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Information: several proprietray software models are included in this discussion. Inclusion of these models does not represent an endorsement by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)

Hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality models all have different purposes and will provide different information. The tables below summarize some of the commonly used modeling software and modeling functions and the main purpose for which they were developed. The tables show the relative levels of complexity of necessary input data, indicates whether the model can complete a continuous analysis or is event based, lists whether the model is in the public domain, and for hydraulic models indicates whether unsteady flow calculations can be conducted. For water quality models, the tables indicate whether the model is a receiving waters model, a loading model, or a BMP analysis model. The following definitions apply to the model functions.

  • Rainfall-Runoff Calculation Tool: peak flow, runoff volume, and hydrograph functions, only. More complex modeling should utilize hydrologic modeling which incorporate rainfall-runoff functions.
  • Hydrologic: includes rainfall-runoff simulation plus reservoir/channel routing.
  • Hydraulic: water surface profiles, flow rates, and flow velocities through waterways, structures and pipes. Models that include Green Infrastructure typically also assess how the BMPs managage the water through inflow, infiltration, evapotranspiration, storage and discharge.
  • Combined Hydrologic & Hydraulic: rainfall-runoff results become input into hydraulic calculations.
  • Water Quality: pollutant loading to surface waters or pollutant removal in a BMP.
  • BMP Calculators: spreadsheets that predict BMP performance, only.

This table classifies common models by type of model. The information in this table can be download as an Excel file. Reference or links to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Link to this table.

Model or tool Rainfall-runoff calculation tool Hydrologic model Hydraulic model Combined hydrologic and hydraulic Water quality model BMP calculator
TR-55 X
Rational method (equation) X
HEC-1 X
HEC-HMS X
Win TR-55 (or TR-20 DOS version) X
Win TR-55 X
HydroCAD X
HEC-RAS X X
HEC-2 X
WSPRO X
CulvertMaster X
Flow Master X
PondPack X
EPA SWMM X X
PC SWMM X X
Info SWMM X X
XPSWMM X X
MIKE URBAN (SWMM or MOUSE) X X
ICPR X
InfoWorks ICM X X
Mike 11 X
CivilStorm X
MODRET X
WINSLAMM X
P8 X
BASINS X
QUAL2E/QUAL2K X
WinHSPF X X
LSPC X X
SWAT X X
PLOAD X
PondNet X
WASP X
WMM X
WARMF X X
SHSAM X
SUSTAIN X X
Virginia Runoff Reduction Method X
MapShed X
MIDS calculator X
EPA National Stormwater Calculator X
SELECT X
Center for Neighborhood Technology Green Values National Stormwater Management Calculator X
Metropolitan Council Stormwater Reuse Guide Excel Spreadsheet X
MCWD/MWMO Stormwater Reuse Calculator X
North Carolina State University Rainwater Harvesting Model X
i-Tree Streets X
i-Tree Hydro X
RECARGA X
SELDM X
MIDUSS X
QHM X
WWHM X
HY8 X
Hydraulic Toolbox X
SMS X
GWLF-E X
EPD-RIV1 X
CE-QUAL-RIV2 X
CE-QUAL-W2 X
Autodesk Civil 3D X X X


Summary of general information for models. The information in this table can be download as an Excel file (Note the links are not updated in the Excel file)
Link to this table.

