Corps Water Management System

The Corps Water Management System (CWMS) is the automated information system (AIS) that supports and enhances decision-making for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) water management mission. USACE is responsible for 24/7 monitoring and operation of approximately 740 water control projects, including reservoirs, locks, and dams. Additionally, during flood control operations, USACE oversees around 120 non-USACE (Section 7) projects.

CWMS plays a critical role in delivering the full range of authorized project benefits by integrating key water management functions into a comprehensive software package. These functions include:

• Real-time data acquisition
• Database storage and management
• Flow forecasting for watershed runoff
• Reservoir operation decision support
• River profile computation
• Inundation mapping
• Consequence analysis
• Data and information dissemination

CWMS incorporates advanced modeling techniques such as:

• Spatially distributed rainfall-runoff forecasting
• Rule-based reservoir operations
• Steady- and unsteady-flow water surface profile modeling
• 2D flow analysis
• Impact assessments for damages, population at risk, life loss, and affected structures

This information supports operational decisions such as reservoir releases, flood response, evacuation planning, and transportation disruption alerts. CWMS also features GIS capabilities that identify impacted areas and, when available, provide parcel- and structure-level details. The system can estimate potential life loss based on forecasted flood scenarios.

System Architecture

CWMS consists of both client and server applications that can run on dedicated or virtual hardware. The system includes:

• HEC-developed modeling software
• Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software
• Operating systems and database software

CWMS software components are categorized into two groups:

• Core CWMS Components - These include standardized data schemas and essential modeling tools. CWMS uses a client-server architecture that enables resource sharing, scalability, and flexible deployment in single or multi-office environments.
• CWMS Integrated Applications - These are office-specific or partner-developed applications that operate within the CWMS ecosystem, interact with the CWMS database, and adhere to its data standards. Examples include:
  • Report Generation Interface (REGI)
  • OpenDCS, a tool developed and used by the water management community

The figure below visually illustrates how the models are interconnected within the CAVI.

Version Releases

The table below shows the release dates for both past and upcoming CWMS versions.