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Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins

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A special issue of Hydrology (ISSN 2306-5338). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Resources and Risk Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 10792

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Dr. Ioannis Panagopoulos

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Department of Hydraulics, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: hydrology; hydrological processes in catchments; water resources; water quality; nutrient water pollution; river basin planning and management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Pantelis Sidiropoulos

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School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: deterministic and stochastic analysis, modeling, management and prediction of groundwater resources; spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater quantity and quality; water resources management; applications in GIS; analysis, modeling and prediction of floods; hydraulic simulation of water distribution systems (DIS); design and supervision of hydrotechnical projects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural disasters from hydrometeorological extremes and water scarcity, as well as human pressures such as intensive agriculture, can affect the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater resources in river basins. As a result, ecosystem services connected to human benefits, such as the provision of drinking and irrigation water, the regulation of floods, and cultural services, may be disturbed. To preserve them, water and river basin authorities are relying more and more on valuable tools such as conceptual and physically based hydrological models in order to propose cost-effective management strategies to minimize impacts on the aquatic environment and on society. This Special Issue of Hydrology will showcase the state of the art in the adaptation and use of hydrological models on the catchment or river basin scale in different regions and for various purposes within the wider context of water resources and river basin management. We invite novel modelling articles that propose actions for tackling both natural and human pressures, preserving the environmental status of water bodies, and maintaining or improving the socio-economic status within regions. We hope that new methods/models will help us to celebrate progress in tackling real river basin problems and the possible further issues that require more focused research.

Dr. Ioannis Panagopoulos
Dr. Pantelis Sidiropoulos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

management practices/measures
river basin planning and management
hydrological modeling, calibration/uncertainty
ecosystem services
hydrological extremes
water scarcity
intensive agriculture

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 4407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis of Remotely Sensed and High-Fidelity ArcSWAT Evapotranspiration Estimates Across Various Timescales in the Upper Anthemountas Basin, Greece

by Stefanos Sevastas, Ilias Siarkos and Zisis Mallios

Hydrology 2025, 12(7), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12070171 - 29 Jun 2025

Viewed by 64

Abstract

In data-scarce regions and ungauged basins, remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ET) products are increasingly employed to support hydrological model calibration. In this study, a high-resolution hydrological model was developed for the Upper Anthemountas Basin using ArcSWAT, with a focus on comparing simulated ET outputs to three freely available remote sensing-based ET products: the MODIS MOD16 Collection 5, the updated MODIS MOD16A2GF Collection 6.1, and the SSEBop Version 5 dataset. ET estimates derived from the calibrated SWAT model were compared to all remote sensing products at the basin scale, across various temporal scales over the 2002–2014 simulation period. Results indicate that the MOD16 Collection 5 product achieved the closest correspondence with SWAT-simulated ET across all temporal scales. The MOD16A2GF Collection 6.1 product exhibited moderate overall agreement, with improved performance during early summer. The SSEBop Version 5 dataset generally displayed weaker correlation, but demonstrated enhanced alignment during the driest years of the record. Strong correspondence is observed when averaging the ET values from all satellite products. These findings underscore the importance of exercising caution when utilizing remotely sensed ET products as the sole basis for hydrological model calibration, particularly given the variability in performance among different datasets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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22 pages, 9661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regional Groundwater Flow and Advective Contaminant Transport Modeling in a Typical Hydrogeological Environment of Northern New Jersey

by Toritseju Oyen and Duke Ophori

Hydrology 2025, 12(7), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12070167 - 27 Jun 2025

Viewed by 166

Abstract

This study develops a numerical model to simulate groundwater flow and contaminant transport in a “typical hydrogeological environment” of northern New Jersey, addressing freshwater decline. Focusing on the Lower Passaic water management area (WMA), we model chloride transport in a fractured-rock aquifer, where fracture networks control hydraulic conductivity and porosity. The urbanized setting—encompassing Montclair State University (MSU) and municipal wells—features heterogeneous groundwater systems and critical water resources, providing an ideal case study for worst-case contaminant transport scenarios. Using MODFLOW and MODPATH, we simulated flow and tracked particles over 20 years. Results show that chloride from MSU reached the Third River in 4 years and the Passaic River in 10 years in low-porosity fractures (0.2), with longer times (8 and 20 years) in high-porosity zones (0.4). The First Watchung Mountains were identified as the primary recharge area. Chloride was retained in immobile pores but transported rapidly through fractures, with local flow systems (MSU to Third River) faster than regional systems (MSU to Passaic River). These findings confirm chloride in groundwater, which may originate from road salt application, can reach discharge points in 4–20 years, emphasizing the need for recharge-area monitoring, salt-reduction policies, and site-specific assessments to protect fractured-rock aquifers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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20 pages, 2831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Dam Hydrological Safety by Using a Stochastic Rainfall Generator

