1. CE 394 – GIS in Water Resources
Rio Bravo – Rio Grande
Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Jason Batchelor
EWRE – LBJ Joint Degree
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

2. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Outline
Background
Purpose
Model / Simulation Theory
GIS Work
Methods
Results
Future Work
Questions
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

3. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Background
Rio Bravo – Rio Grande is entirely adjudicated
Two treaties, 1906 & 1944, apportioned water between US & Mexico
Scope of this project is from Rio Conchos to Gulf; 1944 Treaty states amount of water to US shall “not be less, as an average amount in cycles of five consecutive years, than 350,000 acre-feet annually.”
Dispute over “Water Debt”
IBWC / CILA operate reserviors
River did not reach the Gulf of Mexico – sandbar formed from silt and had to be manually removed
Situation is not getting any better – the Region is in a drought, and population is increasing (43% growth between in Mexico and
Acre-foot of water is equal to 214,000 gallons of water
US and Mexico each have a “Watermaster” to allocate water to water rights holders (US/Texas – TNRCC, Mexico – Comision Nacional de Agua)
International Boundary and Water Commission – Commision Internacional de Limites y Aguas is a bi-national Commission operates the reserviors as indicated by each of the two bodies.
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

4. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Geography Lesson
Major Features
Rio Bravo – Rio Grande
Reservoirs
Rio Conchos
Pecos River
Rio Salado
Border Cities
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

5. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Purpose
Use GIS as an integrated graphic display in a watershed modeling exercise.
In February 2002, the LBJ School of Public Affairs hosts a simulation exercise wherein, the United States and Mexico will examine water quantity and water quality issues along the Rio Bravo - Rio Grande. The exercise will utilize the OASIS water resources model to examine the operation of the river and reservoirs, as well as the decisions and interaction of the participants.
The intent of using ArcGIS is to provide a graphic representation of the data as the simulation occurs. I plan to accomplish this by formatting the output files from the Oasis Watershed Model as input files for the data tables within GIS.
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

6. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Simulation Theory
Purpose is to generate dialogue and new approaches to problem solving.
Allows participants to make decisions and see the effects without repercussion.
First time many participants will be in the same room.
One month time steps, using historical meteorological and weather data to provide hydrological data.
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

7. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Model
OASIS with OCLTM, Hydrologics, Inc. developed and written by Dan Sheer
Models human behavior, rather than trying to maximize a system
Rules vs Goals
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

8. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
GIS
Three Levels of Production
1. Base map with OASIS schematic
2. Display time step results for Irrigation Districts
3. Fully developed Graphic User Interface
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

9. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Why GIS?
OASIS, only outputs graphs & tables
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

10. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
GIS – Base Map
Contacted Miguel Pavon, at the Border Information Center at TNRIS
Received shapefile of the basin
Problems with the data
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

11. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
GIS - Problems
Should be ovelapping
Had to manually define the projection – Using DEFINE PROJECTION WIZARD
Then I had to put all of my data layers into the same projection and geographic coordinates – Using PROJECT WIZARD
Undefined Projection for rgbasin.shp
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

12. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
GIS – Problem Solving
Now to create
and add all of
the necessary
data layers
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

13. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
GIS – OASIS Schematic
Excel .dbf table
Latitude & Longitude in DD
Display XY Event
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

14. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
GIS – Multi-Layers
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

15. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Future Work
Irrigation Districts
Graphical User Interface
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise

16. Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise
Acknowledgements
Miguel Pavon, BIC at TNRIS
Tanya Hoogerwerf
Dr. Dan Sheer, Hydrologics
Dr. David Maidment
Dr. David Eaton, LBJ
Rio Bravo - Rio Grande Water Resources Simulation Exercise