Back to all Resources
Discover the key questions to ask before investing in new H&H modeling software, from data integration and 1D/2D capabilities to scalability, compliance, and long-term resilience planning.
Investing in new Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) modeling software is not just a technical upgrade; it’s a strategic decision that shapes how organizations plan, design, communicate, and defend critical water resource projects. From site-scale stormwater systems to watershed-level resilience planning, the modeling platform you choose will influence data workflows, regulatory compliance, collaboration, and long-term adaptability.
Before committing to a new tool, it is essential to step back from feature lists and ask a more fundamental question: What are we trying to solve, and will this platform continue to solve it five or ten years from now?
Start with the Data: What Inputs Are Required
Every model is grounded in data. The sophistication of a modeling engine means little if it cannot seamlessly integrate the datasets your organization already relies on.
At a minimum, modern H&H platforms should efficiently process high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and LiDAR-derived surfaces to accurately represent terrain and channel geometry. Land use and land cover layers must translate into defensible runoff coefficients, curve numbers, and roughness values. Hydrologic inputs, whether historical rainfall records, design storms, or long-term climate datasets, must be incorporated without excessive manual formatting.
Equally important is infrastructure data. Pipe networks, culvert dimensions, pump capacities, detention basins, and bridge hydraulics are often developed in GIS or CAD environments. A viable modeling solution should import these datasets directly, preserving connectivity and geometry without requiring labor-intensive conversion.
Calibration data adds another layer of rigor. Flow monitoring records, stage measurements, and SCADA data are critical for validating model accuracy. Software that supports structured calibration workflows helps ensure that results are not only computationally sound but also defensible in regulatory settings.
Solutions such as StormWiseTM, for example, are built around georeferenced modeling workflows, allowing data to be developed from mapped elements and integrated directly from GIS and CAD sources. That kind of interoperability reduces setup time while maintaining spatial consistency, an increasingly important consideration as datasets grow in scale and complexity.
Modeling Capability: 1D, 2D, or Integrated
Not all modeling challenges are created equal. A small land development project may require detailed 1D hydraulic modeling of a pipe network, while urban flood studies or low-slope floodplains often demand 2D overland flow analysis. The question is not simply whether the software offers 1D or 2D capabilities, but whether it integrates them effectively.
A modern platform should support rainfall-runoff calculations alongside dynamic hydraulic routing. It should handle steady and unsteady flow conditions, represent hydraulic structures such as culverts and bridges, and remain numerically stable during complex surcharge scenarios.
For projects involving floodplain mapping, surface water-groundwater interactions, or non-dendritic systems, 2D surface modeling – and in some cases groundwater modeling – becomes essential. Integrated systems that allow 1D pipe or channel networks to interact with 2D floodplains provide a more realistic representation of urban and natural environments.
StormWiseTM offers both one-dimensional hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and fully integrated two-dimensional surface water and groundwater modeling. In its Expert versioning, 2D overland flow and groundwater systems can be coupled with 1D surface networks, allowing engineers to evaluate interactions between pipes, floodplains, and aquifer systems within a single modeling framework. This type of integration is increasingly important for resiliency and sustainability-focused projects.
Event-Based or Continuous Simulation
Another critical consideration is the type of events your projects require.
Traditional design workflows often rely on single-event simulations, such as the 25-, 100-, or 500-year storm, to estimate peak flows and maximum water surface elevations. For regulatory applications, including FEMA-related studies, event-based modeling remains the standard.
However, long-term planning increasingly demands continuous simulation. Modeling consecutive years, or even decades, of rainfall data allows practitioners to assess soil moisture variability, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, and system recovery between storms. This approach is particularly valuable for evaluating green infrastructure, the impacts of shifting climate patterns, and watershed-scale water budgets.
Software that supports both single-event and continuous simulation provides flexibility across project types. StormWiseTM Pro, for example, supports event-based 1D modeling applications, while StormWiseTM Expert extends capabilities to continuous simulation with evapotranspiration and soil moisture tracking, enabling more comprehensive watershed and resiliency analyses.
Understanding whether your organization primarily performs regulatory design, long-term watershed planning, or both will guide this decision.
Scalability and Performance
Modeling software must be able to grow alongside your project portfolio. A tool that performs well for a small site plan but struggles with a regional watershed or dense urban pipe network can quickly become a bottleneck.
Key considerations include the number of nodes, links, subbasins, and 2D mesh elements the software can support without performance degradation. Runtime efficiency, particularly for unsteady or continuous simulations, should be evaluated in the context of available hardware.
StormWiseTM Pro allows an unlimited number of nodes, links, and basins in 1D models. While its 2D framework in StormWiseTM Expert uses flexible triangular meshes to adapt resolution to project needs. This kind of flexibility helps maintain computational efficiency without sacrificing detail where it matters most.
Visualization, Reporting, and Communication
The ability to communicate results clearly is often as important as the calculations themselves. Decision-makers, regulators, and stakeholders need to see flood extents, water surface elevations, velocity fields, and profile animations in a format that is intuitive and defensible.
Look for platforms that allow direct visualization of 1D profiles and 2D flood extents over digital terrain models, export results to GIS-compatible formats, and generate structured reports suitable for regulatory submission.
StormWiseTM includes animated 2D result visualization, customizable reporting, and water surface profile playback along user-defined paths. These capabilities enhance understanding of flood wave propagation and infrastructure performance, turning raw model outputs into actionable insight.
Regulatory Acceptance and Future-Proofing
Regulatory alignment is non-negotiable. For floodplain studies and NFIP-related applications, confirm whether the software is accepted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other governing agencies.
Beyond today’s requirements, consider how the tool evolves. Does the vendor provide ongoing updates? Is it adapting to emerging methodologies such as integrated water budget analysis? Long-term value lies in selecting a platform that continues to innovate alongside industry standards.
StormWiseTM Pro is nationally accepted by FEMA for NFIP purposes, providing confidence in regulatory workflows while its Expert capabilities support advanced modeling demands tied to resiliency and sustainability.
The Strategic Decision
Selecting H&H software is ultimately about alignment between data, project scope, regulatory requirements, and long-term organizational goals.
A simple, event-based 1D tool may be sufficient for localized drainage design. But for firms engaged in floodplain management, surface water-groundwater interaction studies, or large-scale watershed modeling, an integrated and scalable platform becomes essential.
By carefully evaluating data compatibility, modeling scope, simulation types, scalability, visualization capabilities, and vendor support, engineering teams can make an informed investment, one that enhances technical rigor, operational efficiency, and long-term adaptability.
In a profession where stormwater systems grow more complex and regulatory expectations more stringent, the modeling platform you choose is not merely a tool; it’s a foundation for resilient, sustainable decision-making.
If you’re evaluating new H&H modeling software or simply want to ensure your current tools are positioned to meet future demands, our team is here to help. From site-scale drainage design to fully integrated 1D/2D and groundwater modeling, we work with organizations to identify the right solution for their specific technical, regulatory, and operational needs.
Contact our team today to learn how StormWiseTM can support your projects today while preparing your team for the challenges of tomorrow!
TAGS
Blogs
