TFMA Fall 2023

Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D
How to Review and Build 2D Models

1
 TFMA Fall 2023

Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D
How to Review and Build 2D Models

Workshop Agenda
Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Presentation Workshop
8:00 – 8:15 Check-in, Introductions, Setup
8:15 – 8:45 HEC-RAS Overview
8:45 – 10:00 Intro to RAS Mapper Workshop 1
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 12:00 Creating a 2D Flow Area Workshop 2
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 3:00 Adding Detail to a 2D Model Workshop 3
3:00 – 3:15 Break
3:15 – 4:30 Rain-on-grid Model Development Workshop 4
4:30 – 5:00 Questions & Discussion

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 Geometric Data Geometry (.g01)
Steady Flow Data

Quasi-Unsteady Data Flow

Unsteady Flow Data
(.f01, .q01, .u01)

Sediment Data
Model Inputs

Water Quality Data

Steady Flow Analysis

Unsteady Flow Analysis

Plan (.p01)
Sediment Transport Analysis

Water Quality Analysis

Hydraulic Design – Bridge Scour

RAS Mapper (.hdf)

Cross Section Plot

Profile Plot

General Profile Plot - Variables

Rating Curve

3D Viewer
Results

Stage and Flow Hydrograph

Breach Hydrograph

Hydraulic Property Tables

Cross Section Output

Profile Output

Errors, Warnings, Notes

DSS Data (1D results)

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 Introduction

HANDS-ON HEC-RAS 2D
TFMA Fall 2023
Jeremy D. Dixon, PE, CFM Gregory Mika, EIT, CFM
Nick Boardman, PE, CFM

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES… PRACTICAL RESULTS… OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Introduction

HEC-RAS Overview

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES… PRACTICAL RESULTS… OUTSTANDING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT OF HEC-RAS

1960s – 2010: 2014: 2019: 2022:

1990s: HEC-RAS HEC-RAS HEC-RAS HEC-RAS
HEC-2 4.1 5.0 Beta 5.0.7 6.2

1995: 2013: 2016: 2021: 2023:

HEC-RAS HEC-RAS HEC-RAS HEC-RAS HEC-RAS
1.0 4.2 Alpha 5.0 6.0 6.4.1
(2D) Release

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 Introduction

STEADY VS. UNSTEADY

Inflows Profile Dimensions

Q
Steady 1D

Unsteady 1D or 2D

1D MODELS
• Flow direction is upstream to downstream
• Modeler defines reach and cross section layout
• Flow travels perpendicular to cross sections

2D MODELS
• Flow direction varies by location
• Modeler defines grid/mesh parameters instead
of cross sections

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 Introduction

HEC-RAS 1D VS 2D
• When to use a 1D model:
o Flow doesn’t spread,
maintains single direction
o Well defined channels,
connected floodplains
o Scope, budget,
or data constraints

HEC-RAS 1D VS 2D
• When to use a 2D model:
o Relatively wide floodplains
o Significant
expansion/contraction
(narrow bridges)
o Urban areas; Levee
breaches; Wetlands,
estuaries
o Need detailed animations
of flood progression

COMBINED 1D/2D MODELS

• Why?
• Already have 1D model
• Most flow follows a 1D pattern
• Limited area of 2D interest
• Higher Q (500y, PMF, breach)
• Use rough 2D as intermediate
check for a 1D model

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 Introduction

UNIQUE ABILITIES OF RAS 1D & 2D

• RAS 1D
o Bridge modeling – added to 2D in RAS 6.0!
o Sediment transport – added to 2D in RAS 6.1!
o Water quality modeling
• RAS 2D
o More detailed hydraulic flow elements (eddies)
o Velocity perpendicular to main flow direction
o Momentum perpendicular to main flow direction
• Both can use RAS Mapper

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RAS MAPPER
• Import and edit terrains and geometry (streams, XS)
• Define terrain using XS, edit terrain
• View results, aerials, shapefiles

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FLOODPLAIN EXTENTS: 1D UNSTEADY

Lateral storage area

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7
 Introduction

FLOODPLAIN EXTENTS: 2D
Lateral 2D flow area

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REALITY CHECK

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REALITY CHECK

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8
 Introduction

REALITY CHECK

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RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
• HEC-RAS 5.0–5.0.7 improvements (2016–19)
o RAS Mapper
 New preprocessor, editing tools (stepping away from GeoRAS)
 2D mesh refinement regions
 Flow and volume hydrograph outputs
o Variable timestep
o Faster computations
o Internal boundary conditions
o Long culverts and rating curves for 2D connections

