Arc Hydro in ArcGIS Pro: The Next Generation

of Tools for Water Resources

Dean Djokic
Topics

• Definitions
• Review of core hydro tools
- Difference between “hydro” and “Arc Hydro”
• What is Arc Hydro?
• Arc Hydro Pro development plan and status
• What’s new with Arc Hydro
• Getting involved
• Questions
Defitions: Hydro Analysis in ArcGIS

• Hydro Analysis in ArcGIS is used to model the flow of water across a surface.
• What are the primary objectives of hydrologic analysis in a GIS?
- Extract hydro information and drainage system characteristics from a digital elevation
model.
- To know where the water comes from, and where it is flowing to.
GIS for Hydro Modeling “Cycle”
GIS for
landscape
characterization
• GIS is used for landscape
characterization and model
parametrization.
• Hydrology and Hydraulics (H&H) is GIS for result
used for determination of flows, depths visualization Hydrologic
and floodplain modeling
and velocities. delineation

• GIS is used for result postprocessing

and visualization.
• GIS and H&H modeling are closely
connected as one impacts the other Hydraulic
modeling

… and many arrow in between

Review of Core Hydro Tools
Hydrology Tools
ArcMap / ArcGIS Pro ArcGIS Pro ArcGIS Image Server
Fill
Fills sinks in a surface raster to remove small imperfections in the data. PPF enabled

• Remove smaller imperfections and noise in surface

raster.
• Remove larger sinks and pits in the terrain.
• Provide depth filter using Z-Limit.
 Flow Direction: D8
Create a raster of flow direction from each cell to its steepest downslope PPF enabled
neighbor using D8 method.

78 72 69 71 58 49 2 2 2 4 4 8
74 67 56 49 46 50 2 2 2 4 4 8
69 53 44 37 38 48 1 1 2 4 8 4
64 58 55 22 31 24 128 128 1 2 4 8
68 61 47 21 16 19 2 2 1 4 4 4
74 53 34 12 11 12 1 1 1 1 4 16
32 64 128 Elevation Flow Direction

16 1
D8 Method
8 4 2
Direction Coding
Flow Direction: D-Infinity
Creates flow direction as the steepest downward slope on eight triangular facets PPF enabled
formed in a 3x3 cell window centered on the cell of interest.

• D-Infinity best for modeling distributed hydrologic processes, such as runoff

generation or erosion.
Steepest
downslope
direction

Divergent flow:
flow proportioned up
to two downstream
neighbors
D-Infinity Method
Tarboton, D. G., (1997), "A New Method for the Determination of Flow Directions and Contributing Areas in Grid Digital Elevat ion
Models," Water Resources Research, 33(2): 309-319.
Flow Direction: Multiple Flow Direction (MFD)
PPF enabled

• Better flow accumulation maps in low-relief areas

• Flow partitioning is adaptive to local terrain conditions.

vs

Flow
proportioned to
D8 Flow MFD Flow
all downstream
Accumulations Accumulations neighbor(s)

Qin, C., Zhu, A. X., Pei, T., Li, B., Zhou, C., & Yang, L. 2007. "An adaptive approach to selecting a flow partition exponent for a
multiple flow direction algorithm." International Journal of Geographical Information Science 21(4): 443-458.
Flow Accumulation
Creates a raster of accumulated flow into each cell. A weight factor can PPF enabled
optionally be applied. Select from D8, D-Infinity or MFD flow methods.

0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 22 2 0
0 3 7 5 4 0
0 0 0 20 0 1
0 0 0 1 24 0
0 2 4 7 35 2
Flow Direction Flow Accumulation
Flow Distance
PPF enabled

• Compute vertical/horizontal downslope distance to streams

over single or multiple flow paths.
• Supports D8, D-Infinity and MFD algorithms for computing flow
distance.
• In case of multiple flow paths, minimum, weighted mean, or
maximum flow distance can be computed.
• Used in computation of Height Above Nearest Drainage (HAND).
Flooding occurs when water depth is greater than HAND.

