Cumulative Water Use and Availability Study for the Susquehanna River Basin
Start Date
12-11-2016 1:30 PM
End Date
12-11-2016 4:00 PM
Description
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Cumulative Water Use and Availability Study represents the most comprehensive evaluation of water use and availability throughout the Basin conducted to date. The scope of the study entailed (1) quantification of consumptive use (CU); (2) determination of water capacity and availability; (3) development of a GIS-based tool; and (4) consideration of protection, mitigation and enhancement measures. The 10-digit Hydrologic Unit Code was the target spatial scale for the study and included 170 watersheds in the Basin. The Commission defines CU as the loss of water due to a variety of processes by which the water is not returned to the Basin. A water use database was developed by integrating Commission, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland records. Estimates of unregulated CU by the self-supplied residential and agricultural sectors were generated. Projections of CU in 2030 were developed based on trend analysis and published forecast information. Water capacity is the natural ability of a watershed to sustainably provide streamflow over time, during varied climatic conditions (NJ Highlands Council, 2008). A literature review identified several approaches that were evaluated for quantifying water capacity for Basin watersheds. Water availability is defined as the hydrologic capacity of a watershed to sustain additional water demands, considering current water uses and conditions (Global Environmental Management Initiative, 2012). Water availability was calculated by subtracting cumulative CU from water capacity. A suite of management measures was evaluated for their effect on cumulative water use and availability during simulated drought conditions. A data-driven GIS-based tool was developed that allows users to delineate a watershed, generate watershed characteristics and flow statistics, compute current and projected CU, and calculate water capacity and availability. An interactive, public-facing web map was also developed that displays information including approved and reported CU, water capacity, and water availability summarized by watershed.
Keywords
water capacity, consumptive use, water availability, Susquehanna River Basin
Type
Presentation
Session
Watersheds and Water Use
Language
eng
Cumulative Water Use and Availability Study for the Susquehanna River Basin
Elaine Langone Center, Forum
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Cumulative Water Use and Availability Study represents the most comprehensive evaluation of water use and availability throughout the Basin conducted to date. The scope of the study entailed (1) quantification of consumptive use (CU); (2) determination of water capacity and availability; (3) development of a GIS-based tool; and (4) consideration of protection, mitigation and enhancement measures. The 10-digit Hydrologic Unit Code was the target spatial scale for the study and included 170 watersheds in the Basin. The Commission defines CU as the loss of water due to a variety of processes by which the water is not returned to the Basin. A water use database was developed by integrating Commission, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland records. Estimates of unregulated CU by the self-supplied residential and agricultural sectors were generated. Projections of CU in 2030 were developed based on trend analysis and published forecast information. Water capacity is the natural ability of a watershed to sustainably provide streamflow over time, during varied climatic conditions (NJ Highlands Council, 2008). A literature review identified several approaches that were evaluated for quantifying water capacity for Basin watersheds. Water availability is defined as the hydrologic capacity of a watershed to sustain additional water demands, considering current water uses and conditions (Global Environmental Management Initiative, 2012). Water availability was calculated by subtracting cumulative CU from water capacity. A suite of management measures was evaluated for their effect on cumulative water use and availability during simulated drought conditions. A data-driven GIS-based tool was developed that allows users to delineate a watershed, generate watershed characteristics and flow statistics, compute current and projected CU, and calculate water capacity and availability. An interactive, public-facing web map was also developed that displays information including approved and reported CU, water capacity, and water availability summarized by watershed.