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Hydro Resource Evaluation Tool
physical characteristics of a hydro site
Tier 2. The LowFlows regional model
Information on the magnitude and variability of flow regimes, at the river reach scale is a central component of most aspects of water resource and water quality management. The natural variability of flows in the UK is dependent, at the broadest scale, on climatic variables such as rainfall, temperature and evaporation. At a catchment scale physical characteristics such as hydrogeology also exert controls.
For example, flows are less variable in base-flow dominated chalk catchments than in impermeable clay catchments that respond rapidly to rainfall.
Regionalised models have been developed at CEH to describe the natural variability of flows, in the form of FDCs for any river reach in the UK. This model was implemented within the LowFlows software system. Recent model developments by WHS have been implemented within the latest version of LowFlows (further details available within the Technical Report and on the WHS website, www.hydrosolutions.co.uk).
