Introduction to Vflo™ and the Vflo™ Extensions

Desktop Vflo™ is a fully distributed, physics-based hydrologic model capable of utilizing geographic information and multi-sensor precipitation input to simulate rainfall and snowmelt runoff from major river basins to small catchments. Vflo™ provides real-time and post-analysis prediction of rainfall-runoff. Applications include: civil infrastructure operations, flood prediction and emergency management, recharge estimation, soil moisture monitoring, land use planning, water quality monitoring, and water resources management.

Vflo™ 6.0 builds on previous versions and offers a number of innovative new features, making the creation of a high-resolution hydrologic model for any location efficient and accessible. Key features include:

  • New kinematic solver improves simulation results.
  • Inundation Analyst now available as extension module.
  • Improved hydrograph result display including upstream rainfall.
  • Improved geospatial data display options.
  • Internal terrain processing (AutoBOP) dramatically reduces GIS preprocessing steps.
  • Automated project creation reduces initial setup time to just minutes.
  • Online Help provided as a dynamic knowledge base.
  • Compatible with Windows 7 and 64-bit operating systems.

Vflo™ Extensions

Sensitivity Analyst

Sensitivity Analyst is a tool for exploring model response to a range of parameter values and for identifying optimal parameter sets. Sensitivity Analyst runs Vflo™ for input parameter values and generates peak discharge, volume, and time-to-peak as output for each parameter combination. Sensitivity Analyst is a stand-alone program that can be run independently from Vflo™. This mode of independence frees computer resources and allows the user to run sensitivity tests on a separate server in an unattended, batch mode. Basin overland properties, precipitation data, and a configuration file defining parameter ranges and steps are required. For further information on Sensitivity Analyst, see the Sensitivity Analyst page.

Continuous Simulator

Continuous Simulator is an extension to Desktop Vflo™ that automatically tracks the effects of soil moisture. Soil moisture does not need to be manually input as degree of saturation preceding an event; rather, Continuous Simulator establishes soil models so that Vflo™ is properly initialized for any event. Soil moisture is based on distributed rainfall and evapotranspiration rate input. Output includes instantaneous flow rate, average flow rate over time step, average depth of flow over drainage area upstream of watch point, and total cumulative depth upstream. The Continuous Simulator extension is useful in evaluating and preparing a watershed model for real-time operational use, and for modeling complex dynamic systems involving aquifer recharge, spring flow, and distributed runoff. For further information on Continuous Simulator, see the Continuous Simulator page.

Inundation Analyst

Inundation Analyst is a Vflo™ extension that provides images, animations, and data showing the extent of forecast or simulated inundation, which is an indication of flood risk. The extension’s inundation products are especially useful for flood management applications: forecast inundation is useful for operational decisions, warning and notification, and coordinating emergency response. See the Inundation Analyst page.