Characterizing Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Urban Runoff Potential Using the HEC-GeoHMS Model
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Land use and land cover (LULC) change is the direct process of replacing natural vegetation and surfaces with impervious areas. The Blue River is a major urban river within the Kansas City metropolitan area that flows northward approximately 66 kilometers into the Missouri River. In recent decades LULC change has greatly affected the Blue River watershed. The majority of the watershed now consists of developed areas, especially in Johnson County, Kansas and a greater part of the metro area on the Missouri side. Because of Urbanization, agricultural and forested areas within the watershed are decreasing, causing increasing rates of potential runoff. Researching runoff rates caused by LULC has not been thoroughly conducted on the Blue River and its tributaries. To provide evidence that LULC affects runoff, this research focused on using a hydrology model known as the HEC-GeoHMS model, to create a curve number (CN) grid. The CN grid was developed to show areas along the Blue River watershed affected by runoff between the years of 2001 and 2011. The CN grid relied on data collection to estimate the average curve numbers for sub basins along the Blue River watershed. The results showed fluctuation in LULC, in that developed areas increased by 4% while forested areas decreased by 2% and non-forest areas decreased by 6%. The CN grid created by the HEC-GeoHMS model showed lower CN values near forested and agricultural areas, while increasing rates of potential runoff were found in developing areas especially around Johnson County, Kansas and the northern portions of the Blue River where it drains into the Missouri River. The HEC-GeoHMS model proved to be a reliable tool to simulate changes in runoff potential within a watershed.
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Introduction -- Study area -- Methodology -- Results -- Discussion -- Conclusion
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M.S.