Methodology for calibration/validation of deterministic models in the catchment

Abstract

To improve the predictions of a deterministic hydrological model, it is necessary to calibrate and validate the model so that it can be used to predict the system’s behavior reliably for different conditions. This article presents the implementation of a methodology for calibration/validation deterministic hydrological models. Three blocks were considered: 1) creation and generation of precipitation intensities and random parameters to be used to obtain the simulated flows, which were stored in a database administrator; 2) the parameters obtained in block 1, are grouped to obtain the interval frequencies; 3) combination of the interval frequencies of the most influential parameters, to obtain the best combination. The methodology developed was applied to three sub-basins of the Meléndez River, in Cali, Colombia. We used more than 40 rain events in each case, and we applied the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to simulate the flow. The Nash-Sutcliffe determination coefficients were used to evaluate the calibration/validation process. The values obtained were more significant 0.70 for three events in the three sub-basins. It was evidenced that it is possible to find a set of feasible parameters that adjust to the different events evaluated.