PairwiseIHA: A python toolkit to detect flow regime alterations for headwater rivers. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Zexin; Zhao, Tongtiegang; Tu, Tongbi; Tu, Xinjun; Chen, Xiaohong
• Is Part Of: Environmental modelling & software. Volume 154(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: Flow regime -- Reservoir operation -- Natural inflow -- Regulated outflow -- Indicators of hydrologic alteration -- Range of variability approach; Environmental monitoring -- Computer programs -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Computer simulation -- Periodicals; Digital computer simulation -- Periodicals; Computer software -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Computer Simulation -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Logiciels -- Périodiques; Écologie -- Simulation, Méthodes de -- Périodiques; Simulation par ordinateur -- Périodiques; Logiciels -- Périodiques; Computer software; Digital computer simulation; Ecology -- Computer simulation; Environmental monitoring -- Computer programs; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.70015118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2022.105427
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1364-8152

Abstract

Abstract: The PairwiseIHA is an open-source toolkit written in Python that enables the user to quickly obtain the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) from inflow and outflow time series for headwater reservoirs. Specifically, the IHA metrics obtained from inflows (outflows) are considered as natural (regulated) and the differences are used to indicate how the magnitude, frequency, duration, timing and rate of change are altered by reservoir operation. It extends the functionality of the popular IHA software for analyzing concurrent inflows and outflows. The results of three case study reservoirs in California highlight that reservoir operation leads to considerable alterations in the five components of the flow regime. The findings on flow regime alteration are consistent across wet, normal and dry years. Overall, the PairwiseIHA can serve as an effective tool to investigate alterations in flow regime induced by human activities for water managers, scientists, natural resource agencies and water users. Highlights: The PairwiseIHA toolkit was developed to investigate the hydrological regime. The toolkit illustrated the flow regime alterations subject to reservoir operation. The toolkit was shown to be effective for three case study reservoirs in California.