A practitioner-oriented regional hydrology data product for use in site-specific hydraulic applications

Area of Science:

• Hydrology and Water Resources
• Environmental Modeling
• Canadian Prairies Ecozone

Background:

• Sparse monitoring networks and intermittently connected streams limit hydrological data availability in the Canadian Prairies.
• Water-stressed conditions necessitate improved data for effective water management and infrastructure design.
• Existing data gaps hinder robust hydraulic model applications in the region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present the Prairie Hydrology Design and Analysis Product (PHyDAP), a comprehensive regional hydrological dataset.
• To address limitations in hydrological input data for hydraulic modeling in the Canadian Prairies.
• To provide valuable data for water management decisions and infrastructure design.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a physically based hydrological modeling framework.
• Ran simulations for 38 to 150 years using three distinct climate forcing datasets.
• Generated outputs for over 4000 small basins (approx. 100 km²) across the ecozone.

Main Results:

• Created a dataset including vertical and lateral fluxes (rainfall, snowmelt, upland runoff, open water evaporation).
• Included basin streamflow data at hourly or 3-hourly intervals.
• The dataset covers extensive periods and a large number of small basins.

Conclusions:

• PHyDAP offers a significant advancement for hydraulic modeling applications in the Canadian Prairies.
• The dataset enhances capabilities for water management and infrastructure design in a data-scarce, water-stressed region.
• The study details the data derivation methodology, summarizes the product, and outlines potential use cases.