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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Boise, Idaho » Northwest Watershed Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #83707
Title: "DISTRIBUTED HYDROLOGIC MODELING: COMBINING MODELS AND MEASUREMENTS AT REYNOLDS CREEK EXPERIMENTAL WATERSHED"

Author
item TARBOTON, DAVID - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
item NEALE, CHRISTOPHER - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
item PRASAD, RAJIV - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
item ARTRAU, GULEID - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
item LUCE, CHARLES - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
item Slaughter, Charles
item Flerchinger, Gerald
item Cooley, Keith

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This paper describes a collaborative hydrologic modeling and measurement project whose goal is to understand interacting watershed processes over a range of scales in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in southwest Idaho, USA. We are developing a spatially distributed modeling framework that accounts for spatial variability in topography, vegetation and soils to facilitate physically realistic spatial integra tion of the complete water balance at a range of scales. The hydrology is snowmelt driven, with complex terrain resulting in spatially variable snow distribution and snowmelt inputs. Snow distribution variability spans several length scales and involves orographic precipi tation effects, snow drifting due to wind and differential melt due to variable energy input at different slopes and aspects. This variability interacts with variability in soil moisture, vegetation distribution and evapotranspiration. The problem of understanding this hydrologic system is being tackled through a combination of modeling, field measurements and remote sensing. The modeling framework being developed includes components to represent snow drifting and melt, infiltration and runoff generation and evapotranspiration. These components are being tested individually as well as when assembled together against point data, integrated measurements and spatial patterns.