1. USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center
Corps Water Management System
USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center
Davis, CA
Hydrologic Engineering Center
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2. Objectives Overview and Concept of CWMS
Scope for ACF Basin CWMS Deployment
ACT/ACF Emergency Action Plan
Set the course objectives. In particular we need to point out what components and capabilities are addressed in this training course.
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3. Water Control Mission Real-Time Decision Support for Water Management
700+ Multipurpose Reservoirs and Flow Control Structures, Thousands of Miles of Levees
Expanded Corporate Web-Based Information
BACKGROUND NOTES:
The Water Control Data System (WCDS) supports the decision process for the Corps water control management mission.
Corps is responsible for round-the-clock monitoring and operation of more than 700 CE reservoir, lock and dam and other water control projects, and during flood operations this responsibility expands to include an additional 120+ Section 7 projects.
Water control management provides critical information and hydrologic decision making that are fundamental to achievement of the full range of benefits from all our projects.
The modernized WCDS integrates: watershed scaled - data acquisition, -database storage, real-time model generated prediction of runoff, project inflow and release, operational release scenario and decision support, -river flow and water surface profiles, -inundated area and damage analysis, -flow impact analysis, and information dissemination into a single comprehensive suite of software.
Incorporates State-of-the-art: watershed, river, and reservoir systems engineering; database management; information dissemination and software engineering.
Client-Server architecture allows hardware, software and technical resource sharing, with flexible scaling of system for field deployment in single and multiple office installations .
Corporate Class IV Automated Information System (AIS).
Software Development effort to 2001.
Field Deployment to 2002.
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4. CWMS
An integrated system of hardware, software, and communication resources supporting Corps’ real-time water control mission
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5. History
2009
Harris systems gone, PCs, workstations take over mainframe functions, some real-time modeling,
and data handling, corporate WCDS modernization plan evolves and work on modernized system begins
Manual data collection, storage, analysis, interpretation, modeling historic data begins
CWMS deployed Corps-wide development of forecast models for all major watersheds.
1975
1985
1995
2000
WCDS Past Present and Future was published in 1993 and is available on the Corps CWMS web site.
Automated data systems, satellite
broadcast of data, modeling tools
develop, deployment of Harris
computer systems.
CWMS integrated suite of hydrologic, operations and impact analysis models available,
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6. CWMS Software Integrates the Processing from Data to Water Management Decisions
SERVERS
Weather
Forecast
Data Processing
Data Storage
Modeling
Observed Data
Public and
Cooperators
Field Office
Instructions
To summarize our system, this diagram depicts a simplified schematic showing the flow of data and decisions within our District, if not a typical Corps district.
Starting at the lower left, we have the real-time gages that record observed conditions
The telemetry on those gages automatically transmit observed data to a satellite. The data, in turn, are downloaded to computer “servers” in the District office where the data are processed, stored and made available for watershed modeling.
Water control managers in the District office then review the data, perform computations, & make decisions about how to regulate reservoirs for achieving the authorized project purposes. Operational instructions are then communicated to dam tenders via telephone, radio, or electronically. They make the physical changes to gate settings at the dam and other water control structures.
The other arrows you see reflect data flow and communications with others that are critical to achieving our mission objectives.
Water Control Management Decisions
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7. CWMS - Major Components
Database
Stores hydromet data in Oracle DBMS
Manages retrieval and display of same
Data Acquisition (Observations)
Collects real-time data from data streams
Decodes, validates, and transforms the raw data
Modeling (Forecasts)
Manages model configurations for watersheds
Runs models for operational forecasts
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8. User Control and Visualization
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9. Simulation Modeling
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10. Information dissemination
CWMS Components
Data Collection
Data Base
The components of CWMS can be viewed as a jigsaw puzzle. There are five interlocking pieces.
The pieces around the perimeter all deal with some aspect of data management:
acquiring data
storing data
visualizing data
disseminating data
The key component that interacts with all the data management activities is the piece in the middle - watershed modeling. It is this component that allows us to use observed real-time data and predicted rainfall to create a forecast of future watershed conditions.
Modeling
Data
Visualization
Information dissemination
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11. Data Acquisition Collect: Decode Validate Transform
Static data: physical data for model development
Real-time data: observed stream flow, precipitation, temperature, water quality, gate settings, reservoir levels, etc.
Decode
Validate
Transform
The first component of CWMS is the acquisition of data. The data collected for use in CWMS can be classified as either real-time data or static information.
I’ve already discussed our real-time data collection network. Real-time data can include river stage, reservoir elevation, or precipitation and is continuously collected.
On the other hand, static data is data that remains constant, or only changes occasionally. Static data is normally used to develop and calibrate the watershed models. Examples might include: channel geometry, spillway elevation, or reservoir storage capacity.
Real-time data is put through a data processing sequence that includes:
1) decoding (interpreting the electronic bits & bytes)
2) validating (screening the data for errors)
3) transforming (converting river stage to flow, pool elevation to storage, & so on)
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12. Data Visualization
Another important feature of CWMS is the ability to visualize the data. We must provide a way for the water control manager to quickly, easily, and accurately view data and modeling results.
It is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of real-time data. Therefore, a concise view of the data and watershed status is essential for making good water control decisions.
As we’ll see during the demonstration, CWMS provides a variety of ways of viewing information. Some examples include graphs, tables, plots and maps.
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13. Model Results
Time of Forecast
Once the forecast has been run, there are several ways to view the results.
There are numerous plots similar to this one that show what happened at a location during the event. These plots are referenced to the time the forecast was made, and display data before that forecast time as well as what would happen over the next several days based on the parameters and future conditions that are provided.
