Keywords

optimization, watershed management, green infrastructure, decision-support

Start Date

26-6-2018 9:00 AM

End Date

26-6-2018 10:20 AM

Abstract

Communities, utilities, and watershed organizations have multiple goals for water resource management; these include meeting regulatory requirements but may extend to economic, supply, siting, recreation, and other goals. The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool, WMOST, allows stakeholders to identify the most cost effective suite of management options across stormwater, drinking water, wastewater, and land conservation programs that will meet their identified goals and constraints. Instructions to guide the user through data entry, selection of potential management practices and constraints, optimization, and display of results are embedded in a Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheet. WMOST reads in baseline hydrology (runoff, recharge) and pollutant (N, P, TSS, Zn) load time series from common watershed models (e.g., HSPF, SWAT), then calculates managed time series for different best management practices of interest via linkage with EPA’s SUSTAIN tool. Optimization is accomplished using the online service, NEOS. The results are then summarized in graphs and tables that show both the optimal types of various management practices and their implementation magnitude and costs. WMOST v3 is being used by the Maryland Department of Environment to determine the most cost-effective suite of stormwater best management practices to implement within a highly urbanized watershed (the Cabin John Creek in Montgomery County) to meet both Chesapeake Bay TMDL targets for nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment, as well as local sediment TMDL goals, while trying to maximize beneficial impacts to watershed hydraulics.

Stream and Session

C2: Application of Decision Support Tools for Integrated Water Resources Management

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Jun 26th, 9:00 AM Jun 26th, 10:20 AM

User-Friendly Decision Support for Integrated Water Management: EPA’s Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST)

Communities, utilities, and watershed organizations have multiple goals for water resource management; these include meeting regulatory requirements but may extend to economic, supply, siting, recreation, and other goals. The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool, WMOST, allows stakeholders to identify the most cost effective suite of management options across stormwater, drinking water, wastewater, and land conservation programs that will meet their identified goals and constraints. Instructions to guide the user through data entry, selection of potential management practices and constraints, optimization, and display of results are embedded in a Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheet. WMOST reads in baseline hydrology (runoff, recharge) and pollutant (N, P, TSS, Zn) load time series from common watershed models (e.g., HSPF, SWAT), then calculates managed time series for different best management practices of interest via linkage with EPA’s SUSTAIN tool. Optimization is accomplished using the online service, NEOS. The results are then summarized in graphs and tables that show both the optimal types of various management practices and their implementation magnitude and costs. WMOST v3 is being used by the Maryland Department of Environment to determine the most cost-effective suite of stormwater best management practices to implement within a highly urbanized watershed (the Cabin John Creek in Montgomery County) to meet both Chesapeake Bay TMDL targets for nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment, as well as local sediment TMDL goals, while trying to maximize beneficial impacts to watershed hydraulics.