Projects and Initiatives at the
Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC)
Presented By: Christopher N. Dunn, P.E., Director
Hydrologic Engineering Center
Institute for Water Resources
For: Northern California AWRA, Sacramento CA
10 March 2009
Hydrologic Engineering Center
Corps Water Resources
Divisions & Districts
North
Atlantic
Division
Great Lakes
& Ohio River
Division
Seattle
Alaska
Portland
Walla
Walla
Northwestern
Division
New
England
St. Paul
Buffalo
Detroit
South Pacific
Sacramento
Division
San
Francisco
Rock
Island
Omaha
St.
Louis
Kansas City
Tulsa
Los
Angeles
Albuquerque
Honolulu
Pacific
Ocean
Division
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Southwestern
Division
Ft. Worth
Little
Rock
Vicksburg
Norfolk
Nashville
Wilmington
Memphis
Atlant
a
Charleston
Savannah
Mobile
Jacksonville
New Orleans
Galveston
Philadelphia
Louisville
Dallas
LEGEND:
Division HQ location
District HQ location
Division boundary
District boundary
State boundary
New York
BaltiPitts- more
Chicago
burgh
Huntington
Cincinnati
Mississippi
Valley Division
South
Atlantic
Division
• DOD, Federal
• State & Local
• International
Water Resources
R&D
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
• Watershed Hydrology
• Riverine Hydraulics
• Estuary-Coastal Hydraulics
• Socio-Economic
• Geospatial
• Environment
Civil Works
Interagency
Support
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Key Mission Areas
• Primary Water Resources
Missions - Navigation, Flood
Damage Reduction & Shore
Protection, and Environmental
Restoration
• Allied Water Resources
Purposes – Recreation, Water
Supply, F&W, Hydropower
• Disaster Response
• Regulatory
Corps of Engineers Organization
HQUSACE
Major Subordinate Commands
Or
Divisions
Institute
for Water
Resources
(FOA)
Gulf
Region
Division
Central
Baghdad
North
Mosul
Great Lakes
and
Ohio River
Division
Mississippi
Valley
Division
North
Atlantic
Division
Northwestern
Division
South
Atlantic
Division
South
Pacific
Division
Kansas City
Vicksburg
Baltimore
Memphis
New England
Charleston
Honolulu
Jacksonville
Far East
Mobile
Japan
Savannah
Albuquerque
Galveston
Portland
New York
New Orleans
Detroit
Sacramento
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Tulsa
Seattle
St Paul
Norfolk
Rock Island
Philadelphia
St Louis
Europe
Southwestern
Division
Fort Worth
Alaska
Omaha
Buffalo
Chicago
South
Basrah
Pacific
Ocean
Division
San Francisco
Walla Walla
Huntington
Wilmington
Louisville
Nashville
Pittsburgh
Humphreys Engineer
Center Support Activity
(FOA)
Engineer
Research and
Development
Center - 7 Labs
Military
Districts
Afghanistan
Engineer
District
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Marine
Design
Center (FOA)
Finance
Center
(FOA)
249th
Prime Power
Battalion
TransAtlantic
Programs
Center
Huntsville
Engineering
and Support
Center
Civil Works
District Offices
Institute for Water Resources –
Hydrologic Engineering Center
Technical
Assistance
Training
and
Software
Support
Research
Software
Development
Center of expertise in hydrologic engineering and planning analysis
executing a balanced program of technical assistance, research, software
development, training and special studies. Located in Davis, California.
Organization within the Institute for Water Resources.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Hydrologic Engineering Center
 Support office within USACE
Institute for Water
Resources.
 USACE Center of Expertise
for Hydrologic Engineering
and Planning Assistance.
 33 full-time professionals; hydraulic engineers, a few
computer specialists, mostly MS degrees, a few Ph.Ds.
 15 additional staff; IWR employees, UCD students,
admin staff.
 Primarily support USACE; some other Federal agencies;
occasional international assistance; increasing number
USACE of MoU’s; visiting scholars – U.S. and international.
CEIWR-HEC
Brief History, Origin HEC
 Created by HQUSACE initiative in 1964.
Principals: HQUSACE H&H, SPK Engineering Division.
 Imminent retirements of WWII veterans.
 Institutionalize ‘hydrologic engineering’ – critical skill.