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RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
• HEC-RAS 6.0 (2020–2021) – 25 new features!
o Spatial precipitation and infiltration for 1D+2D
o Bridge hydraulics in 2D flow areas
o RAS Mapper editing and terrain modification tools
(goodbye, GeoRAS)
o 1D finite volume solver, new 2D solvers
o Wind forces for 1D+2D
o 2D sediment transport
o Speed, efficiency, and interface improvements
o And more

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 Introduction

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
• HEC-RAS 6.1 (2021)
o Riprap and scour calculator
o 2D sediment transport
o Inundation boundary editing & deficiency plot
o Model archive
o Watch layer value (when editing)
o Results map contours

https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/ras
docs/rasrn/hec-ras-6-1-new-features

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RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
• HEC-RAS 6.2 (2022)
o Horizontal Variation in Manning's n Values
o Mapping Render Mode Improvements
o USGS Terrain Download
o Sediment Rating Curve Analysis Tool
o Speed Improvements
o Unsteady Riprap Analysis

https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/ras
docs/rasrn/hec-ras-6-2-new-features

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RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
• HEC-RAS 6.3 (2022)
o Initial Conditions Water Surface Elevations
o Spatially Varied Downstream Boundary Conditions
o 2D Sediment Initialization Options
o 2D Local Approximation Equations

https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/ras
docs/rasrn/hec-ras-6-3-new-features

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 Introduction

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
• HEC-RAS 6.4 (2023)
o Unsteady Flow Encroachment Analysis (1D & 2D)
o Flow Optimization
o Atmospheric Pressure
o Composite Land Classification
o Additional Sediment features

https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/ras
docs/rasrn/hec-ras-6-4-new-features

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HEC-RAS 6: SPATIAL PRECIP/INFILTRATION

• Spatial precipitation/evapotranspiration added from
gridded DSS files or rasters (GRIB, NetCDF)
• Infiltration methods:
o Deficit-Constant
o SCS Curve Number
o Green/Ampt

• Infiltration layer
o Incorporates soils,
land cover, impervious cover
o Infiltration reduces excess rainfall (hydraulics results do
not “soak” through the mesh)

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HEC-RAS 6: BRIDGES IN 2D FLOW AREAS

• Defined as a normal 2D
area connection
• Family of bridge curves
computed just as in 1D
• Momentum is
transferred through
bridge openings

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 Introduction

HEC-RAS 6: RAS MAPPER ENHANCEMENTS

• 1D/2D geometry editing
features from RAS 5 are
complete
• Terrain modifications
o Modify terrain with shapes,
lines, and polygons
o Clone terrain without
creating new files
• RASter Calculator
o Create dynamic calculated
rasters based on results

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HEC-RAS 6: RAS MAPPER ENHANCEMENTS

• 3D viewer
o View results and follow
manual or automated
flight paths
• Google Earth exports

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HEC-RAS 6: NEW EQUATION SETS/SOLVERS

• 1D Computation
o Finite difference (only method before RAS 6)
o Finite volume (new, more stable, can go dry)
• 2D Computation
o Diffusion wave (default, faster, most stable)
o SWE-LIA (new, momentum without nonlinear advection)
o SWE-ELM (aka “full momentum,” more accurate)
o SWE-EM (new, explicit, most accurate)
• 2D Matrix Solvers
o PARDISO (default, direct solver, accurate)
o Iterative SOR (new, faster/less stable, best for <50k cells)
o Iterative FMGRES-SOR (new, faster/less stable)

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 Introduction

HEC-RAS 6: WIND AND PRESSURE FORCES

• Wind and Pressure
data entered in the
flow file
• Can be applied to
1D or 2D models
• Constant wind data
or gridded (DSS,
NetCDF or GRIB)

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WHAT’S COMING NEXT?

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WHAT’S COMING NEXT?

• HEC-RAS 7.0? and beyond
o Pressurized pipes (storm drains)
o Unified geometry/RAS Mapper interface
o Speed increases, GPU solver
o Terrain changes from sediment transport/breaches

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 Introduction

Introduction

HEC-RAS Overview

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES… PRACTICAL RESULTS… OUTSTANDING SERVICE

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 Session 1

Session 1

INTRO TO RAS MAPPER

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES…PRACTICAL RESULTS…OUTSTANDING SERVICE

INTRODUCTION TO RAS MAPPER

GEOSPATIAL DATA
• Locate model in the ‘real world’
o Display aerials and shapefiles
• Understand complicated topographic features
o Import and modify terrain(s) and visualize features
• Visualize results, generate maps
o Validate and confirm 1D & 2D flood results
• Build model from scratch
o Streamline, banks, flowpaths, cross sections
o Manning’s n, ineffective, blocked obstruction

