Application Potential in Flood Hydrology and Meteorology Group Work Processes

Project ID: 390
Principal Investigator: Kathleen Holman
Research Topic: Water Resource Data Analysis
Funded Fiscal Years: 2016
Keywords: None

Research Question

The Bureau of Reclamation's Research and Development Office established two projects
(under Cooperative Agreement R11AC81334) between Reclamation and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado-Boulder's
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences for the purpose of
developing advanced datasets and tools for use by Reclamation's Flood Hydrology and
Meteorology Group. The first project explored the use of a high-resolution dynamical
weather model, the Weather Research and Forecasting model, to simulate heavy
precipitation events in the Taylor Park Dam watershed in a robust and representative
manner. Small-scale physical processes that generate extreme precipitation were
simulated under various atmospheric conditions by utilizing a modeling framework that
simulates intense precipitation systems at cloud-scale resolution with an ensemble-based
framework. The purpose of the second project was to improve understanding of the
processes responsible for heavy precipitation events, including atmospheric rivers (ARs),
in the intermountain west.

Need and Benefit

This report includes a brief review of those projects, along with a discussion of potential
applications of the tools and methods developed under them into the workflow of the
Flood Hydrology and Meteorology Group, including current and future projects.
Currently, datasets and tools developed under the two projects are being used in four
Reclamation Dam Safety Office studies, including a hydrologic hazard analysis at Taylor
Park Dam in Colorado and a hydrologic hazard analysis at Grand Coulee Dam in
Washington. Future applications of the tools and methods may be accomplished through
hydrologic hazard analyses or alternative research projects.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Bureau of Reclamation Review

The following documents were reviewed by experts in fields relating to this project's study and findings. The results were determined to be achieved using valid means.

Application Potential in Flood Hydrology and Meteorology Group Work Processes (final, PDF, 5.7MB)
By Katie Holman
Publication completed on September 30, 2016

The Bureau of Reclamation's Research and Development Office established two projects (under Cooperative Agreement R11AC81334) between Reclamation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado-Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences for the purpose of developing advanced datasets and tools for use by Reclamation's Flood Hydrology and Meteorology Group. The first project explored the use of a high-resolution dynamical weather model, the Weather Research and Forecasting model, to simulate heavy precipitation events in the Taylor Park Dam watershed in a robust and representative manner. Small-scale physical processes that generate extreme precipitation were simulated under various atmospheric conditions by utilizing a modeling framework that simulates intense precipitation systems at cloud-scale resolution with an ensemble-based framework. The purpose of the second project was to improve understanding of the processes responsible for heavy precipitation events, including atmospheric rivers (ARs), in the intermountain west. This report includes a brief review of those projects, along with a discussion of potential applications of the tools and methods developed under them into the workflow of the Flood Hydrology and Meteorology Group, including current and future projects. Currently, datasets and tools developed under the two projects are being used in four Reclamation Dam Safety Office studies, including a hydrologic hazard analysis at Taylor Park Dam in Colorado and a hydrologic hazard analysis at Grand Coulee Dam in Washington. Future applications of the tools and methods may be accomplished through hydrologic hazard analyses or alternative research projects.

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Last Updated: 6/22/20