Model or tool Input complexity Simulation type(s) Public domain Unsteady flow Type of water quality model Built-in BMPs TP TSS Volume Comment on use
TR-55 Low Event Yes Rainfall-Runoff Calculation Tools None No No Replaced by WinTR-55
Rational method (equation) Low Event Yes Rainfall-Runoff Calculation Tools None No No
HEC-1 Medium Yes Hydrologic Models None Replaced by HEC-HMS
HEC-HMS Medium Event or continuous Yes Hydrologic Models None No No
Win TR-55 (or TR-20 DOS version) Medium Event Yes Hydrologic Models None No No Propose to delete the TR-20 DOS version from the list
Win TR-55 Low Event Yes Hydrologic Models None No No
HydroCAD Medium Event No Hydrologic Models Detention ponds and storage chambers Yes Yes No It appears that HydroCAD can model ponds/storage and assess pollutant loadings, but not removal by BMPs
HEC-RAS Medium Event or continuous Yes Yes Receiving water, Hydraulic Models None Yes No
HEC-2 Medium Yes No Hydraulic Models None No No Replaced by HEC-RAS
WSPRO Medium Yes No Hydraulic Models None No No This is an old model and likely no longer used
CulvertMaster Low Event No No Hydraulic Models None No No
Flow Master Low Event No No Hydraulic Models None No No
PondPack Medium Event No No Detention ponds. PondPack can calculate first-flush volume and aid in designing for minimum drain time, but does not model pollutants No No No
EPA SWMM Medium/High Event or continuous Yes Yes Loading, Receiving Water (limited to first order decay) Low impact development BMPs including rain barrels, permeable pavers, vegetative swales, bioretention cells, infiltration trenches; traditional BMPs including detention basins, infiltration practices, wetlands, ponds. Yes Yes Yes
PC SWMM Medium/High Event or continuous No Yes Loading, Receiving Water (limited to first order decay) Low impact development BMPs including rain barrels, permeable pavers, vegetative swales, bioretention cells, infiltration trenches; traditional BMPs including detention basins, infiltration practices, wetlands, ponds. Yes Yes Yes
Info SWMM Medium/High Event or continuous No Yes Loading, Receiving Water (limited to first order decay) Low impact development BMPs including rain barrels, permeable pavers, vegetative swales, bioretention cells, infiltration trenches; traditional BMPs including detention basins, infiltration practices, wetlands, ponds. Yes Yes Yes
XPSWMM Medium/High Event or continuous No Yes Loading, Receiving Water (limited to first order decay) Rain gardens, green roofs, rain barrels, street sweeping, infiltration trenches, dry detention basins, wet ponds, swales, porous pavement, filter strips Yes Yes Yes
MIKE URBAN (SWMM or MOUSE) Medium/High Event or continuous No Yes Loading, Receiving Water (limited to first order decay) Low impact development BMPs including rain barrels, permeable pavers, vegetative swales, bioretention cells, infiltration trenches; traditional BMPs including detention basins, infiltration practices, wetlands, ponds. Yes Yes Yes
ICPR Medium Event No Ponds No No No Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
InfoWorks ICM High Event or continuous No Yes Yes Yes
Mike 11 Receiving water model
CivilStorm Medium Event No Yes Ponds, low impact development controls No No Yes
MODRET Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
WINSLAMM Medium Event/continuous for BMPs No BMP, Loading Grass swales, wet detention ponds, porous pavement, filter strips, cisterns and rain barrels, hydrodynamic settling devices, rain gardens/biofilters and street sweeping Yes Yes Yes
P8 Medium Event or continuous Yes BMP, Loading Detention ponds, infiltration basins, swales or buffer strips, and generalized devices Yes Yes Yes
BASINS Yes BASINS is a user interface to set up models in WinHSPF, SWAT, SWMM, PLOAD, and GLWF-E. These models are listed here separately.
QUAL2E/QUAL2K Medium Yes Receiving water None Yes Yes Receiving water model
WinHSPF High Event or continuous Yes Yes Loading, receiving water Nutrient management, Contouring, Terracing, Ponds, Wetlands; USEPA BMP Web Toolkit available to assist with implementing structural BMPs such as detention basins, or infiltration BMPs that represent source control facilities, which capture runoff from small impervious areas (e.g., parking lots or rooftops). Yes Yes Yes
LSPC High Event or continuous Yes Yes Loading, receiving water Though developed for HSPF, the USEPA BMP Web Toolkit can be used with LSPC to model structural BMPs such as detention basins, or infiltration BMPs that represent source control facilities, which capture runoff from small impervious areas (e.g., parking lots or rooftops). Yes Yes Yes
SWAT Medium/High Event or continuous Yes Yes Loading Model offers many agricultural BMPs and practices, but limited urban BMPs at this time. BMPs related to urban practices include detention basins, infiltration practices, vegetative filter strips, street sweeping, wetlands. Yes Yes Yes Limited use in urban areas
PLOAD Low Event Yes Loading User-defined practices with user-specified removal percentages Yes Yes No
PondNet Low Event Yes Loading Wet detention ponds Yes No Yes
WASP High Event or continuous Yes Receiving water None Yes Yes No Receiving water model
WMM Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
WARMF Event or continuous Yes Loading, receiving water
SHSAM Low Event No BMP Several flow-through structures including standard sumps, and proprietary systems such as CDS, Stormceptors, and Vortechs systems No Yes No
SUSTAIN Medium Event or continuous Yes Bioretention, cisterns, constructed wetlands, dry/wet ponds, swales, green roofs, infiltration basins, infiltration trenches, porous pavement, rain barrels, sand filters, filter strips Yes Yes Yes
Virginia Runoff Reduction Method Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
MapShed Medium Event Yes Loading, BMP Detention basins, vegetated buffer strips, stabilized streambanks, infiltration/bioretention, constructed wetlands, street sweeping Yes Yes Yes Region-specific input data not available for Minnesota but user can create this data for any region.
MIDS calculator Low Event Yes Green roof, bioretention basin (with and without underdrain), infiltration basin, permeable pavement, infiltration trench/tree box, dry swale, wet swale, sand filter, wetland, stormwater pond, user defined Yes Yes Yes
EPA National Stormwater Calculator Low Event or continuous Yes Disconnection, rain harvesting, rain gardens, green roofs, street planters, infiltration basins, porous pavement No No Yes
SELECT Low Event Yes Extended detention, bioretention, wetland basin, swale, permeable pavement, filter, and user-defined Yes Yes Yes
Center for Neighborhood Technology Green Values National Stormwater Management Calculator Low Event Yes Green roof, planter boxes, rain gardens, cisterns/rain barrels, native vegetation, filter strips, amended soil, swales, trees, permeable pavement No No Yes
Metropolitan Council Stormwater Reuse Guide Excel Spreadsheet Low Event Yes Computes storage volume for stormwater reuse systems No No Yes Uses 30-year precipitation data specific to Twin Cites region of Minnesota
MCWD/MWMO Stormwater Reuse Calculator Low Event Yes Computes storage volume for stormwater reuse systems No No Yes
North Carolina State University Rainwater Harvesting Model Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
i-Tree Streets Low Event Yes Trees No No Yes
i-Tree Hydro Low Event Yes Trees, watershed scale Yes Yes Yes NOTE: Beta version
RECARGA Low Event or continuous Yes Bioretention/rain garden and infiltration facilities No No Yes
SELDM Low Yes Stochastic Yes Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
MIDUSS Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
QHM Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
WWHM Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
HY8 Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
Hydraulic Toolbox Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
SMS Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
GWLF-E Replaced by MapShed
EPD-RIV1 Not believed to be a widely used model for stormwater/pollutant modeling
CE-QUAL-RIV2
CE-QUAL-W2 Receiving water model