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Item #6b

Towards a Bay Area Watershed Model

Presented to the SPLWG

May 14, 2008

John Oram & Lester McKee

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Objectives

• To improve understanding of both gauged and un-gauged streams throughout the Bay Area

• To improve estimates of water, sediment, and contaminant loads to the Bay from local watersheds

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Item #6b

Previous / Ongoing Studies• Bay Area Hydrology Model (BAHM)

– Focus: hydrograph modification effects of land development projects

– Extent: counties of Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

– Model: HSPF– Usability: documented and downloadable

• Brake Pad Partnership (BPP)– Focus: estimate Cu loads to Bay– Extent: watersheds discharging to Bay– Model: HSPF– Usability: well-documented, not available

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Where to go from here?

• Should we:– Develop a Bay Area-wide hydrologic model

of our own?• Could potentially build on BAHM and/or BPP

– Continue current path of modeling well-studied watersheds (e.g., Guadalupe) and adding additional models incrementally?

• Candidates are Z4LA, Coyote Creek, Napa, Sonoma