International Perspectives in Water Resource Science and Management
Review of Hydraulic Flood Modeling Software Used in
Belgium, The Netherlands, and The United Kingdom
Daniel Gilles and Matthew Moore
Photo: Environment Agency
Belgium: Flanders Hydraulics Research
• Division of Public Works of the Flemish
Government
• Manages waterways, maintains sensor
network and operates countrywide Flood
Forecasting System
• Utilizes the MIKE FLOOD WATCH
software to release real-time flood
forecasting and warning
• River stages are modeled using MIKE 11
and Coupled 1D/2D MIKE Flood Models,
status exported to ArcGIS Interface
The Netherlands: Deltares
• Dutch –based research institute
• Developer of many software
packages: Delft3D, SOBEK,
RIBASIM, Delft-FEWS…
• Delft-FEWS is meant to act as a
shell to manage external data and
exchange data between models
• Currently compatible with HEC-RAS,
ISIS, MIKE 11, SOBEK…
• Can be used in stand alone
environment, or as a J2EE (JAVA 2)
compliant client-server application
• Developed Environment Agency
(UK) National Flood Forecasting
System using Delft-FEWS
United Kingdom: Environment Agency
• Executive Non-departmental Public
Body responsible to the Secretary of
State for Environment
• Maintain sensor network (750 rain
gauges, 1500 river level/flow sensors,
100 coastal gauges) (Iowa has ~156)
• Operate the National Flood
Forecasting System (NFFS)
developed from Delft-FEWS, cost to
develop system and new models ~
($2M)
United Kingdom: Environment Agency
• Variety of Modeling and Techniques
for forecasting floods
• Upstream/downstream river
level correlation
• Rainfall to river level correlation
(not accurate, used for farthest
upstream gauges)
• Rainfall-runoff modeling
• Routing modeling
• 1D Hydrodynamic modeling
(ISIS or Mike 11)
Conclusions
• Forecast Centres rely on simple
hydraulic models , 1D models being
the most detailed used in Real-Time
Forecasting
• Inundation mapping products are not
available online, warnings are based
entirely on river stage at gauge
locations
• Development of a wrapper for the
various models is a challenge, but
may be changing with OpenMI
compatible software