Graduation Date
Fall 2024
Document Type
Project
Program
Master of Science degree with a major in Environmental Systems, option Environmental Resources Engineering
Committee Chair Name
Margaret Lang
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Eileen Cashman
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Hydrodynamic, Hydraulic, Model, Salmonid, Habitat, Comparison, Fish
Abstract
Accurate prediction of aquatic habitat availability for salmonids and other aquatic species is crucial for effective river and tributary restoration and management. Two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic models have become the standard for simulating depth and velocity conditions in open channel systems, leveraging advances in computational capabilities and spatial data collection. This study compares four 2D hydrodynamic models—SToRM, River2D, HECRAS2D, and SRH2D—using consistent topographic and calibration data, and adhering to Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) standards as outlined by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and McBain Associates. The models were evaluated with data from two study sites for their ability to predict habitat availability for various life stages across a range of flow rates. While all models generally aligned in predicting trends in habitat availability, differences in predicted usable habitat areas were noted up to ten percent the wetted area. Differences in predicted habitat area were five percent or less the predicted wetted area outside of peak habitat flows. Most models predicted statistically significant differences in depth and velocity predictions. Overall, any of the evaluated models can be used to predict generally the same trends in usable area but expect small differences in depth and velocity predictions that can impact usable habitat predictions.
Recommended Citation
Caseltine, Tyler, "Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model Comparison For Fish Habitat Assessment In Rivers" (2024). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 805.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/805