Rio Grande Basin FAS

Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study

Methods

Watershed Processes

The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) is a component of the National Hydrologic Model (NHM), developed by the USGS. PRMS is a deterministic, processed-based, distributed-parameter modeling system designed to analyze the effects of precipitation, climate, and land use on streamflow and general basin hydrology on a daily timescale. The national-scale framework of the NHM allows for sub-catchment modelling using the model-defined spatially-distributed Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs). The model input data also include precipitation, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, solar radiation, and potential evapotranspiration.

 

Study Component Lead

Shaleene Chavarria

USGS New Mexico Water Science Center

USGS New Mexico Water Science Center, in conjunction with the USGS Office of Surface Water and the National Research Program Modeling of Watershed Systems working group, are developing and calibrating PRMS for the Upper Rio Grande Basin. The evapotranspiration, snow processes, streamflow processes and water use components of this study will be used to inform parameterization and calibration of the model. The approach to complete this study component is:

Develop PRMS Model

  1. Integrate new data and understanding of water-balance components developed from other FAS tasks into the PRMS modeling framework.
  2. Parameterize and calibrate PRMS to better represent local and regional hydrologic conditions.