 1964 – Branch within SPK Engineering Division.
 1965 – Division within SPK (under Commander).
 1971 – Organization assigned to SPD Commander.
 1978 – Briefly FOA reporting to Director of Civil Works, then
assigned to the Water Resources Support Center, a new FOA
reporting to Director of Civil Works (CECW).
 2000 – Assigned to Institute for Water Resources, an
FOA/support office reporting to CECW.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
HEC Basic Precepts
‘HEC Business Model’
 HEC exists to help the Corps perform it’s CW
mission in a world-class manner.


The work of the Corps is performed at the field
office level.
HEC products and services are for field use and
application.
 HEC is a wholly owned (by CECW) small business
with primary customer base being the field offices;
to lesser extent, HQUSACE, Labs, other Corps and
Army elements, and other agencies/partners.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
HEC Divisions/Responsibilities
Water Management
Systems
Water Resource
Systems
H&H
Technology
(Chief: Tom Evans)
(Chief: Mike Deering)
(Chief: Jeff Harris)
HEC IT Mgmt./Web
Training Admin.
Research Admin.
Real-time Data
Reservoir Systems
Surface & GW Hyd.
CWMS System
System Optimization
River Hydraulics
H&H Forecasting
Flood Damage Anal.
Erosion/Sed. Trans.
Reservoir Regulation
Risk Analysis.
Hydrologic Statistics
Software Engr.
Env./Watershed St.
Drought/low Flow
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Typical Products/Projects
 H&H and planning analysis software: new models/GIS utilities
versions; new software.
 Real-time water control: Modernized Corps Water Management
System: Corps-wide deployment completed; now supporting
and improving.
 Studies/support: Katrina Support; Ft. Worth Flood Warning
model; Great Lakes Study; NWS Forecasting Model for Joint
Operations; Bill Williams River Restoration; Sac/SJ Comp Study;
Sac River Risk Analysis; Tooele & Ft. Huachuca groundwater;
Ohio River WSP modeling; Sonoma County Water Agency; ACTACF, FEMA Map Modernization, Iraq water management,
Afghanistan, South Florida Water Management District; Tampa
Bay Water; LCRA; Bulletin 17B; Levee Certification; Dam Safety.
 Training: Average – 10 courses, 6 workshops; publications, video
tapes, software support, Web dissemination.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
HEC Software Activities
 Complete product line for hydrologic









engineering in HEC library.
Solve problems in a general manner for
use everywhere.
Hydrologic Statistics with SSP
Watershed hydrology with HMS &
GeoHMS.
River hydraulics with RAS & GeoRAS.
Reservoir Analysis with ResSim.
Flood damage analysis with FDA and
FIA.
Software Integration with CWMS,
DSSVue.
Ecosystem Functions with EFM
Watershed Analysis with WAT
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Hydrologic Statistical Software Package
HEC-SSP Version 1.0
Develop statistical analysis software that supports hydrologic studies.
This software will perform frequency analysis, regional regression,
coincident frequency analysis, duration analysis, etc….
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Hydrologic Modeling System, HEC-HMS,
Version 3.3
 Computes streamflow throughout a river
basin given precipitation and watershed
characteristics.
 Event and continuous simulation, multiple
routing/ runoff methods, grid precip., losses
& runoff, snowmelt, coeff. estimation, dam
break, powerful GUI.
 GeoHMS GIS utility for watersheds/sub-
watersheds, runoff parameters. ArcGIS 8.X
version underway.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Surface Water Enhancements
HEC-HMS - Version 3.3
•
•
Sediment Washoff (lumped area & gridded washoff)
Water quality simulation thru NSM




