HEC-RTS Overview
HEC-RTS provides data and information needed to water managers readily through DSS (HEC's Data System Storage) files. The HEC-RTS GUI provides a user with the ability to configure watersheds, view and edit data/information, create, and run forecasts, and view results. The functions of HEC-RTS are organized into four groups (modules) - setup, acquisition, visualization, and modeling.
The Setup Module contains commands for watershed setup. These commands include: configuring inputs, models, and outputs that describe a watershed's behavior. A visual representation of the watershed is developed and displayed in the GUI that is map-based.
The Acquisition Module contains the commands for data acquisition. These are commands for monitoring receipt of data from DSS files, validating the quality of incoming data, transforming the data (e.g., stage to flow), and editing the data, as required.
The Visualization Module contains the commands for data visualization. These commands include displaying observed and forecast data to evaluate the hydrometeorological state of the watershed. Water managers may need to review hourly data from hundreds of gages as they make decisions. In the visualization module, HEC-RTS provides tools to facilitate review of large amounts of data, including summaries presented as graphs, tables, spreadsheets, charts, river profiles, maps, or sometimes a combination of these. Within the Visualization module, the summaries are linked to a watershed map, so that a user can click on an icon and immediately view the data associated with that location or also view computational results.
The Modeling Module contains the commands for model execution. These commands assist with setting up and executing the analysis software for forecasting and viewing results. HEC-RTS links the analysis software so that individual models are executed in an orchestrated manner. Data and other inputs are passed to each piece of software with the DSS data exchange software.
HEC-RTS links the selected analysis software for a forecast, so that the selected software applications are executed in an orchestrated manner. Data and other inputs are passed to each piece of analysis software through the DSS data exchange software. The available analysis software in HEC-RTS meets modern software standards, including an easy-to-use GUI, and executes within operating systems selected by USACE. The analysis software available in HEC-RTS Version 3.1.1 is:
| MFP | Meteorologic Forecast Processor - processes meteorological forecasts for input to HEC-HMS. Inputs are forecasted meteorological data such as precipitation and temperature. These forecasts can be entered manually or obtained from external sources such as NWS (National Weather Service). Outputs are forecasted meteorological time series formatted for compatibility with HEC-HMS. |
| HEC-HMS | Hydrologic Modeling System - simulates watershed response to precipitation. Inputs may include observed or forecasted precipitation, temperature, snowpack, and other environmental conditions. Outputs include flows throughout the watershed, including inflows to reservoirs and local flows below the reservoirs. |
| HEC-ResSim | Reservoir System Simulation - simulates behavior of reservoirs and linking channels, following user-specified operations for reservoir release decision making. Inputs include flows into reservoirs and unregulated flows downstream of reservoirs (from HEC-HMS). Outputs include reservoir releases, downstream regulated flows, and reservoir storage conditions. |
| HEC-RAS | River Analysis System - simulates behavior of channels and adjacent floodplains. The simulation of channels is performed one-dimensionally, while the simulation of adjacent floodplains can be performed one- or two-dimensionally. The output from HEC-RAS permits determination of water surface elevations corresponding to flows computed by HEC-HMS or HEC-ResSim. Inputs include flows, and outputs include water surface elevations, depth grids, and inundation maps. |
| HEC-FIA | Flood Impact Analysis - estimates the consequences of flow or water surface elevations in the system. Inputs include computed or observed flows or water surface elevations throughout the flood plain. Outputs include economic, life loss, or other measures of impact, or optionally, information on actions to be taken in response to flows or water surface elevations that will be experienced. |
HEC-RTS ensures that those who need to know the current state of the defined watershed and likely future states have ready access to that information. The capability to access this information is accomplished using information sharing technology, including specially designed websites for display. The flow of data and information through HEC-RTS is displayed in Figure 1.