Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority (SSCAFCA) contributes new infiltration method to HEC-HMS
On Monday, October 2, a new version of the HEC-HMS model was released including an infiltration method developed at SSCAFCA by Dr. Gerhard Schoener. This was a collaboration between the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District, the USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), and SSCAFCA.
HEC-HMS is widely used for hydrologic analyses in the US and around the world. It is also the software of choice for rainfall-runoff models within SSCAFCA’s jurisdiction.
The new infiltration method – called the linear deficit and constant loss method – has the following advantages:
1. It is easy to apply, an important consideration in data-sparse dryland regions like the Southwestern US.
2. The model is sensitive to high rainfall rates early in a storm, a common occurrence during monsoon storms and a limitation of other simple infiltration methods.
3. It can be used for single events (flash floods) or long-term simulation.
HEC-HMS 4.12 beta 1 can be downloaded from the HEC website, along with model documentation and a tutorial.