•
Surface Washoff
Total Nitrogen
Total Phosphorous
Fecal Coliform
Reservoir Features




USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Spillway Options
Dam Face Seepage
Specified Release
Evaporation
GeoHMS Preprocessor to HMS
Inputs
DEM
Gage
Locations
HUC
RF1
Others
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Products
1. Lumped Basin Model
2. Cell Parameter File
3. Distributed Basin Model
4. Background Map File
5. Physical Characteristics of
Streams and Watershed Tables
HEC-RAS, River Analysis
Version 4.0
 1-Dimensional hydraulics program
 Computes river velocities, stages, profiles, and inundated
areas (with GeoRAS) given streamflow and geometry.
 Steady and Unsteady Flow
Flow
Water depth?
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
River Analysis Enhancements
HEC-RAS -Version 4.0
Software to analyze steady and unsteady flow, sediment transport & WQ
• 1D sediment transport (movable bed calculations
through scour and deposition).
• Pump Stations
• Compute Ungaged Flow from Gaged Data
• Interfacing RAS with 2D ADH
• Automating Manning’s n value for calibration
• Water temperature modeling to HEC-RAS
• Water quality constituents to the HEC-RAS analysis
process by incorporating the water quality
computations of QUAL-RIV1
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
HEC-GeoRAS
 Pre-processor for
generating geometric
data for HEC-RAS
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
 Post-processor for mapping
and displaying results from
hydraulic simulations
Groundwater/Surface Water Interaction for
HEC-RAS
Develop a coupled model that will support improved representation of
water exchange where groundwater interaction is a significant
component of channel flow, and provide a more complete accounting of
water storage in groundwater and channels.
1. Evaluation of OpenMI nonproprietary software used for coupling
models at the time-step level.
2. Algorithm for computing water
exchange between HEC-RAS and
MODFLOW.
3. Mapping of stream on groundwater
model grid.
4. Temporal issues.
5. Spatial issues.
6. User Interface.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Reservoir System Analysis
HEC-ResSim
Version 3.0
Simulates reservoir operations for flood
management, low flow augmentation
and water supply for planning studies,
detailed reservoir regulation plan
investigations, and real-time decision
support
New features include pump-back
storage, multi-reservoir system
operation to meet power generation
goals and capability to utilize Ensemble
Streamflow Predictions from the NWS.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Reservoir Water Quality Enhancements
HEC-ResSim & CE-QUAL-W2
• Demand for water quality and temperature modeling for real-time
and planning analyses
• Looking to link both models thru OpenMI (Open Model Interface)
rather than fund a major development effort
• Will provide in and downstream of the reservoir




USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Temperatures
Dissolved Oxygen
Other conservative constituents
Variable gate settings
Flood Risk Management Tools
HEC-FDA Version 1.2.4/HEC-FIA
Develop software to perform flood risk management analyses; project benefit analysis
including loss-of-life consequences; evaluate flood risk management measures using risk
and uncertainty and including systems approach and GIS capability. Improve planning
capability by: enabling multi-purpose formulation, tradeoff analysis, promoting
Collaborative Planning and NED/NER formulation.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Flood Damage Reduction Analysis HEC-FDA,
Version 1.2.4
 Plan Evaluation and Plan Formulation Tool
 Helps answer the question "Which proposed flood
damage reduction plan is the best from an economic
standpoint?"

evaluate the existing condition

analyze alternative damage reduction plans
 Compare plans using Expected Annual Damage and
damage reduction benefits
 Since 1996, use risk analysis procedures
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Event Damages with
HEC FIA - Flow Impact Analysis
Computes damages to structures and other contents of
the floodplain (including agricultural and
environmental) given river stages & damage
relationships.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Goals for HEC-FRM
(Flood Risk Management)
 Systems approach for assessing risks in complex,




interdependent systems
Incorporation of social and environmental
consequences
Tools for levee assessment and certification
Effective risk communication
New computational methodology
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
HEC-EFM Ecosystems Functions Model – Version
1.0
 Planning tool for flow regime change.
 Reservoir/regulation change, diversions,
remove/set back levee, reconfigure
channel.