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 Session 1

HISTORY
• HEC-GeoRAS, Version 1.0 -
March 1999
o Last version compatible
with ArcGIS 10.2
• Transition to RAS Mapper
o Original RAS Mapper
versions were limited
o V5 – Add terrain, edit,
visualize results
o V6 – Edit terrain, full
geometry building,
infiltration

RAS MAPPER
• Powerful tool for processing
output data
• Produces dynamic spatial
and tabular results
• Export spatial results to GIS
• Raw output data stored in
.hdf files (similar to .dss)

RAS MAPPER
• Views
• Hover queries
• Time Series
• Layer display properties
• Dynamic vs. stored results
• Particle tracing
• Profile lines
• Reference Points, Lines, and
Polygons

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 Session 1

RAS MAPPER
• Views tab on the bottom left
• Save current view location, zoom to it later

HOVER QUERIES
• Turn on the max depth and click the title so it
turns pink
• Hover over the raster to check spot depths

HOVER QUERIES
• Layer Values: multiple results
• Select result layer and add to Layer Values

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 Session 1

TIME SERIES OPTIONS

• Water Surface Elevation • Cell Water Surface
• Velocity • Face Point Velocity
• Depth • Face Normal Velocity
• Courant • Face Flow
• Sediment • Face Shear Stress

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LAYER PROPERTIES
• Right-click a results layer, choose Layer properties

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LAYER PROPERTIES
• Plot 2D Hydraulic Connectivity – flow patterns
based on preprocessor results
• Plot 2D Water Surface Gradient –WSEL high to low
• Draw Map Values – adds labels to each cell
• Draw Perpendicular Face Velocity – labels
individual cell face velocities at one timestep
• Draw True Face Velocities – interpolated
• Face Low-Elevation Centroid – adds a red point to
each cell face’s flowline
• Display Arrival Times as Dates
• Plot Model Boundary Deficiencies
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 Session 1

RENDER MODE
• Tools > Options >
Render Mode
• Multiple
different modes,
depending on
purpose

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RENDER MODE
• Tools > Options > Render Mode
• Sloping (Cell Corners), Sloping (Cell Corners +
Cell Faces), and Horizontal modes
• Plot Tolerance allows you to hide shallow
flooding depths

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DYNAMIC VS STORED MAPS

• Most results are shown dynamically by default –
generated in memory to save time
• Results can also be saved to disk for use in GIS
• Right-click the bold Results item in the table of
contents, choose “Manage Results Maps”
(Can also right-click a single plan name)

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 Session 1

DYNAMIC VS STORED MAPS

• Map maximum, minimum, single timestep
• Map dynamic or stored (saved to disk)

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DYNAMIC VS STORED MAPS

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DYNAMIC VS STORED MAPS

• After creating a stored map, select it and choose
“Compute/Update Stored Maps”
• Maps created using Render Mode Options
selected, including depth filter

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 Session 1

DYNAMIC VS STORED MAPS

• Stored results are saved in your RAS model
folder, under a subfolder named for your plan

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DYNAMIC VS STORED MAPS

• Batch run:

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INUNDATION BOUNDARY
• Inundation boundary layers are stored
shapefiles only (not dynamic)

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 Session 1

DYNAMIC SYMBOLOGY

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PARTICLE TRACING
• Shows conceptual flowpaths
• Requires velocity layer displayed at a certain
timestep, not max profile

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VELOCITY ARROWS
• Draws static arrows on a velocity layer

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 Session 1

SHEAR STRESS
• Create a new dynamic results map of Shear
Stress (requires some additional post-processing
of results).
• Go to the layer properties and switch the
stretched symbology to discrete. Pick a
threshold and label values above that as red.

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RASTER CALCULATOR

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PROFILE LINES
• Added in a similar way to Views
• Draw a line along a flowpath (profile line) or
cross section
• Plot terrain, WSE, velocity, any numeric value
• Calculate flow through line or volume
accumulation

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 Session 1

PROFILE LINES

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PROFILE LINES

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PROFILE LINES

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 Session 1

PROFILE LINES

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PROFILE LINES

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PROFILE LINES

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 Session 1

HDFVIEW
• RAS stores all results (1D and 2D) in HDF files
• Similar to DSS, more efficient with large datasets
• Will replace old output files (.o01, .o02, etc.)

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HDFVIEW

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3D RESULTS

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 Session 1

OTHER STABILITY CHECKS

• Log results (% error)
• Runtime messages
• Cumulative iteration
• Max Water Surface Error
• Max velocity map (hotspots)
• Courant
• WSE raster with “update per screen” checked.

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WORKSHOP #1

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

WORKSHOP 1
Intro to RAS Mapper

Objective: Explore and experiment with the numerous ways of processing HEC-RAS 2D results.

