Aquaveo & Water Resources Engineering News

How to Change the Temp Directory for WMS

Have you needed to specify the location of a temp directory when working with WMS? Starting in WMS 11.1, you can do this when necessary. It isn’t a feature many users will likely need to bother with, but it will come in handy when you need it. This post will review how to specify the temp directory that WMS will use, and why you might want to.

So what is the significance of temp files and temp directories? Temp files are often used in programs that are dealing with files that use larger amounts of data, such as graphics or video editing software. They help save changes, help programs run efficiently, and can restore progress in the case of a sudden crash or shutdown. They are also designed so that they will be deleted automatically when they are no longer needed.

Your computer should have automatic temp directories that it uses, but sometimes it is required to work with these directories yourself. This may be required for security purposes, to troubleshoot issues, to fulfill legal requirements, or for some other reasons.

This can be done by using the following workflow:

  1. Within WMS, click on Edit | Preferences... to bring up the Preferences dialog.
  2. Go to the General tab of the dialog.
  3. Towards the bottom of the dialog, activate the checkbox for Temporary directory.
  4. Click the Select… button that has now been made active to bring up the Browse For Folder dialog.
  5. Use this dialog to locate which folder will be the new temp directory. This dialog also allows a new folder to be added to your file directory with the Make New Folder button.
  6. The textbox next to the Temporary directory should now be populated with the new temp directory address.
  7. It is recommended to restart WMS for the changes to take effect.
The Temporary direction option in the Preferences dialog

Please note that most users should not play around with this feature. Changing the temp directory typically does not speed up performance or improve functionality. Unless you have a specific reason to change the temp file directory, do not change it as doing so indiscriminately can cause some of WMS’s functionality to stop working.

Besides being able to change the temp directory, check out what else can be done with the Preferences in WMS 11.1 today!

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Using BCDATA Lines with SRH-2D

Have you needed to modify how SRH-2D calculates flow around a structure? Using BCDATA lines in SMS may be able to help. New to SMS 13.1, the BCDATA line feature lets you specify a location where a water level or flow rate is extracted for a variable boundary condition.

The BCDATA line is primarily used to adjust how flow is calculated going into or leaving a structure. If there is high skew or rapid drawdown at the entry or exit of the structure then you should consider using a BC Data line. It indicates that rather than performing flow computations directly at the site of the structure, they should be performed at the location of the BCDATA line.

There are a few applications for a BCDATA line. For instance, it can be used on a structure such as a weir or culvert. When SRH-2D computes flow through or over a structure, it uses an average water surface elevation. When no BCDATA line is present, SRH-2D computes right along the nodes where the upstream boundary condition arc has been mapped. If an upstream or downstream BCDATA line exists, the water level can be computed there rather than at the actual edges of the structure. The BCDATA line should typically be located one or two cells upstream or downstream from the structure to get out of the zone of influence of the structure itself. This avoids drawdown caused by the flow going through or over the structure.

To create a BCDATA line and assign it to a structure, use the following workflow:

  1. Use the Create Feature Arc tool to create a line a few elements long, ideally about 1 to 2 elements away from the upstream or downstream arc. Create it perpendicular to the arc and along the centerline.
  2. Using the Select Feature Arc tool, select the line you have just created, right-click it, and select Assign BC… to bring up the SRH2D Assign BC dialog.
  3. Set the BC Type to Bc Data. Make sure to provide a label name that is unique in the coverage. Then click OK to close the dialog.
  4. Now select the upstream or downstream arc that is meant to be associated with the BCDATA line, right-click it, and select Assign BC… to bring up the SRH2D Assign BC dialog.
  5. Scroll down to the General structure options section at the bottom. Depending on whether the arc selected is upstream or downstream, check the box by the appropriate BCDATA line option.
  6. Use the drop-down that populates to select the label you previously specified for the BCDATA line. Then click OK to close the dialog.

The BCDATA line will now be assigned to the structure.

