Evaluación del modelo HEC-HMS para la simulación hidrológica de una cuenca de páramo

In this study, the performance of the HEC-HMS model was evaluated for the simulation of rain-runoff processes in a paramo basin of approximately 21.8 km², south of Ecuador. The calibration and validation comprise the period of July-2013 to June-2016 with daily data. The Soil Moisture Accounting (SMA) method was used to compute the water flow in the soil. For the rainfall distribution, the Thiessen method was used, while the Evapotranspiration was calculated with the Penman-Monteith equation. The results revealed that (1) 83% of the water infiltrates the soil while only 17% is retained in plants and the soil surface, (2) the water is retained for approximately 42 days before reaching the river and (3) that more than 60% of the flow corresponds to sub-surface flow.