1. Open HEC-RAS 6.4.1 Select Help > Download Example Projects … Navigate to the location
where the example projects were installed, and extract them.
e.g. (C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\HEC Data\HEC-RAS\Example Projects\2D Unsteady
Flow Hydraulics).
Copy the entire “2D Unsteady Flow Hydraulics” folder to a working folder on your C: drive such
as C:\RAS\Workshop\.

2. Within HEC-RAS 6.4.1, open the Bald Eagle Creek project from your working C: drive location
in Step 1. Open the Unsteady Flow Analysis window by clicking Run -> Unsteady Flow Analysis
or the icon. Open the “2D to 1D No Dam” plan (.p17). Compute the plan. Note: This may take
a long time.

3. Open RAS Mapper (see map icon circled in red below). Click the Views tab on the bottom left.
Zoom to different parts of the model. The river flows generally west to east, with Sayers Dam
just southwest of the 2D area. Create a view location for Sayers Dam and any other areas of
interest. Double-click the views to automatically zoom to that location.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

4. Inside the Layer Tree, expand the Results/2D to 1D No Dam run. Turn on the Depth (Max) layer
and click the title so that it turns pink. Hover over the raster to query this layer and check spot
depths. What is the highest depth in the 2D Area? 1D XS? Storage Areas?

5. In the RAS Mapper window, animate the Depth layer by clicking the horizontal scrollbar at the
top of the RAS Mapper window. Compare the depths shown at each timestep with the flows
plotted from the Unsteady Flow window. When you are finished, click the Max button to restore
the maximum depth.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

6. Right-click the Depth (Max) layer and choose Layer Properties.

a. Experiment with changing the color ramp and transparency.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

b. Experiment with the checkboxes for Plot 2D Hydraulic Connectivity, Draw Map Values,
and Face Low-Elevation Centroid. (Draw Perpendicular Face Velocity only works on
velocity layers.)

c. Check “Plot Contours” and choose an interval, for example 2 ft or 5 ft. Return to the
main RAS Mapper window and hover over the Depth layer on either side of a contour
to confirm the contour interval. (Note that contours can also be plotted on terrain
layers, or on any RAS mapper raster layer.)

7. Return to the main RAS Mapper window and right-click the WSE (Max) layer and choose Layer
Properties.

a. Experiment with changing the “Update Legend with View” and move around the map

b. Check “Plot Contours” and choose an interval, for example 2 ft or 5 ft. Return to the
main RAS Mapper window and hover over the Depth layer on either side of a contour
to confirm the contour interval. (Note that contours can also be plotted on terrain
layers, or on any RAS mapper raster layer.)

c. Bonus: Uncheck “Plot Contours”, and from the Additional Options select “Plot Contour
At Cursor”. What is this doing? When finished, unselect this option.

8. Return to the main RAS Mapper window and turn on the depth layer. Choose Render Mode
Options from the Tools –> Options menu, or click the blue stairstep icon.

a. Switch between Sloping (Cell Corners), Sloping (Cell Corners + Face Corners), and
Horizontal modes and examine the effects on the rendering of the depth layer. Based
on these results, are the cells appropriately sized? Why or why not?

b. Set a mapping threshold of 1 ft and examine the max depths. How does this setting
affect what depths are displayed?

9. Now, create a version of the Depth (Max) layer that is stored to disk. Right-click the bold Results
item in the table of contents and choose “Manage Results Maps” (you can also right-click a
single plan name).

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

a. Under “2D to 1D No Dam”, click the “Add New Map” button.

b. Choose a Depth map, Maximum profile. Since we already have a dynamic map, choose
a stored “Raster based on Terrain” map and click “Add Map.”

c. The new stored map should display in the table of contents with a blue floppy disk icon
next to it. Right-click the new stored map and choose “Compute/Update Stored Map.”
Watch the progress bar as RAS writes the results out to disk.

d. In Windows File Explorer, open the Workshop folder and look inside the “2D to 1D No
Dam” subfolder. Which files did RAS create? How do they differ?

e. (Optional) If you have ArcMap or other GIS software installed, open a new blank map.
Add the .tif and .vrt files to the map and compare them.

f. (Optional) Open the .vrt file using Notepad to examine its contents and what files it
refers to.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

10. In RAS Mapper, animate the depth results and pick two timesteps representing a scenario or
two you want to compare. Create stored depth rasters for each of these timesteps.

a. Open “Manage Results Maps” again, and under “2D to 1D No Dam” click “Add New
Map.”

b. Choose a Depth map and pick the timestep you are interested in. Create a stored raster
of this timestep.

c. Repeat for another timestep.

d. In the “Manage Results Maps” window, select all the stored maps by ctrl+clicking them
and then press the “Compute/Update Stored Maps” button to compute them all at
once.

