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North Central River Forecast Center

River Forecast Center

NCRFC Runoff Data

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NCRFC Runoff Data File Download Page

 

The North Central River Forecast Center (NCRFC) has been exploring usability of National Weather Service (NWS) river forecast model soil moisture model output for applications beyond river flood forecasting. This valuable output could be used to support various activities related to economic cost savings for industry sectors involved in land resource management.    
 
An example of how the soil moisture model output can be used was recently developed when the NCRFC was approached by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to use output of National Weather Service hydrological models to provide insight into risk for agricultural field runoff of applied manure due to future rainfall and/or snowmelt. An experimental project was initiated with the state of Wisconsin in 2011. The website for the Wisconsin Manure Management Advisory System is: https://www.manureadvisorysystem.wi.gov/app/runoffrisk  
 
NWS hydrological model output file contents description:
 
Column A: Basin Identifier
Column B: Runoff Event Number (there can be more than one event per basin over the entire forecast period.)

Runoff event definition:  All three factors below being true, the event is continuous until one factor becomes false.
1. Upper Zone Tension Water Deficit (UZTWD) = 0  (internal soil moisture accounting model parameter)
2. Rainfall + Snow Melt (RAIM) > 0  (model forcing value derive from snow model output and mean areal precipitation calculation)
3. Interflow runoff > 0 (soil moisture accounting model output)

Column C: Event Start Date/Time
Column D: Event End Date/Time
Column E: Total Event Interflow Runoff
Column F: Total number of 6 hour periods of event
Column G: Total number of hours of event
Column H: RAIM flag (0 = rain only, 1 = mix, 2 = snowmelt only)
 

A null file consisting of just the column headings indicates no runoff events occurring or predicted.

More information about this product or service is availble in a PDD/SDD document. 

 

Runoff Events Data File: Download

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page Last Updated:  March 31, 2017