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Complex versus Simple Stormwater Network Models - Modeling of the Keysers River Catchment

Gideon Joubert (2004)
Jeffares & Green (Pty) Ltd., South Africa
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.R220-23
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Abstract

In accordance with their objective of ensuring adequate stormwater drainage and the reduction of flood risk within the Cape Metropolitan Area, the Catchment, Stormwater and River Management Branch of the City of Cape Town commissioned a study to determine floodlines adjacent to the lower reaches of the Keysers River in the South Peninsula.

Information relating to the hydrological characteristics of the catchment, as well as the physical stormwater network, was collected and incorporated into a complex model of the catchment. When runoff from a recorded rainfall event was routed through the model, the simulation output was found to be significantly different from the observed catchment response.

A simplified model, which incorporated the overall physical characteristics and average hydrological parameters of the catchment, was run using the same rainfall event. In contrast to the results from the complex model, the output from the simple model showed a close match with the observed data. By reducing the time of concentration in the simple model, it was possible to produce a similar output to that of the complex model.

The various physical and hydrological parameters in the complex model were re-examined and it was found that the roughness coefficient used in the natural watercourse elements was the parameter with the most significant uncertainty. By increasing this parameter, the complex model response could be adjusted to reflect the observed catchment response.

We conclude from the modeling exercise that a complex system would not necessarily require complex modeling. Also, since the roughness coefficients used in natural channels and floodplains could significantly affect the response of a complex model, these need to be estimated as accurately as possible.

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PAPER INFO

Identification

CHI ref #: R220-23 931
Volume: 12
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.R220-23
Cite as: JWMM 12: R220-23

Publication History

Received: N/A
First decision: N/A
Accepted: N/A
Published: February 15, 2004

Status

# reviewers: 2
Version: Final published

Copyright

© 2004 CHI.
Some rights reserved.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Journal of Water Management Modeling is an open-access (OA) publication. Open access means that articles and papers are available without barriers to all who could benefit from them. Practically speaking, all published works will be available to a worldwide audience, free, immediately on publication. As such, JWMM can be considered a Diamond, Gratis OA journal.

All papers published in the JWMM are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY).

JWMM content can be downloaded, printed, copied, distributed, and linked-to, when providing full attribution to both the author/s and JWMM.


AUTHORS

Gideon Joubert

Jeffares & Green (Pty) Ltd., Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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creative commons license   JWMM content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0 DEED)


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