11. From “Manage Results Maps,” create a new inundation boundary layer. Note that these layers
are polygons rather than rasters, and they are stored, not dynamic. Remember to right-click
and Compute/Update Stored Maps.

a. Compare the inundation boundary to the max depth raster.

b. In Windows File Explorer, open the Workshop folder and look inside the “2D to 1D No
Dam” subfolder. Which files did RAS create?

c. (Optional) Add the inundation boundary to a blank GIS map.

12. Turn on the dynamic velocity layer and look at the maximum velocities. Use the horizontal
scrollbar to skip to a certain timestep.

a. Enable particle trace and play with the options in the Velocity Settings window.

b. Enable velocity arrows and play with the options in the Velocity Settings window.

13. From “Manage Results Maps,” create a new shear stress layer. Using Layer Properties, switch
the stretched symbology to discrete. Edit the threshold (for example, 5 lb/sq ft) and symbolize
values above that as red.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

14. Turn on the WSE layer and activate it. Right-click a cell in an interesting area and choose Plot
Time Series > WSE.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

15. Using the Profile Lines tab at the bottom left of the RAS Mapper screen, add channel profile
lines along the spillway channel. With the WSE layer turned on, right click the name of the
profile line, or the line itself, and choose Plot Profile (Fast) > WSE. Click on the Table tab to see
tabular results. (Optional) Try out the Plot Profile (Detailed) option and compare to the “Fast”
option. Are there any differences?

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

16. Add profile lines representing cross sections perpendicular to one of the spillway channels.
Turn on the WSE layer. Plot the water surface elevation. Hover over the lines in the profile to
spot-check their values.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 1

17. Create a new Calculated Layer from the Tools drop down. Select the Compare WSE Script and
update the WSE layers to compare the 2D to 1D No Dam and the 1D-2D Refined Grid Max
profile results. Note: It may be necessary to run the plans to see results.

18. BONUS: Open the 3D Results Viewer and explore.

19. BONUS: Review the Stability Checks layers.

a. Log results (% error) – View from the Unsteady Flow Analysis plan window.

b. Runtime messages – View from the Unsteady Flow Analysis plan window.

c. Max velocity map – Review for hot spots in velocity.

d. Courant – Add the layer to RASMapper and determine if the timestep used is
appropriate.

e. Add a Maximum Water Surface Error layer – what is the maximum value?

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 Session 2

Session 2

CREATING A 2D FLOW
AREA

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES…PRACTICAL RESULTS…OUTSTANDING SERVICE

2D MESH

2D MESH DEVELOPMENT
Study Area Extents Land Cover Topography
 2D Area Perimeter  Classification Polygons  Terrain Modifications
 2D Area Cell Size  Manning’s n-values  High ground
 Channels

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 Session 2

CELL MODEL
The computational cell faces
control the flow movement
from cell to cell.

CELL MODEL
Default 2D Cell Size

 Refine cell size based on

level of detail.

 Aim for a good balance

between amount of detail
and computation points.

CELL RULES
• Exactly 1 cell center per cell
• ≤8 sides per cell
• ≤1 external boundary per cell
• Cell faces exist within cell

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 Session 2

CELL ERRORS
• To fix:
o Add/move cell
center points
o Smooth sharp
corners
o Change cell spacing
o Draw breaklines,
adjust spacing along
breaklines, and
remesh

HYDRAULIC PROPERTY TABLES

• Analogous to 1D RAS’ HTabs
• Computed at each cell ahead of time for speed

HYDRAULIC PROPERTY TABLES

• Cell table:
o Volume-Elevation
• Face tables:
o Area-Elevation
o Wetted Perimeter-
Elevation
o Manning’s n-
Elevation
o Conveyance-
Elevation

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 Session 2

HYDRAULIC PROPERTY TABLES

Constant Manning’s n-values
n = 0.04

Shrubs-Scrub Channel Shrubs-Scrub

n = 0.16 n = 0.04 n = 0.16
Elevation

n - value
n = 0.16

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HYDRAULIC PROPERTY TABLES

Spatially varied manning’s n-values
Available HEC-RAS Version 6.2

Shrubs-Scrub Channel Shrubs-Scrub

n = 0.16 n = 0.04 n = 0.16
Elevation

0.04 n - value 0.16

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CELL ROUGHNESS

Source: Australian Rainfall & Runoff Revision Projects, Project 15: Two
Dimensional Modelling in Urban and Rural Floodplains, November 2012

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 Session 2

CELL ROUGHNESS (SHALLOW)

