stream reach
Shrub-land
Pasture/Grassland
Urban
Mine
Barren
Row Crop
Wetland
Surface Water
Flow
Direction
Percent Slope Distribution
Legend
WV_Slope
<VALUE>
0 - 15
15 - 25
25+
wvstate_83
WV_Slope
<VALUE>
0 - 15
15 - 25
25+
5 Calibration Watersheds
Model Calibration
 Trial
and error:
1. Run Model
2. Compare output
3. Adjust parameters
4. Repeat
 Other
software assists this process
HSPEXP: Calculates error statistics, provides advice, plots
Typical Results: Tygart Valley River at Elkins
Further Proposed Terrain Analysis
for Calibration Improvement
• Hoes does watershed
shape and structure relate
to hydrology?
• Searching for an index
defining hydrologic
characteristics.
Some examples…
Topographic Index

Beven and Kirkby,
1979
TI = ln(a/tanB)
a = area
B = slope
(relative wetness)
Example: Abes Run,
Canaan Valley
Rugosity-Surface Area/Planar Area
Drainable Volume
Percent Drainable Volume vs. Percent Height
1
- Volume of
watershed above a
particular elevation
0.9
0.8
Percent Volume
0.7
Twelvepole Creek Watershed
Tygart Valley at Elkins
Big Sandy
Buffalo
Clearfork
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Percent Height
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Conclusion
Future steps:
- Fine-tune calibration:
Continue searching for patterns
- Validate model
- Mine site modeling
- Link with WCMS
Questions?