New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

This study intends to develop a coupled snowpack-surface water model for the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed. The Santa Fe Municipal Watershed is a source of drinking water and water storage for the City of Santa Fe and these water resources are believed to be at considerable risk from high severity wildfires. Surface water rainfall-runoff modeling will begin in HEC-HMS, while the SnowModel package will track seasonal snowpack evolution and provide meltwater inputs to HEC-HMS. It is believed that the coupling of these models will provide more reliable runoff and water yields estimates than with less complex snow modeling modules. Models will then be parameterized with different wildfire and forest management scenarios to provide insight into hydrologic vulnerability and resilience in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed. Model input data will be showcased including vegetation distribution and meteorological data from watershed weather stations (SNOTEL, RAWS).