Manning’s n Values
for Shallow Flow
Conditions

Source: FLO-2D Reference Manual,

FLO-2D Software, 2012

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DEFINE 2D FLOW AREA

• Input data:
o Terrain raster(s) – required
o Land cover shapefile or raster – optional
o Soil or infiltration shapefile or raster – optional
• Import to RAS Mapper and associate with
geometry

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DATA SOURCES
• National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD)

https://www.mrlc.gov/data?f%5B0%5D=category%3Aland%20cover&f%5B1%5D=region%3Aconus

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 Session 2

DATA SOURCES
• TNRIS Lidar

https://tnris.org/stratmap/elevation-lidar/

16

DATA SOURCES
• Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO)

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

17

DATA SOURCES
• USGS Terrain Download

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 Session 2

DATA SOURCES
• Creating a New Terrain

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DEFINE 2D FLOW AREA

• Use 2D Flow Area button to draw the area:

20

DEFINE 2D FLOW AREA

• Click and edit the area:

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 Session 2

DEFINE 2D FLOW AREA

• Generate cell centers
• Edit n values, enforce breaklines, recompute the
mesh, and access cell center table

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CELL BREAKLINES
• Cell faces should align with ridges/high points:

Cell has two low points on either side of

ridge, allowing flow to “leak” through

Ridge

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CELL BREAKLINES
• Draw 2D Area Break Lines and enforce:

Each cell adjacent to breakline only has

one low point, meaning cell must fill
entirely before overtopping ridge

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 Session 2

REFINEMENT REGIONS
• Draw Refinement Regions in RAS Mapper to
enforce an area with different cell spacing

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REFINEMENT REGIONS
• Edit Cell Size and other region parameters in the
Attribute Table

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REFINEMENT REGIONS
• After enforcing the Region, Stop Editing to save
and apply to the geometry

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 Session 2

BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
• By default, 2D flow areas assume a vertical wall
• Draw boundary condition lines:
o Normal depth, rating curve, flow/stage hydrograph
o Rainfall/excess runoff hyetograph (“Precipitation”)
o 1D/2D area connection, storage area connection
• Internal Boundary Conditions (stage or flow
hydrographs only)

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2D AREA CONNECTIONS

• Originally used to connect two storage areas

• Can now use to connect two 2D flow areas
• Can also use as an internal 2D area
connection in a single 2D flow area
o Weir with Culvert, Gates, Rating Curve
o Bridge

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2D AREA CONNECTIONS
• Add bridges/culverts to the middle of a mesh

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 Session 2

DEFINING 2D FLOW AREAS

Geometry Editor RAS Mapper
Draw boundary ✔ ✔
Import boundary ❌ ✔
Create Cell Centers ✔ ✔
Draw/Enforce Breaklines ✔ ✔
Draw 2D Area Connections ✔ ✔
Define Connection Parameters ✔ ❌
Draw Refinement Regions ❌ ✔
Draw Boundary Condition Lines ✔ ✔
Undo Edits ❌ ✔

31

WORKSHOP #2

32

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

WORKSHOP 2
Creating a 2D Flow Area

Objective: Draw a 2D flow area, experiment with breaklines and cell spacing, and add an internal 2D
area connection for modeling a culvert.

1. Create a working copy of the Muncie Folder in the Example Projects Directory (Documents\HEC
Data\HEC-RAS 6\Example Projects\2D Unsteady Flow Hydraulics\Muncie). For example, copy
and paste the “Muncie” folder to your Desktop and rename it to “Muncie Workshop 2.”

2. Using HEC-RAS version 6.4.1, click File, Open, then browse to your new “Muncie Workshop 2”
folder and open the model named Muncie.prj.

3. Open RAS Mapper from the main HEC-RAS window.

a. First, make sure the projection is set to NAD83 Indiana State Plane East. Click Project
> Set Projection, then check that the Definition is correct.

4. We will create a new terrain using the available terrain files. On the left of the RAS Mapper
window, scroll down to Terrains, right click Terrains, and click Create a New RAS Terrain.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

5. In the “New Terrain Layer” window, follow these steps and refer to the image below.

a. Click the + button (1) to add the necessary files. In this case, we will be loading files
from an existing terrain, located in the Muncie\Terrain\ folder. The files to add are
TerrainWithChannel.muncie_clip.tif and TerrainWithChannel.ChannelOnly.tif*.
b. Make sure “ChannelOnly.tif” is higher in the list than “Muncie_clip.tif” using the up and
down arrow buttons. This indicates that channel terrain values will override the base
topography where they overlap. Note that the Cell Size for both inputs is 5 ft. (2)
c. Check the Rounding (Precision) value. 1/32, or ±0.016, is typically sufficient (3).
d. Since we are not applying a vertical conversion, select “No Conversion” (4).
e. Note: There is no need to check “Merge Inputs to Single Raster.” HEC-RAS will create
.hdf and .vrt files that prioritize the two source rasters without creating a new .tif.
f. Click the folder icon, call this terrain “NewTerrain” and save it in the Terrain folder (5).

