The primary purpose of HEC-WAT is to streamline and integrate a water resources study using software commonly applied by multi-disciplinary teams. The integration of models uses a plug-in architecture (sometimes spelled as "plug-in"), where each model interacts with HEC-WAT through a pre-defined interface (sometimes API, for Application Programming Interface).  Thus, HEC-WAT can incorporate individual pieces of software (such as HEC-HMS, HEC-ResSim, HEC-RAS, and HEC-FIA) into a common framework, allowing the individual software applications to work together in a coordinated fashion, modeling system effects of planned alternatives or current conditions across the watershed, using a common interface and data. Additional HEC-WAT features are implemented as their own plug-ins, for further details on these, see HEC-WAT Plugin Documentation.

To view the HEC-WAT default plug-ins: 

  1. From the HEC-WAT main window, from the Tools menu, click Plugin Information.
  2. The Plugin Information dialog opens to the Plugin Status tab. The table that is displayed provides information on all of the current plug-ins that are available in HEC-WAT.

    Plugin Information Dialog Box - Plugin Status Tab


  3. When a default plug-in is not needed, uncheck the checkbox in the Enabled column to turn it off. For example, if HEC-RAS is not installed because it is not needed, uncheck the Enabled checkbox for RasPluginClient and the startup messages will no longer display "Failed to start plugin server for RAS".  

    Note: If following the instructions included in the quick start guide Download and Install HEC-WAT page the FiaPluginClient would be disabled.

  4. The WAT Plugins tab displays the installed plug-in version. Additional tabs provide more plug-in information for specific plug-ins.
  5. Click OK to close the Plugin Information dialog.

To select the plug-ins for a study: 

  1. From the HEC-WAT main window, from the File menu, click Study Details.

    A study must be open in HEC-WAT to access the Study Details dialog.

  2. The Study Details dialog box will open. This dialog box provides information about the active study, allows the user to manipulate map windows; contact information for the study team; information on the model alternatives that make up the study; information about study simulations, and the plug-ins that are used by the study.

    Study Details Dialog Box – Plugins Tab


  3. Click on the Plug-ins tab. By enabling or disabling the plug-ins listed, the user will define what plug-ins will be used for the active study.
  4. Click OK, the Study Details dialog will close.