Online Resources for CWMS/HEC-RTS
HEC Discourse
HEC Discourse is the primary repository for finding answers to and submitting technical questions and issues. If you don't have a Discourse user account already, please sign up for one on the Discourse site. The "HEC Discourse Site" tab at the top of the screen will take you directly to the site (https://discourse.hecdev.net/). Please use Discourse as your primary resource prior to reaching out directly to HEC staff or other modelers/experts.
The HEC Discourse forum is open to all USACE employees to post their questions/issues (some areas do require an account to view but you do need an account to post any question). This is a good first stop to at the very least see if someone else has run into the question that you have and that might already be answered by an HEC subject matter expert or another USACE team member. You are also encouraged to submit answers and comments that could help other users with their questions.
When posting to Discourse please make sure to include the following information:
Software version, issue encountered, steps taken to run into the issue, and the expected behavior. If possible, attach a short video showing the process/issue.
A link to the CWMS portion of discourse can be found here (need to be logged into Discourse to see this section) while the home page of discourse can be found here.
Confluence
Confluence is HEC's modern approach to user-guides and other documents. This replaces the need to publish and distribute PDFs that quickly become out of date. Corrections and updates to documentation can be completed immediately, instead of waiting until the next pdf release. Some helpful CWMS/HEC-RTS related document spaces can be found below.
- CWMS Documentation Space
- CWMS User Manual
- This is the online version of the CWMS User Manual. This is continually updated and is therefore recommended over the static PDF version that used to be packaged with CWMS.
- https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/cwmsdocs/cwmsum/latest
- Tutorials and Guides
- This is a location for step by step solutions to common forecasting issues within CWMS.
- https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/cwmsdocs/ctg
- CWMS Release Notes
- Location for the current Release Notes for CWMS
- https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/cwmsdocs/cmrkit/latest
- CWMS/RTS Updates
- Location to see updates on current development of CWMS/HEC-RTS. You can see what bugs we have resolved, where HEC is in testing (along with a general overview of what HEC is testing) and plans for what to be included in future CWMS releases.
- https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/cwmsdocs/cu/latest
- CWMS Training Material
- This space houses complete training for CWMS (Prospect #155). It includes all the PowerPoints used as well as workshops and material.
- https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/cwmstraining/cwms-modeling-for-real-time-water-management-july-2022-80511470.html
- HEC-DSS Documentation Space
- HEC-HMS Documentation Space
- HEC-RAS Documentation Space
- HEC-FIA Documentation Space
CWMS Help Desk
Like most applications at HEC, we have an email that you as USACE employees can email for support or to report bugs. However, we strongly recommend checking discourse and possibly posing your question there before reaching out directly to the Help Desk email.
- Email: ceiwr-hec.cwms-helpdesk@usace.army.mil
- HEC-RTS Help Desk: hec.rts@usace.army.mil
HEC's Website
Location where majority of above information is hosted. A link to the website is here. Additionally, the HEC-RTS page can be found here which has links to CWMS/RTS documentation.
CWMS MMC Teams
The CWMS MMC Teams, through Microsoft Teams, is the platform that provides for information sharing through Webinars and workshops, one-on-one collaborations, and hands-on assistance. The CWMS MMC Teams platforms offers the opportunity to collaborate and get support from other field users and, if needed, the CWMS developers. There is a channel and assigned moderators per major software component in the CWMS package assigned. Most questions or requests for connections normally get support within 1-2 business days.
There is a Training channel where Webinars on CWMS modeling related topics are hosted and archived.
There are also working sessions where the moderator(s) will be present to help with issues/questions in a video call.
If you are not part of the CWMS MMC Microsoft Teams Channel and would like to, please contact Andy Richter, Kim Bacon, Whitney Sorrels, or Fauwaz Hanbali.
Link for Channel:
CWMS Wiki
The CWMS Wiki is intended to encourage and facilitate interaction amongst CWMS users. In the spirit of this collaboration, contributions within this community should be considered as informative, rather than as statements of fact.
https://cwms.usace.army.mil/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=Home
HEC's YouTube Channels
- General YouTube
- HEC-HMS General
- HEC-RAS General
- HEC-RAS Sediment (Dr. Stan Gibson's Channel)
Data Resources
- Cumulus
- USACE repository for gridded data (only available to USACE at this time)
- Needs USACE Network connection and CAC authentication
- https://cumulus.corps.cloud/
- USACE repository for gridded data (only available to USACE at this time)
- CWMS Data API (CDA)
- Formally referred to as RADAR
- USACE repository for Time-series data
- HEC-Vortex
- Vortex is a collection of data processing utilities targeted for Hydrologic Engineering Center applications, e.g. HEC-HMS.
- Github: https://github.com/HydrologicEngineeringCenter/Vortex
Suggested order for support
- Discourse
- MMC Teams Chat/Working Sessions
- Email HEC
- HEC's website has a support page that list out program specific support emails