Impact on terrestrial and aquatic habitat.
Change direction/magnitude - biologic impact.
Team use: biologists, geomorphologists,
hydraulic engineers, environmental managers.
Spawning Habitat
 Premise: hydrologic/hydraulic data can
help predict biologic response.
Cottonwood Recruitment
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Floodplain Spawning
Habitat With Project
 With Project
• Increased flow and
stage
 Without Project
• Flow is 14,800-cfs
• Stage is 15.67-ft
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Corps Water Management System
CWMS is the data acquisition, management, modeling
and decision support system that supports the Corps in
its water management mission of regulating more than
700 dam and reservoir projects.
CWMS is a nationwide integrated system of hardware,
software, and other resources that acquires, analyzes,
and stores data; develops decision support information;
and allows user access to any data and information on
the system.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Corps Water Management System
(CWMS)
Streamgages
 Improved Real-Time Water
Management Decision
Support for over 700
Multipurpose Reservoirs,
Control Structures and
Thousands of miles of
Levees.
Weather Radars
Real-Time
Fully Integrated Hydrologic Models
 An integrated suite of realtime water resources
software
 Standard Corporate
Centrally Supported
Hardware/Software.
 From 40 Existing Unique
Systems to one CWMS.
Operational decisions
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Inundation Forecasts
CWMS Watershed Modeling
Modeling
Hydrology
(HEC-HMS)
Damages
(HEC-FIA)
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Storage
(HEC-ResSim)
Hydraulics
(HEC-RAS)
Watershed Analysis Tool (HEC-WAT)
Create a product that will improve the coordination, communication, and
productivity of a Project Delivery Team throughout a project study by involving
modelers early in the study process, allowing data and results to be shared across
models, and visualizing model parameters and results, all using a shared and
intuitive interface.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Environmental
Hydrology
Reservoir
Flood Damage
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Hydraulics
HEC-WAT Model Integration
Integrate model and tools used during the analytical
process
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Hydrology - HEC-HMS & GeoHMS - Done
Reservoir Operations - HEC-ResSim - Done
Hydraulics - HEC-RAS & GeoRAS - Done
Economics - HEC-FIA - Done
Statistical – HEC-SSP – Done
Data – HEC-DSSVue – Done
Environmental - HEC-EFM – Done
Future Additions – HEC-FDA, RiverWare …
Result Comparison in the WAT
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Typical Project Work:
Sacramento and San Joaquin Comprehensive Study
 Hydrologic Modeling
 Watershed Impact Analysis
 HEC-FDA Technical Assistance
 HEC-FIA Model Development
 Risk Communication and Mapping
 Conjunctive Use
 Ecosystem Functions Model (EFM)
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Hydrologic Modeling
Sacramento
River Basin
 Sacramento Basin
 27,000 Sq. Mi.
 San Joaquin River &
San Joaquin
River/Tulare
Lake Bed
Basins
Tulare Lake Bed Basins
 32,000 Sq. Mi.
 33 HEC-HMS models
Hydrologic Engineering Center
Conjunctive Use for Flood Benefits
 Determine if flood benefits from employing
Conjunctive Use practices outweigh the costs
 Increase system storage capacity by
including depleted groundwater aquifers
 Shift existing water supply to aquifers in
order to increase flood storage reservation in
surface reservoirs
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Spillway Adequacy for Dam Safety
Use design storms
to model extreme
events
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Assistance to Iraq Ministry of Water Resources
(MoWR)
 Training and collaborative water management system
model creation.
 Model expansion and refinement.
 Baseline flow data preparation and coding.

