Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) and SAM Tools and Application 2024
This project will support the development, enhancement, and support of the statewide Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Hydrologic Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF) Model Repository, HSPEXP+ (enhanced expert system for HSPF model calibration), HCALC (HSPF Calibration Control), HTEXT (HSPF Timeseries Extension), Scenario Application Manager (SAM), and Preprocessing Application Translator for HSPF (PATH).
Minnesota faces many water quality and quantity challenges. State, federal and local organizations are faced with understanding hydrologic and water-quality problems and targeting cost effective solutions that are based in science. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has standardized its modeling approach for the development of the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports required by state and federal law. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) uses the Hydrologic Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF) model to provide a highly effective means to understand hydrologic and water quality processes over various land surfaces and water bodies. Because HSPF is a continuous model representing the complex physical and chemical processes and interactions, and because it is calibrated over extended time periods, it is conducive to understanding current watershed conditions. Through careful changes to model inputs, it may be used to evaluate impacts of potential watershed changes and/or the implementation of best management practices, helping pinpoint effective management approaches. However, the complexity of HSPF makes it difficult for non-modeling end users to quickly get the needed information from these models. The MPCA has funded the development and support of many different tools that facilitate the development, enhancement, and application of the HSPF modeling software.