Delineating hydrological response units by geographical information system analyses for regional hydrological modelling using PRMS/MMS in the drainage basin of the River Bröl, Germany

Abstract

AbstractA modified concept of hydrological response units (HRUs) for regional modelling of river basins using the PRMS/MMS model is presented. The HRUs are delineated by geographical information system (GIS) analysis from physiographic basin properties such as topography, soils, geology, rainfall and land use using a thorough hydrological systems analysis. The HRUs, once classified by GIS analysis, preserve the three‐dimensional heterogeneity of the drainage basin. The River Bröl basin (A = 216 km2), Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany was selected to apply the concept. In total, 23 HRUs were delineated and tested with the PRMS/MMS model using a 20‐year hydrometeorological daily database. The hydrological systems analysis revealed that interflow is the dominant flow process through the basin's slopes and the major contribution to groundwater recharge and river runoff. This was accounted for by parameterizing the HRUs in the model control file to drain their surplus water not used for satisfying the demand of evapotranspiration to a common conceptual subsurface storage. This storage was simulated by interflow drainage to the groundwater aquifer in the valley floor, which in turn drained to the channel network. The PRMS/MMS model simulated the observed daily discharge very well and the fit was described by a daily correlation coefficient of r = 0.91. The NASIM and HSPF models using different means to represent the basin's physiographic heterogeneity were applied to the Bröl basin as well, but did not achieve this correlation. The HRU concept was found to be a reliable method for regional hydrological basin modelling and allows spatial up‐ and downscaling. Future research on this concept will focus on incorporating the variable precipitation distribution into the classification of HRUs and on the hydrodynamic routing of the modelled discharge. Additionally, satellite imagery must be used for classifying land use in macroscale drainage basins.