Example of a BCDATA Line

It can also be used on a Link or an EXIT-H boundary condition that you have specified using a rating curve. Normally, without a BCDATA line, SRH-2D computes the average flow directly at the line and then extracts the water level from the curve. When a BCDATA line does exist, the flow rate (Q) is computed across the BCDATA line, like a monitor line, rather than exactly at the boundaries.

Try using BCDATA lines with SRH-2D in SMS 13.1 today!

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Using A Well Pumping Rate to Calibrate a Model

Have you needed to know how to use a well pumping rate as a calibration parameter in a PEST run? For example, this might be useful in estimating a probabilistic capture zone. We have a workflow that can help with this, utilizing an extraction well and the WEL package for model calibration. This post will review how you can set your MODFLOW parameters in GMS to incorporate well information to be used for parameter estimation.

To do so, use the following steps:

  1. In a well coverage, create a well and give it a constant pumping rate (negative for extraction).
  2. Go to MODFLOW | Parameters... to bring up the Parameters dialog and click the New button to create a new parameter.
  3. Turn on the Show all columns checkbox at the top of the dialog and change the Type value to WELL.
  4. Enter the value that was used for step 1 as the Key, and enter its inverse as the Value.
  5. Enter values for Min and Max that are greater than 0.0. These values and Value will be multiplied by the Q factor later on, which will be -1.0, so positive values listed here will actually become negative.
  6. Turn on the Log Xform checkbox and close the dialog.
  7. Go to MODFLOW | Optional Packages | WEL - Well… to bring up the MODFLOW Well Package dialog.
  8. Enter a Q factor of -1.0 and close the dialog.
  9. Go to MODFLOW | Global Options… to bring up the MODFLOW Global/Basic Package dialog.
  10. Under the Run options section, select Parameter Estimation and close the dialog.
  11. Create a new Observed Flow coverage with Observation Points set to Head in the Coverage Setup dialog, and create a head observation with the Map module active.
  12. Save the project and then click Run MODFLOW to run the PEST Parameter Estimation. When the run is complete, make sure to read the solution into your GMS project.
Example of PEST running using pumping rate as a parameter

Following the above steps will generate solution data where you can use any of the post-processing tools in GMS to review and adjust your model. Try out using well pumping rates in model calibration in GMS 10.5 today!

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Using a Shapefile with the Fast Flood Tool

Do you have a shapefile with water surface elevation data you would like to use towards quickly generating floodplain data? WMS can help you with this. The Map Flood tool, sometimes called the Fast Flood tool, has a new feature we have developed that will allow you to use shapefiles as part of the process of generating floodplain data. This post will review how to use shapefiles for fast flood mapping in WMS.

Using a shapefile with the Map Flood tool can be done by using the following workflow:

  1. Use any of the methods to open files to import your shapefiles into your WMS project. If your shapefile coordinates are geographic, WMS may ask you to convert them to a planimetric coordinate system for computational use, in which case, click OK to accept this.
  2. The shapefile should now be visible under GIS Data. Click on the Map Flood macro to open the Floodplain Mapping Options dialog.
  3. Under the Water Surface Elevations section of the dialog, click on Use FEMA Floodplain Boundary and select your shapefile from its associated drop-down and after making any other changes, click OK to close the dialog.
  4. Example of using a shapefile with the Map Flood tool
  5. The Virtual Earth Map Locator may appear if there is not a set projection. Use it to navigate to the location of your shapefile then click OK after making any other changes. Navigation can either be done by inputting latitude and longitude or typing in the location you wish to observe.
  6. A message may appear saying that the feature requires a global projection. Click OK on this to bring up the Display Projection dialog.
  7. Review the projection to make certain it is correct, click OK to close the Display Projection dialog and run the floodplain delineation.
  8. After the Map Flood tool finishes, you will have all the necessary data downloaded, and the floodplain will have been generated.

Importing a shapefile into the project will have allowed it to be used with the Map Flood tool instead of needing to download the shapefile. This can save you time and provide consistency when generating multiple floodplains using the Map Flood tool. This also allows you to use a shapefile generated from the first use of Map Flood tool for additional floodplain generation in the same area.

Try out using shapefiles for fast flood mapping in WMS 11.1 today!

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