Structure

Flood Depth Height Above

Nearest Drainage
(HAND)
Normal Depth
Watershed
Determines the contributing area above a set of cells in a raster. PPF enabled
Ready-to-use
services on ArcGIS
Online: Create
Watershed & Trace
Downstream
How to Use the Analysis Services
In ArcGIS Online
National Water Model
Flows and anomalies

• Mid-range (10 days ahead)

• Short-range (18 hours ahead)

• Velocity estimate added

• New, more scalable architecture

What is Arc Hydro?
Vision

“Provide practical GIS framework for development of integrated

analytical systems for water resources market.”

Start 1
Legend

DEM Stream
Grid datasset
grid segmentation

Alternative Processing
Stream link Feature class
Fill sinks
grid dataset

HydroDEM (1) Catchment grid

Function
grid delineation

Catchment
Flow direction
grid

Catchment
Flow direction
polygon
grid
processing

Catchment
Flow accumulation
feature class

Flow accumulation Drainage line

grid processing

Drainage line
Stream definition
feature class

Stream Adjoint catchment

grid processing

Adjoint catchment

Community
1
feature class

Tools
End

Workflows

Data Model
Brief History

1999 – 2002
• Project to demonstrate geodatabase capabilities in water resources.
• Worked with Dr. David Maidment at the University of Texas.
• Focused on the Arc Hydro Data Model.
• Released in 2002 as a data model, a toolset, and an Esri Press book
(Arc Hydro).
- Initial set of ~ 30 tools (8.3) developed by Esri (PS) as a complement
to the data model.
Brief History

Since 2003:
• Arc Hydro tool development through projects.
- This added ~300+ tools over the years.
• Tool maintenance (version updates, move to Pro, etc.).
• User support (Web pages, GeoNet, response to emails, etc.).
- https://community.esri.com/community/gis/solutions/arc-hydro
• Training classes (managed as standard Esri training and are delivered by PS).
• Arc Hydro Groundwater
- Added in 2007.
- Collaboration with Aquaveo and published Esri Press book (Arc Hydro Groundwater, 2011).
- Aquaveo provides extensions (fee) and support
Arc Hydro Tools Summary Foundation
Functionality Grouping

Administration Terrain preprocessing

- ID mgmt. - Streams
- QA - Sinks
- Configuration - Flow patterns

General implementation
domains

Watershed Watershed
Living Atlas
delineation characterization
Specific
- Watershed delineation
implementations - Watershed - Pollutant loads
- Downstream tracing
- Sub-watershed - Impervious areas
- Floodplain delineation
- Batch processing - Runoff characteristics
Scientific model
Customer Specific
integration Floodplain
Stormwater
delineation
- Nebraska DNR - HEC-HMS
- USFS GRAIP-Lite - HEC-RAS - Streams - Built infrastructure
- Illinois DNR - ICPR - Lakes - Surface drainage
- Forecast - Connectivity
Arc Hydro Tools Key Concepts

• Build foundation for analytical capabilities

- Start with landscape (e.g. terrain)
- Identify drainage patterns
- Define necessary characteristics
HMS
- Define node-link representation
- Support scientific/engineering models (I/O)

- While maintaining spatial and referential

integrity (collocation, IDs, vector/raster
references, remove redundancy in
processing, …)
Product \ Capability Summary

• “No fee” downloadable offerings:

- Data model
- Tools
- Workflows
- Documentation
- Available now :
- ArcMap tools - all versions up to 10.7.1
- Pro tools - all versions up to 2.4
- Web services in the Living Atlas

• Optional offerings:
- Training (paid)
• Average of 1000 views per month
- Consulting (paid) of the download page
 Arc Hydro Data Model and Tool Development General Approach

Water Resources Floodplain WQ

Arc Hydro

Permitting
Arc Hydro Users

• Fed / State / Local Government

- USGS, FEMA, NWS, EPA, …
• Water Management Districts
• Defense / Intelligence
• Private consultants
- Engineering companies
- Hydro professionals
• Anyone involved in water resources / environmental activities
Arc Hydro Adoption Over the Past 15+ Years

• Arc Hydro: ~ 1,000 views/downloads per month

• Projects: ~ 100 projects for Arc Hydro-related work

• Training: over 1,600 customers reached through ~120 classes for Arc Hydro and H&H on 4
continents

• 2019 Projects (PS)

