ARS | Publication request: Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) User's Manual

Submitted to: Complete Book
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2008
Publication Date: July 2, 2008
Citation: Martinec, J., Rango, A., Roberts, R.T. 2008. Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) User's Manual. Las Cruces, New Mexico: New Mexico State University. 175 p.

Technical Abstract: This 2008 edition of the User’s Manual presents a new computer program, the Windows Version 1.11 of the Snowmelt Runoff Model (WinSRM). The popular Version 4 is also preserved in the Appendix because it is still in demand to be used within its limits. The Windows version adds new capabilities: it accepts more detailed climate scenarios; for example, different daily changes of temperature and precipitation. It makes possible to substitute a data set of temperatures and precipitation of a selected year as a “climate scenario” for any available existing year and evaluate the resulting snow conditions and runoff. A normalized year, including normalized Conventional Depletion Curves (CDC’s) from long term temperature and precipitation data can be derived to represent today’s climate. It is now possible to divide a basin into as many as 16 elevation or other zones in order to refine the modeling, while Version 4 only allowed 8. These improvements facilitate new developments in SRM applications which are already taking place: runoff modeling by using different land use zones, separating satellite mapping of snow and glaciers, runoff modeling in very large basins with an extreme elevation range, and others. The specific features of WinSRM Version 1.11 are explained in detail in this document in Sections 8.5, 8.6, 9, and 10. WinSRM Version 1.11 has been developed without sacrificing the advantages of the SRM Version 4, in particular the speed of getting results. Both versions are available on the Internet by accessing http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8872. Should this link not be “current” for the reader, one can “search” on “SRM home” or “WinSRM” to locate a “current site”. So far, four SRM workshops (in 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998) have been organized at the University of Bern, Switzerland, with about 130 participants from 20 countries taking part. A fifth SRM workshop was organized in 2005 at New Mexico State University. In addition, the authors are available to assist users in overcoming special problems which may be encountered.