QUALHYMO hydrologic simulation model
QUALHYMO (QUALity HYdrologic MOdel) was developed in the early 1980s by Dr. Charles Rowney for the Ontario Ministry of Environment. A tool of choice by expert modellers, especially in Ontario and Alberta, it does multi-year simulations of rainfall-runoff processes. It is the calculation engine for British Columbia’s Water Balance Model Online.
Under the umbrella of the US-based Center for Infrastructure Modeling and Management, QUALHYMO is also potentially linkable with SWMM to fill a North American need in watershed assessment and setting of performance targets for a whole-system, water balance approach to restoring and protecting watershed health.
Capabilities of QUALHYMO
QUALHYMO can simulate surface hydrology as well as pollutant loads associated with surface runoff, and can route flows and pollutant loads through stream channels and rainwater/stormwater management facilities such as detention ponds. Pollutant removal processes that occur along channels or within ponds can be explicitly simulated.
The tool consists of numerous modules which simulate parts of the hydrologic cycle, and which can be combined to simulate a wide range of conditions. A particular strength of QUALHYMO is the flow exceedance analysis. This is the foundation for correlation of flow-duration with stream erosion.
Registering for the QUALHYMO download is FREE and allows the Partnership to notify registered users as new versions become available.
Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO
In 2005, integration of QUALHYMO with British Columbia’s Water Balance Model interface resulted in the Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO, a truly pan-Canadian tool. The Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO was created to provide information to a continuumof users with a wide range of technical backgrounds – ranging from little technical knowledge to hydrologic experts. Dr. Charles Rowney is the Scientific Authority for the Water Balance family of tools.
QUALHYMO simply does the calculations using the data file input created by the Water Balance Model Online interface, and then hands back the calculation results to the interface. Although QUALHYMO has a comprehensive suite of analytical capabilities, the Water Balance Model Online uses only a restricted portion.
The term ‘exposed features’ describe the set of capabilities that are called upon by a user of the Water Balance Model Online interface. The Water Balance Model Desktop exposes a broader set of functions (commands) to enable advanced problem-solving.