- NWS/NWC – NWM-based floodplain modeling
- EPA/USFS – GRAIP Lite (watershed scale erosion assessment)
- Missouri DNR – modernization of tracing and characterization services
- Novel-T (Switzerland) – custom training
- …
Arc Hydro Pro Development
Plan and Status
Key Driver

• Enable our users to efficiently use Arc Hydro within their organization and
workflows
- Simplify
- Streamline
- Advance
- Document
- Disseminate
- Engage
Arc Hydro Tools Summary
Pro Implementation Status
Baseline Critical Functionality

Administration Terrain preprocessing

Network dependency
Green = None - ID mgmt. - Streams
Light Yellow = Some - QA - Sinks
Red = Show stopper - Configuration - Flow patterns

Watershed Watershed
Living Atlas
delineation characterization

- Watershed delineation - Watershed - Pollutant loads

- Downstream tracing - Sub-watershed - Impervious areas
- Batch processing - Runoff characteristics
Scientific model
Customer Specific
integration Floodplain
Stormwater
delineation
- Nebraska DNR - HEC-HMS
- USFS GRAIP-Lite - HEC-RAS - Streams - Built infrastructure
- Illinois DNR - ICPR - Lakes - Surface drainage
- Forecast - Connectivity
Arc Hydro Pro Transition Activities

• Design • Programming
- GN replacement tools (Trace Network). - Python first
- Updated workflows. - Open source
• Tool categories - Systematic programming framework
- Terrain preprocessing. • Testing
- Floodplain delineation. - Tools.
- Watershed delineation. - Processes.
- Watershed characterization. - Release.
- Modeling / model integration. • Release
• Documentation
- Tools.
- Processes.
Arc Hydro Pro Release Plan Overview
Baseline Critical Functionality – 244 tools

Pro 2.4 Pro 2.5 Pro 2.6

Current Beta – FedUC 2020 Full – UC 2020
156 / 244 200 / 244 234 / 244

• Activities synchronized with core development teams.

- Trace Network, Spatial Analyst
• Beta release – February 2020 (FedUC)
• Full release – July 2020 (UC)
• Continuing maintenance and transition of other Arc Hydro tools not in the Baseline
Critical Functionality release – continuous past July 2020
Arc Hydro Applicability Matrix

Watershed Stormwater Wetlands Hydrology Hydraulics Flood

Industry \ AH delineation
and character.
Transportation X X X X
Insurance X
AEC X X X X X X
Facilities
X X
management
Local/state
X X X X X X
government
Mining X X X
Defense X X X X
Environmental X X X X X X
Emergency
response / public X X
safety
Agriculture X X
Arc Hydro Demo
Presenter(s)
What’s New with Arc Hydro
What’s New With Arc Hydro

• Stormwater (not so new – already in Pro)

• Wetlands identification model (already in Pro)
• Floodplain analysis and tie into forecasting (NWM) and impact analysis
Stormwater Concepts

• Two “systems” in play:

- Collection system – takes overland
flow and places it into the
conveyance system.
- Conveyance system – takes the
collected water and moves it
through
• These systems interact through
open channels and inlets.
- Overland flow does NOT interact
with pipes directly
Stormwater delineation - pipe

Global (in the pipe) Local (same as land)

Stormwater delineation - stream

Global Local
Wetlands Identification Model

• Machine leaning approach to wetlands identification using

geomorphological characteristics based on Lidar-derived DEM
Wetlands Identification Model

71% of wetland area detected 31% of wetland area detected

High detection of depression-like

features that are not wetlands*
Flood Impact Forecasting

WHEN: WHERE: WHO:

National Water Model Arc Hydro Tools Local County GIS Data

Dave Sekkes, Chester County EOC

WHO: Flood Impact Short Range Forecast Ops Dashboard

Dave Sekkes, Chester County EOC

Getting Involved
Getting involved

• Arc Hydro GeoNet:

- https://community.esri.com/community/gis/solutions/arc-hydro
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

• Soon to be released industry pages for Arc Hydro and water resources
Work in Progress

• Goal for Pro 2.6 (summer 2020)

- Completion of code transfer for baseline capability
- Model integration (HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, ICPR4)
- Floodplain and impact assessment tools and workflows
- Documentation, documentation, documentation
- Getting started with Arc Hydro
- Domain specific workflows, docs
• Prioritization of further updates
- Talk to us!!!
Questions?
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