*Note: these file names begin with “TerrainWithChannel” because they are associated
with the TerrainWithChannel Terrain.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

6. Click Create to create the Terrain. The process is quick and will create the “NewTerrain.hdf”
within seconds.

7. We will next create a new Land Cover using the available Land Cover files. Right-click Map
Layers and click Create a New RAS Layer > Land Cover Layer.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

8. Click the + Button to add the necessary files. In this case, we will be loading reference
shapefiles, located in the “LandCover” subfolder of the Muncie model. The files to add are
Land_Classification.shp and g40084.shp.

a. First, check that the Import Extents (1) is compatible with the desired output. In this
case, we will select “Terrains”. This will create a Land Cover no larger than the largest
Terrain file associated with the project.
b. The Input Files selected (2) will show projection, how many polygons are included in
the extents, a Naming Standard, if applicable, and the Name Field used to define each
class. Check that Land_Classification is on top, overriding g40084. If not, use the
up/down arrows to move Land_Classification to the top.
c. When each Input File is selected, the Unique Classification Names for Selected File (3)
will change to show only those values classified by that input file. These can also be
edited as needed. For the purposes of this workshop, we will be combining some of
these classifications to simplify.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

d. Select Land_Classification.shp and rename the land

use classifications as follows:

- Reclassify “Medium Density Residential” to “Urban”

- Reclassify “Park” to “Open Space.”

e. Select g40084.shp and rename the land use

classifications as follows:
- Reclassify “Cropland and pasture”, “Transitional
areas”, “Strip mines, quarries and gravel pits”, and
“Reservoirs” to “Open Space”
- Reclassify “Transportation, communications and
services” to “Roads”
- Reclassify “Industrial and commercial complexes” and
“Commercial Services” to “Industrial”
- Reclassify “Residential”, “Mixed urban or built-up land”
and “Other urban or built-up land” to “Urban”

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

f. The Output File (4) shows all the unique classifications in the new Land Cover file.
g. Update Cell Size (5) to 10 feet for this scenario.
h. Click the folder icon, call this “NewLandCover” (6) and save it to the LandCover folder.
i. Click Create to create the Land Cover file. The process is quick and will create the
“NewLandCover.hdf” within seconds.

9. In RAS Mapper, right click Geometries and Click Create New Geometry. We will call this new
Geometry: “Muncie 2D Only”.

10. Now that we have a Terrain, a Geometry, and a Land Cover, we’ll associate the geometry
“Muncie 2D Only” to the terrain “NewTerrain” and the Land Cover “NewLandCover”. Right click
Geometries and click “Manage Geometry Associations.” For the Geometry “Muncie 2D Only”,
assign the Terrain “NewTerrain” and the Manning’s n “NewLandCover”.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

11. In RAS Mapper, scroll down to Map Layers. Right-click Map Layers, click Reference Layers >
Add Reference Layer, browse to the “NLD” subfolder of the model, and add the shapefile
“Muncie_LFPP_South_ LeveedArea.shp”. This is the minimal area we want to capture in the
2D mesh.

12. Under Geometries, expand the Muncie 2D Only layer group, then right click and select Edit
Geometry. Now that the geometry is being edited, all empty layers are shown. We will copy the
Muncie_LFPP_South_LeveedArea feature into the Perimeters layer.

a. In the Table of Contents, left-click the Muncie_LFPP_South_LeveedArea layer to

activate it. Try right -clicking and select Copy All Features. Another option is to use the
cursor tool to select the feature in the map, then right-click and choose Copy Selected
Feature.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

b. Scroll up to the Muncie 2D Only > 2D Flow Areas > Perimeters layer, then right-click it
and select Paste Features.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

13. Right-click the Perimeter feature in the map, then select Geospatial Operations > Buffer
Polygon. We will buffer by 2000 feet to include our channel.

This generates a polygon with many points around the perimeter. (A perimeter with many
points can sometimes cause problems in meshing. You likely don’t need to filter the boundary
points for this workshop, but if you like, you can try it by right-clicking the perimeter and
choosing Filter Polygon.)

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

14. Select the Perimeter feature again, right click it, and select “Edit 2D Area Properties.” Enter a
computation point spacing of 300 ft by 300 ft and click “Generate Computation Points.” You
can try multiple iterations for a cell spacing you feel captures a reasonable amount of detail.
When finished, right click the Perimeters layer, choose Stop Editing, and save edits to the
perimeter.

