NZWaM - Hydro: Use and applications

NZWaM-Hydro is scalable, and the hydrological relationships in the model are transferable between locations.

The modelling framework could be used for:

National Policy Development

To derive hydrological indicators and signatures (e.g soil moisture, groundwater depth, snow depth)
Consistent time series of hydrological fluxes for ungauged catchments with water quality trend correction and spatial and temporal uncertainties
State of the Environment reporting for ungauged catchments
Derivation of water allocation rules
National and regional water accounting
Regional scale calibration available for national policy development using one modelling framework

Implementation of national policy and regional policy development based on regional model calibrations and fine tuning
Derivation of dynamic hydrological fluxes indicators (e.g soil moisture, groundwater depth, snow resource) across region
Tuned to support local water resource planning and associated uncertainties
Sub-regional refinement of water allocation rules
Sub-regional fine-tuning to produce consistent hydrological flux timeseries
Sub-regional State of the Environment report (integrated to national scale reporting that can be fine-tune based on local knowledge)
Sub-regional scale calibration available for implementation in regional and national scale models supporting policy development using one modelling framework

Catchment and regional-scale water allocation rule scenarios
Coupling hydro-model with contaminant loading to test implementation of environmental limits (e.g. social hydrology)
Impact assessment of water allocation on "integrated" water supply (surface water and groundwater)

Climate change impact assessment on water resources and hydrological risks
Regional and catchment flow forecasting through coupling with Numerical Weather Prediction models
Medium range forecasting of hydrological fluxes and flows
Seasonal range forecasting

Provision of flow corrections to assess water quality trends
Provision of flow and hydrological fluxes time series for dynamic contaminant load estimation

Estimation of cross region/catchment trading-schemes and their impacts on water resources and associated environmental limits (Manuherika/Taieri in Otago)