Modelling rainfall runoff relations using HEC-HMS in a semi-arid region: Case study in Ain Sefra watershed, Ksour Mountains (SW Algeria)

Abstract

Ain Sefra is one of the Algerian cities that had been experienced several devastating floods during the past 100 years. The purpose of this study is to simulate runoff in the semi-arid region of Ain Sefra watershed through the employing of the Hydrologic Engineering Center – Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS). In this paper, the frequency storm is used for the meteorological model, the Soil Conservation Service – curve number (SCS-CN) is selected to calculate the loss rate and Soil Conservation Service unit hydrograph method have been applied to simulate the runoff rate. After calibration and validation, the simulated peak discharges were very close with observed values. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient was 0.95, indicates that the hydrological modeling results are satisfactory and accepted for simulation of rainfall-runoff. The peak discharges obtained for the 10, 50, 100 and 1000 year storms are respectively 425.8, 750.5, 904.3 and 1328.3 m3∙s−1.

Keywords

• Ain Sefra
• floods
• frequency storm
• HEC-HMS
• hydrological modelling
• semi-arid climate