by Enrique Soriano, Luis Mediero, Andrea Petroselli, Davide Luciano De Luca, Ciro Apollonio and Salvatore Grimaldi

Hydrology 2025, 12(6), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12060153 - 17 Jun 2025

Viewed by 330

Abstract

Dam breaks can lead to important economic and human losses. Design floods, which are useful to assess possible dam breaks, are usually estimated through statistical analysis of rainfall and streamflow observed data. However, such available samples are commonly limited and, consequently, high uncertainties are associated with the design flood estimates. In addition, climate change is expected to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall and flood events in the future. Therefore, a methodology based on a stochastic rainfall generator is proposed to assess hydrological dam safety by considering climate change. We selected the Eugui Dam on the Arga river in the north of Spain as a case study that has a spillway operated by gates with a maximum capacity of 270 m³/s. The stochastic rainfall generator STORAGE is used to simulate long time series of 15-min precipitation in both current and future climate conditions. Precipitation projections of 12 climate modeling chains, related to the usual three 30-year periods (2011–2024; 2041–2070 and 2071–2100) and two emission scenarios of AR5 (RCP 4.5 and 8.5), are used to consider climate change in the STORAGE model. The simulated precipitation time series are transformed into runoff time series by using the continuous COSMO4SUB hydrological model, supplying continuous 15-min runoff time series as output. Annual maximum flood hydrographs are selected and considered as inflows to the Eugui Reservoir. The Volume Evaluation Method is applied to simulate the operation of the Eugui Dam spillway gates, obtaining maximum water levels in the reservoir and outflow hydrographs. The results show that the peak outflows at the Eugui Dam will be lower in the future. Therefore, maximum reservoir water levels will not increase in the future. The methodology proposed could allow practitioners and dam managers to check the hydrological dam safety requirements, accounting for climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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23 pages, 6853 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of the Groundwater Data Mapper Tool to Assess Storage Changes in a Groundwater-Driven Basin in the Klamath Watershed, Oregon, USA

by Daniel Shepard, Norman L. Jones and Gustavious P. Williams

Hydrology 2025, 12(6), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12060140 - 6 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1002

Abstract

Streamflow in the Upper Williamson Basin of the Klamath Watershed is groundwater dominated with year-to-year fluctuations in both volume and duration, including multi-year periods with no streamflow. The relationship between precipitation, groundwater, and streamflow is difficult to characterize because of the limited number of monitoring wells, large data gaps, and a unique geologic structure that controls flow. To understand why surface flow has ceased entirely, we use the Groundwater Data Mapper Tool to impute gaps in the well data using machine learning and open-source Earth observation data and then compute changes in groundwater storage over time. Our research confirms that groundwater storage is correlated to streamflow and finds that there is a control groundwater storage below which flow does not occur. Furthermore, we find that groundwater storage is correlated to rainfall with a three- to four-year delay. This lag and the geologic structural control mean that even with several years of above-average precipitation, live flow may take years to resume. This insight allows water managers to understand and adjust for this highly irregular streamflow for better management decisions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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24 pages, 2384 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Application of the Ecosystem Services Assessment Approach to the Provision of Groundwater for Human Supply and Aquifer Management Support

by Malgorzata Borowiecka, Mar Alcaraz and Marisol Manzano

Hydrology 2025, 12(6), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12060137 - 3 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1098

