Flow routing in the Susquehanna River basin: Part V – Flow-routing models for the West Branch Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Digital-computer, daily-flow routing models were developed for four consecutive reaches of the West Branch Susquehanna River between Curwensville and Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. These models will enable water-resources managers to evaluate efficiently the effect of present and future water-resources developments on streamflows at six locations along the West Branch Susquehanna River.The models utilize a unit-response, convolution technique of flowrouting based on diffusion analogy and multilinearization. Estimates of streamflow from the intervening areas of each reach, wave celerity, and wave-dispersion coefficients are the model parameters. These were adjusted until simulated outflow hydrographs and flow statistics adequately approximated those for observed flow data.The overall accuracy of the models is considered good. Average, absolute, daily flow errors between observed and simulated flows ranged from 8.82 to 13.70 percent for the periods that were evaluated. Volume errors for the same periods were between -0.01 and 1.61 percent. Estimates of the 7-day, 10-year low flows for simulated conditions were within 5 percent of those computed for observed flows.