skip to main content
User Interface : Units : Unit-specific Calculations
Unit-specific Calculations
In general, RiverWare does calculations in internal units. Changing the scheme will not affect underlying results. But, there are a few methods that depend on one or more slot units. The methods are described, organized by the category of calculation.
Exponentiation
For the methods in Table 2.3, a change in the units can produce different results due to calculations that use user-units in combination with a user-input exponent with units of NONE.
 
Table 2.3   
Object
Category
User Method
Link, in Objects
Groundwater Storage
Groundwater Outflow
Exponential Flow
Groundwater Storage
Deep Percolation
Exponential Percolation
Reach
Reach Evaporation
Inflow Exponent Pan Evaporation
Reach
Reach Seepage
Seepage and Riparian CU Loss
Reservoir
Sediment
CRSS Sediment
Time Units
If the model timestep is 1 Month, the lag time slots for the methods in Table 2.4 must have TIME units of “month” or an error will occur.
 
Table 2.4   
Object
Category
User Method
Link, in Objects
Reach
Routing
Time Lag
Reach
Routing
Variable Time Lag
Reach
Drain Elevation
Stage Elevation Interpolation
Similarly, in one or more table slots for the methods in Table 2.5, the TIME unit must be “day” in the first column or an error will occur.
 
Table 2.5   
Object
Category
User Method
Link, in Objects
Reach
Gain Loss
Interpolated Flow Gain Loss
Reach
Routing
Variable Time Lag
Unit-dependent Calculations
The methods in Table 2.6 convert values to specific units for calculations. These calculations also use user-input parameter values with units of NONE. Changing the unit scheme should not change the results from these methods, but you must know the units used in order to set the parameter values appropriately.
 
Table 2.6   
Object
Category
User Method
Link, in Objects
Reach
Routing
Storage Routing
Reach
Routing
Variable Storage Routing
Reach
Depth to Flow
Power Function
Distribution Canal
Flow Routing
Storage Time
Distribution Canal
Flow Routing
Variable Storage Time
Reservoir
Sediment Transport
Perm Pool Sed (Pre2000)
 
Reservoir
Sediment Transport
Total Vol Sed (Post2000)
 
Revised: 12/06/2024