Abstract

Increasing pressures on groundwater in the last decades have led to a deterioration in the quality of groundwater for human consumption around the world. Beyond the essential evaluation of groundwater dynamics and quality, analyzing the situation from the perspective of the Ecosystem Services Assessment (ESA) approach can be useful to support aquifer management plans aiming to recover aquifers’ capacity to provide good quality water. This work illustrates how to implement the ESA using groundwater flow and nitrate transport modelling for evaluating future trends of the provisioning service Groundwater of Good Quality for Human Supply. It has been applied to the Medina del Campo Groundwater Body (Spain), where the intensification of agricultural activities and groundwater exploitation since the 1970s caused severe nitrate pollution. Nitrate status and future trends under different fertilizer and aquifer exploitation scenarios were modelled with MT3DMS coupled to a MODFLOW model calibrated with piezometric time series. Historical land use and fertilizer data were compiled to assess nitrogen loadings. Besides the uncertainties of the model, the results clearly show that: (i) managing fertilizer loads is more effective than managing aquifer exploitation; and (ii) only the cessation of nitrogen application by the year 2030 would improve the evaluated provisioning service in the long term. The study illustrates how the ESA can be incorporated to evaluate the expected relative impact of different management actions aimed at improving significant groundwater services to humans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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23 pages, 5043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Hydrological Alterations and Environmental Flow Components in the Beht River Basin, Morocco, Using Integrated SWAT and IHA Models

by Fatima Daide, Thomas Hasiotis, Soumaya Nabih, Soufiane Taia, Abderrahim Lahrach, Eleni-Ioanna Koutsovili and Ourania Tzoraki

Hydrology 2025, 12(5), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12050109 - 2 May 2025

Viewed by 738

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of hydrological alterations and environmental flow components in the Beht River basin in northwest Morocco, using a coupled approach involving the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for hydrological modeling, the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) for flow regime assessment, and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for drought characterization. The SWAT model, run on a daily time step, showed satisfactory performance in terms of statistical criteria for both calibration and validation periods, despite encountering limitations, and proved its ability to simulate and reproduce the hydrological behavior of the basin. Using the IHA, we investigated changes in the hydrological regime over two distinct periods, revealing significant hydrological alteration. The SPI analysis supported these findings by highlighting the variable impacts of dry and wet periods on the hydrological regime, thus validating the observed changes in river flow indicators. As a preliminary step toward establishing environmental flows in the Beht River, this study provides foundational insights into the temporal evolution of its hydrology. These findings offer a valuable basis for better water resource management and conservation in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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24 pages, 4146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Effects of Bioenergy Cropping Scenarios on the Surface Water and Groundwater of an Intensively Agricultural Basin in Central Greece

by Maria Sismanidi, Lamprini Kokkinaki, Sofia Kavalieratou, Haralampos Georgoussis, Kyriakos D. Giannoulis, Elias Dimitriou and Yiannis Panagopoulos

Hydrology 2025, 12(4), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12040066 - 22 Mar 2025

Viewed by 1725

Abstract

Pinios river basin constitutes the most important agricultural production area in Greece but contributes to the degradation of the quality and quantity of surface water and groundwater bodies. Bioenergy crops implemented as part of the existing cropping systems could be a novel and efficient mitigation strategy against water degradation, contributing to the production of energy through renewable sources. This study uses the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to first develop a representative model of Pinios river basin and evaluate its current state with respect to water availability and nitrate water pollution. A low-input perennial bioenergy crop, switchgrass, is then simulated closely to the Greek conditions to investigate its potential effects on water in three implementation scenarios: the installation and growth of switchgrass in the entire irrigated cropland, exclusively in irrigated sloping (slopes > 1.5%) cropland, and exclusively in irrigated non-sloping cropland. The simulated results demonstrate that under all scenarios, the water quality improvements with respect to the nitrate loads entering surface water and groundwater bodies were significant, with their reduction being directly affected by the extent to which switchgrass replaced resource-demanding conventional crops. Specifically, the reduction in the annual nitrate loads in the surface water under these three scenarios varied from 7% to 18% at the river basin scale, while in certain cropland areas, the respective reduction even exceeded a level of 80%. The potential to improve the water status was also considerable, as the implementation of the bioenergy crop reduced the irrigation water used annually in the basin by 10% (64 Mm³) when switchgrass replaced the conventional crops only on the sloping land and by almost 30% (187 Mm³) when it replaced them throughout the irrigated land. At the same time, significant biomass production above 18 t/ha/y applied in all of the simulations. This study also highlights the contribution of the bioenergy crop to the rehabilitation of the groundwater levels across the basin, with the possibility of increasing them by >50% compared to the baseline, implying that the adoption of switchgrass could be a promising means against water scarcity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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26 pages, 9680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Transient Hydrodynamic and Hydrodispesive Models in Semi-Arid Environments

by Samir Hakimi, Mohamed Abdelbaset Hessane, Mohammed Bahir, Turki Kh. Faraj and Paula M. Carreira