Time of Forecast
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14. Tabular Information
There are also numerous tables that summarize the modeling input and output.
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15. Data Dissemination
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16. Real-Time Simulation Modeling for Decision Support
I see a hurricane
in your future.
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17. Information dissemination
Watershed Modeling
Modeling
RAS
(Hydraulics)
FIA
(Damages)
ResSim
(Storage)
HMS
(Hydrology)
Data Collection
Data Base
The components of CWMS can be viewed as a jigsaw puzzle. There are five interlocking pieces.
The pieces around the perimeter all deal with some aspect of data management:
acquiring data
storing data
visualizing data
disseminating data
The key component that interacts with all the data management activities is the piece in the middle - watershed modeling. It is this component that allows us to use observed real-time data and predicted rainfall to create a forecast of future watershed conditions.
Modeling
Data
Visualization
Information dissemination
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18. The Modeling Process 1) Check status & currency of real-time data
2) Select a forecast time
3) Adjust model parameters
4) Perform model computations
5) View results
6) Modify model parameters as necessary
7) Re-compute simulation
Creating a watershed forecast using CWMS is normally an iterative process. The basic steps for creating a forecast are:
1) Check our real-time observed data. Is it current and is it correct?
2) Select an appropriate forecast time, based on the latest observed data.
3) Examine and adjust the hydrologic & hydraulic model parameters to reflect the current basin conditions.
4) Execute the forecast using observed data, predicted rainfall, and the previously developed and calibrated models.
5) Evaluate results for accuracy, using engineering judgement & expertise.
Sometimes, several iterations are needed to arrive at a “reasonable” forecast. Or, the water control manager might want to look at multiple scenarios using different rainfall amounts or different regulation strategies. In that case it is necessary to go back and
6) Modify model parameters
7) Re-compute forecast & evaluate results again.
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19. Precipitation Analysis
Precipitation processed on a grid basis.
Observed data from NEXRAD or interpolated from gages.
Future Precipitation Scenarios:
NWS Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF)
Multiples of the QPF
Manual-entry or standard scenarios (What if?)
Timing
Location (watershed “zones”)
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20. HEC-ResSim Reservoir Simulation System
Simulates reservoir regulation using inflow hydrographs & project characteristics
The main purpose of the second program - the Reservoir Simulation System - is to simulate the operation of a reservoir or system of reservoirs.
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21. River Hydraulics HEC-RAS
Analyzes river hydraulics to compute water depth, velocity, & inundation boundaries
Computes water surface profiles and stage hydrographs from HEC-ResSim hydrographs
Steady-flow or unsteady-flow analysis.
Channel friction adjusted through CWMS interface
Used in conjunction with Arc, inundation boundaries and depth maps are computed then viewed with CorpsView, an extension to Arc
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22. River Profile Modeling
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23. Economic / Impact Analysis (HEC-FIA)
Computes agricultural and urban damages and project benefits by “impact area”
Computes damages and benefits between different scenarios, and with and without project conditions
“Action tables” provide a list and time of actions to take during an event, based on forecasted stages
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24. CWMS Model Linking Observed precipitation from NEXRAD and rain gages
HEC-HMS computes forecasted flows from
Observed precipitation from NEXRAD and rain gages
Future precipitation forecasts and scenarios
Observed flow
ResSim simulates reservoir operations and downstream flows from HEC-HMS flows.
HEC-RAS computes stages and inundation areas from ResSim flows.
FIA computes damages and impacts from HEC-RAS stages or ResSim flows.
Inundation areas and depths are displayed in CorpsView, an extension to ARC.
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25. CWMS Summary
Comprehensive, integrated system for real-time water control decision support
Complete data retrieval / verification / database system
Full range of hydrologic / hydraulic modeling software to evaluate operational decisions and compare the impact of various “what if?” scenarios
Client / Server architecture, with full set of visualization tools to evaluate data and model results
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26. Corps Water Management System
CWMS Deployment at ACF Basin
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27. ACF Basin CWMS Deployment
The ACF basin is selected in the SAD region.
Funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC)
Being conducted by WEST Consultants, Inc., HEC’s BPA contractor
Timeline: October 2009 – September 2010
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28. Major Tasks HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff simulation
For the entire watershed
Use information from existing hydrologic models as much as possible
Based on gridded precipitation
Extensive model calibration/validation
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29. Major Tasks HEC-ResSim reservoir simulation Hourly time-step
Including all Corps’ and GPC projects
Convert from the daily model currently being developed by the SAM and HEC
Inflow to HEC-ResSim comes from HEC-HMS and/or NWS
Output from the NWS model will be saved as HEC-DSS files and automatically uploaded to the SAM CWMS database
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30. Major Tasks HEC-RAS Unsteady Flow Simulation
One-dimensional unsteady flow model
The geometry is georeferenced
Inflow to HEC-RAS comes from HEC-HMS/HEC-ResSim and/or NWS/USGS
Extensive model calibration/validation
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31. Major Tasks HEC-RAS Unsteady Flow Simulation Three reaches
Chattahoochee River from Lake Lanier to Norcross (approximately 20 miles)
Chattahoochee River from West Point to Langdale Dam (approximately 7 to 9 miles)
Apalachicola River from Jim Woodruff Dam to Apalachicola Bay
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32. Major Tasks HEC-RAS Unsteady Flow Simulation
Inundation mapping is not part of this CWMS deployment effort.
It can be done using the CWMS model results since the HEC-RAS models are georeferenced.
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33. Major Tasks HEC-FIA Flood Impact Analysis
Compute flood damage and benefit
Two reaches
Chattahoochee River from Lake Lanier to Norcross (approximately 20 miles)
Chattahoochee River from West Point to Langdale Dam (approximately 7 to 9 miles)
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34. Major Tasks CWMS Integration Link all model components together
Test the CWMS system for selected events
Stress test for real-time operational forecast
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35. ACT/ACF Emergency Action Plan
Dam failure analysis
Inundation Mapping Support
Stimulus Funded

