Get to Know Modeling in the Nooksack Watershed

Image courtesy of American Rivers.

Are you interested in water research efforts in the Nooksack Watershed?

This event is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation PREEVENTS TRACK 2: Integrated Modeling of Hydro-Geomorphic Hazards: Floods, Landslides, and Sediment, Award Abstract #1663859.

The University of Washington and Whatcom County are convening a meeting about current hydrodynamic, hydrologic, and geomorphology modeling studies in the Nooksack River watershed.  On Wednesday, October 11, 2018 from 1-2:30pm, we will hear from four researchers with ongoing modeling studies in the Nooksack watershed.  The meeting is open to anyone interested in the status of hydrologic modeling studies in the Nooksack watershed, including Whatcom County staff and other Nooksack River watershed stakeholder groups. Participants may join the conversation online via Zoom.

Our primary objective is to highlight the connections between these research efforts and to initiate communication pathways between research groups. The afternoon will consist of four 15 minute presentations followed by a 30 minute group discussion. Each presenter will explain the geographic scope and purpose of their modeling work, as well as expected research products and timelines.

1. Eric Grossman (U.S. Geological Survey; Dept. of Geology, Western Washington University) will discuss the Delft3D and DFM modeling efforts led by USGS and WWU.  This talk will include examples of what was learned from Nisqually and evaluate how hydrodynamics and sediment transport are likely to change under scenarios of projected sea level rise and altered stream flows, sediment loads, and bathymetric changes (e.g., restoration alternatives, levee setbacks, distributary channel reconnections).
2. Scott Anderson (U.S. Geological Survey) will review gauge analysis study results that document trends in morphological change in the Nooksack and motivate modeling efforts. These results will also be compared with results from LiDAR differencing.
3. Jacob Morgan (Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington) will describe a depth-averaged implementation of the hydro-morphodynamic model (Delft3D) configured to simulate and quantify the downstream propagation of a multi-decadal sediment wave in the Nooksack River, including an integrated estimate of flood risk, achieved using spatially distributed hydrologic models (DHSVM, Topnet-WM) as boundary conditions in a loose coupling of multiple physical process models.
4. Christina Bandaragoda (Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington) will provide project history of hydrologic models since the WRIA1 Management Team was organized in 1998, including the development of Topnet-WM water management model, Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model, and current work coupling MODFLOW groundwater processes, in collaboration with projects led by Whatcom County and the Nooksack Indian Tribe (1998-2018).

To join the conversation, please RSVP to Jacob Morgan (jamor@uw.edu) to ensure that we notify you of any changes in connection details.