Flow Modeling

For the first time in Louisiana and Mississippi, you will be able to get flow estimates statewide and where there are no flow gauges.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) worked with Research Triangle Institute International (RTI) to adapt and deploy their WaterFALL® model to estimate stream flow throughout Louisiana’s and Mississippi’s watersheds.

HydroFlows – We developed a web application that allows you to view and interact with model results. Flow information is available for both catchment and sub-watersheds, allowing for analysis at multiple scales. The app provides relevant flow metrics and allows you to explore how those metrics change with future climate change and water use scenarios. HydroFlows currently displays the Index of Hydrologic Alteration metrics, but we can also calculate custom water flow metrics to meet your needs.

OysterFlows – This app demonstrates the connectedness of our estuaries to decisions made upstream in freshwater systems. This eco-flows analysis uses hydrologic flow modeling results and coastal salinity data to illustrate the tradeoffs of potential inter-basin water transfers and water withdrawals on oyster resources at the coast. This tool allows you to explore these relationships in the Sabine and Calcasieu river basins in Louisiana. By allowing you to operate the Toledo Bend Dam, you can see the result of your actions on the health of the Sabine Lake Oyster Reef. In the Calcasieu, you can simulate a water withdrawal scenario from the Calcasieu River and see the result of your actions on the health of oyster resources in Calcasieu Lake.

In addition to these two apps we’ve developed, this hydrologic modeling can also be used to generate additional flow metrics, develop custom analyses and run additional scenarios to investigate water development proposals, like potential new reservoirs, water sales and develop water budgets which are essential to securing freshwater for the future. Contact us if you have a need for a custom analysis!

Explore the HydroFlows and OysterFlows tools on our Louisiana Freshwater Assessment site or check out the Mississippi version of HydroFlows on our Mississippi Freshwater Assessment site. You can also use the Launch Mapping Portal button on this page and choose a geography.