Unimpaired, current, and a projected future.
 Gauging technology advice and demo.
 On-site training – model, water management,
gauging system restoration.
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
The Helmand Valley - Afghanistan
 Drainage area


160,000 km2
31% of country
 Helmand River

AY~14 Billion m3
 Kajakai Reservoir
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Flood Warning and Response System
 Provide a Flood Warning and Response System to
communities along river systems


Provide accurate and timely warnings
Maximize response time (County Emergency Management
Agencies and Floodplain Residents)

Use stage/elevation-based flood inundation mapping

Evacuation & flood warning plan formulation tool

Damage estimates (expedite disaster assistance)

Educate the public on flood hazard

Two Major Applications
 Susquehanna River and San Antonio River
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Risk Analysis/Impact Analyses of Proposed Modifications to the
Sacramento River Flood Control Project Levees
 To Define a Risk Analysis Methodology
Identify if system-wide hydraulic impacts resulting
from alterations and modifications to the SRFCP
can be determined with Risk Analysis
 Compare Risk Methodology to Traditional
Deterministic Methodology
 NOT comparing results…Only the Process

USACE
CEIWR-HEC
SRFCP




USACE
CEIWR-HEC
1300 miles of levees
Protects 800k Acres
Significant Upstream
Storage Reservoirs
Downstream channel
capacity must be
maintained
Certification of Levee Systems for the NFIP
(EC 1110-2-6067)
 Focus is on the levee system that
is associated with a given
separable floodplain.
 A levee system is inclusive of all
components that are
interconnected and necessary to
insure protection of the associated
floodplain – levee/floodwall
sections, closure structures,
pumping stations, culverts,
interior drainage works, and
system operation and
maintenance
 No PARTIAL system certifications
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Riversburg
Greentown
t
Metroville
This diagram shows one levee
“project” and three levee
systems
HEC Training Classes FY09







Nonstructural Measures for Flood Risk Management Mar 30 - Apr 03
Hydrologic Analysis for Ecosystem Restoration Apr 06-10
Advanced Steady Flow Analysis with HEC-RAS May 04-08
Risk Analysis For Flood Damage Reduction Projects Jun 15-19
Statistical Methods in Hydrology Jul 13-17, 09
Sediment Transport Analysis With HEC-RAS Aug 17-21
Advanced Reservoir Modeling with HEC-ResSim Sep 14-18
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
Proposed HEC Training Classes FY10
 Steady Flow with HEC-RAS Oct 26-30
 Water and the Watershed Nov 16-20
 Risk Analysis for Flood Damage Reduction Projects Dec 7-11
 Reservoir System Analysis with HEC-ResSim Jan 11-15
 H&H for Dam Safety Studies Jan 25-29
 Hydrologic Analysis for Ecosystem Restoration Mar 22-26
 Water Data Management with HEC-DSSVue Apr 12-16
 Flood Frequency Analysis May 17-21
 Hydrologic Engineering Applications for GIS Jun 21-25
 Hydrologic Engineer Role in Planning Jul 12-16
 Unsteady Flow Analysis with HEC-RAS Jul 26-30
 Hydrologic Modeling with HEC-HMS Aug 16-20
 Advanced HEC-ResSim Sep 13-17
USACE
CEIWR-HEC
HEC Senior Staff, Contact Information






Chris Dunn, P.E., Director
Jeff Harris, Hydrology & Hydraulics Technology Div.
Mike Deering, P.E., Water Resources Systems Div.
Tom Evans, Ph.D., Water Management Systems Div.
Gary Brunner, P.E., Senior Technical Specialist, River Hydraulics
Bill Charley, P.E., Senior Technical Specialist, Water Control
 HEC Web site: http://www.hec.usace.army.mil
 christopher.n.dunn@usace.army.mil
 Contact for publications, software:
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616
Ph 530/756-1104
USACE
CEIWR-HEC