36. Purpose
Documents actions to be taken by project personnel should a distress indicator be identified
Emergency Notification Plan which identifies the notification procedures for rapid dissemination of emergency actions
Time available for corrective action is most critical
Instantaneous failure – few minutes to 2 days
Time of travel of flood wave from origin to areas

37. What’s required?– Dam Break Analysis
Time available for corrective action is most critical
Instantaneous failure – few minutes to 2 days
Time of travel of flood wave from origin to areas downstream
Inundation maps which indicate the areas which would be flooded as a result of a hypothesized dam failure

38. Projects
ACT
Allatoona
Carters
ACF
Buford
West Point

39. Products
HEC-GeoRAS and HEC-RAS models to simulate the flows from the tributary areas and from the dam in a breached and non-breached condition
Spillway design discharge, without dam failure
Spillway design discharge, with dam failure
Dam failure at normal high pool level
Discharge at normal high pool, without dam failure

40. Analysis
The A/E will apply the models and route the resulting flows downstream to a point where there is less than a 2 foot increase in stage between the dam failure and non failure cases
No bridge or culvert data will be used in developing the HEC-RAS model. It is assumed that the effects of a dam or culvert would be minor in comparison to the magnitude of the flows resulting from dam failure.
Summary tables of peak flows, stages, flood wave arrival time, and velocities by station

41. Data Collection
To perform the dam failure analyses and inundation mapping
Available 10m DEMs from the USGS National Elevation Dataset
Current Water Control Manuals (WCM)

42. Questions?