Storm Water Management with the SDBay Modeling Project

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Mar 31, 2000

Bodies of water, like all other real physical systems don't exist in isolation from the rest of the natural and man-made world. In considering aspects of ocean waters, especially those near to land, it is important to take into account what might be happening on shore that could alter water content or current behavior. To address some of these issues in the San Diego Bay Modeling Project, researchers are employing the Storm Water Management Model.

The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) simulates ground water runoff from precipitation-generating weather events. This model, develped by W.C. Huber and R.E. Dickenson in association with the Environmental Research Laboratory (Athens, Georgia), divides the runoff area into component "basins". These areas are described by qualities such as size, surface characteristics, slope, porosity and by their adjacent draining systems (gutters, streams, etc.). A modeling method which incorporates experimental data into its calculations in this way is said to be empirical or semi-empirical.

Several of these basins are modeled together to give one large simulation area. Undoubtedly, treatment of the boundary conditions is an important consideration in these studies. The simulations are conducted by solving equations of conservation of mass and momentum. Important quantities that can be obtained are water flow rates and various water quality components. The results of these simulations are used as input to the hydrodynamic models discussed previously. This coupling allows researchers to make predictions about Bay water phenomenon based on a given land precipitation event.

It is quite clear that the San Diego Bay modeling project is a very ambitious, multi-faceted undertaking. Some of the current applications for the integrated model described here include studies of spills and outfalls, crab larvae transport, and tidal exchange. The San Diego Bay project is a sterling example of researchers taking full advantage of the computing power and computational techniques available to them.

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