Hydrology 2025, 12(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12030046 - 3 Mar 2025

Viewed by 785

Abstract

The hydrogeological study of the Rharb coastal basin, located in the semi-arid northwest region of Morocco, focuses on its two aquifers: the Plio-Quaternary aquifer characterized by high-quality water with salt concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 2 g/L, and the Upper Quaternary aquifer, with lower water quality (2 to 6 g/L). The deep aquifer is overexploited for agricultural purposes. This overexploitation has led to declining piezometric levels and the worsening of the oceanic intrusion phenomenon. The study aims to develop a numerical model for a period of 15 years, from 1992/93 to 2006/07 for monitoring groundwater quantity and quality, considering recharge, exploitation, and basin characteristics. A hydrodynamic model based on storage coefficient calibration identifies overexploitation for irrigation, increasing from 93 Mm³ in 1993 to 170 Mm³ in 2007, as the primary driver of declining water levels. A hydrodispersive model highlights higher salt concentrations in the shallow aquifer (up to 6 g/L), high nitrate concentrations due to human activity, and pinpoints areas of seawater intrusion approximately 500 m from the shoreline. Although the deeper aquifer remains relatively preserved, negative hydraulic balances from −15.4 Mm³ in 1993 to −36.6 Mm³ in 2007 indicate an impending critical period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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22 pages, 7144 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Attribution of the Climate and Land Use Change Impact on the Hydrological Processes of Athabasca River Basin, Canada

by Sharad Aryal, Mukand S. Babel, Anil Gupta, Babak Farjad, Dibesh Khadka and Quazi K. Hassan

Hydrology 2025, 12(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12010007 - 7 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1542

Abstract

Climate change (CC) and land use/land cover change (LULCC) are significant drivers of hydrological change, and an effective watershed management requires a detailed understanding of their individual and the combined impact. This study focused on the Athabasca River Basin (ARB), Canada, and investigated how the basin responded to their changes using the MIKE SHE-MIKE Hydro River. Our findings revealed novel insights into ARB hydrological changes, including increment in non-vegetated lands (0.26%), savannas (1.28%), forests (0.53%), and urban areas (0.02%) while grasslands (2.07%) and shrublands (0.03%) decreased. Moreover, the basin experienced rising annual minimum (1.01 °C) and maximum (0.85 °C) temperatures but declining precipitation (6.2%). The findings suggested a significant impact of CC compared to LULCC as CC caused annual reduction in streamflow (7.9%), evapotranspiration (4.8%), and recharge (6.9%). Meanwhile, LULCC reduced streamflow (0.2%) and recharge (0.4%) but increased evapotranspiration (0.1%). The study revealed spatiotemporal variability across the ARB, with temperature impacts stronger in winter and precipitation influencing other seasons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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21 pages, 11467 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Climate Change and Changes in Land Use and Cover on Water Yield in an Equatorial Andean Basin

by Darío Xavier Zhiña, Alex Avilés, Lorena González, Ana Astudillo, José Astudillo and Carlos Matovelle

Hydrology 2024, 11(9), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology11090157 - 23 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2064

Abstract

Ecosystem services contribute significantly to human development, with water production being a crucial component. Climate and land use changes can impact water availability within a basin. In this context, researching water-related areas is essential for formulating policies to protect and manage hydrological services. The objective of this study was to estimate water yield in the sub-basins of the Tabacay and Aguilán rivers under climate change scenarios in 2030, 2040, and 2050, combined with scenarios of changes in land cover and land use. The InVEST model was employed to analyze water yield. The results show that crop areas were identified as the lowest water yield in future scenarios, and forested areas, particularly the region where the Cubilán Protected Forest is located, contribute the most to water yield in the subbasin. Besides, water yield has increased in the historic period (2016–2018) due to the conservation and reforestation initiatives carried out by the Municipal Public Service Company for Drinking Water, Sewerage, and Environmental Sanitation of the city of Azogues in 2018, the so-called Reciprocal Agreements for Water. Additionally, an increase in water yield is projected for future scenarios. This study can serve as a basis for decision-makers to identify areas that should prioritize protection and conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrological Modelling for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in River Basins)

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