If there are any issues with the mesh, the cell center will be highlighted red and a warning will
appear in the lower left corner of the window. This typically means the perimeter needs to be
adjusted or simplified or the point spacing is too large.

15. Next, we will add boundary conditions lines to apply inflow hydrographs and allow flow to leave
the system. Under Geometries, right click Muncie 2D Only, and select Edit Geometry. Left click
the Boundary Condition Lines layer to activate it. We will draw 3 Boundary Condition Lines.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

a. White River Inflow: At the upstream (east) end of the model, draw a line using the Add
New Feature tool. Click to place the vertices fully outside the 2D Area, left to right
looking downstream. Double click to stop drawing and enter the name of the BC Line.
We will call this one White River Inflow.

b. Muncie Creek Inflow: At the upstream (north) end of the tributary inflow to the middle
of the stream, draw another line fully outside the 2D Area. We will call this Muncie
Creek Inflow.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

c. White River Outflow: At the downstream (west) end of the 2D area, draw another line,
fully outside the 2D area. This line represents the outflow boundary condition, which
we will call White River Outflow. Since this is an outflow boundary, it should be
sufficiently long to not allow an artificial outflow barrier.

d. Right click Boundary Condition Lines and choose Stop Editing. Save your edits when
prompted.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

16. To facilitate breakline additions, we need to change the terrain symbology to automatically
update based on the range of values shown on screen. Scroll down to Terrains, right-click
Terrains > NewTerrain and click “Image Display Properties”. In the Surface area of the layer
properties, check the box to “Update Legend with View”.

17. Under Geometries > Muncie 2D Only > 2D Flow Areas, right click “Breaklines” and click “Edit
Geometry”.
a. Create breaklines that trace the approximate location of the levees contained in
“NLD\Muncie_LFPP_South_Floodwall.shp” and “NLD\Muncie_LFPP_South_
CenterLine.shp.” You can add these under Map Layers for reference, or just trace along
the high point of the left bank of the White River as shown in the LeveedArea shapefile.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

b. Next, scan the terrain and add more breaklines for other important features that limit
flows in the White River or Muncie Creek, such as roads or high ridges:

c. Adding breaklines does not automatically recalculate the mesh, so right click the
Perimeters Layer and click Edit 2D Area Properties again. Try a point spacing of 100 x
100 ft and click Generate Computation Points with All Breaklines again. Review the
mesh and if features look reasonable, Stop Editing and save your edits.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

18. We need to add a culvert connection on Muncie Creek. The ground model is not very detailed,
so we will make some assumptions to get the model to work. Terrain Edits will be covered in
Workshop 3. To demonstrate more of HEC-RAS’ functionality, we will use the Geometry Editor
instead of RAS Mapper.

Close RAS Mapper and open the Geometry Data window from the main HEC-RAS window. The
open geometry may not match the geometry we just created. Choose File > Open Geometry
Data and pick our “Muncie 2D Only” geometry file.

a. If you would like to see the underlying terrain beneath the 2D flow area, you can
remove the green background. From the Geometry window, click View > View Options
and uncheck “Fill in Storage Areas/2D Flow Areas.”

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

19. In the Geometry Data window, use the “SA/2D Area Conn(ection)” button to trace an alignment
of Highland Avenue over Muncie Creek from east to west (left-to-right looking downstream).
Follow the approximate alignment shown below. When prompted, name it “Highland Ave.”

This will establish a new internal connection in the 2D flow area, although the breakline will
not be enforced initially. After it is drawn, click it and select “Enforce Internal Connection as a
Breakline in 2D Area” (1). Then, click the connection again and choose “Edit Connection.” (2)

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

20. You should be able to see the terrain profile along the connection alignment. Click the “Cut
profile from terrain…” button (1). The terrain profile will automatically be applied to the
Weir/Embankment Table (2).

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

21. Return to the connection data

editor window and click the
Weir/Embankment button.
Enter the Weir Width of the
road (36 feet) and check the
weir coefficient (default value
of 3). Click the “Filter…”
button and filter the table to
20 points. Then manually edit
the elevations to a minimum
value of 946.

22. Return to the connection data

editor window and click the
“Culvert” button. Enter the
following parameters. This will
add a 96” RCP culvert
beneath the roadway.

Note that because of some issues with the underlying terrain, we are manually setting the X
and Y coordinates for the culvert inlet and outlet under “Barrel GIS Data” as shown. This trick
will place the culvert inlet and outlet at the low points of the terrain and create a more stable
model. If these were the actual culvert inlet and outlet points, the culvert would be 645 feet
long, but we can still set the culvert length to 100 ft for hydraulic calculations.

Instead of manually typing in the X and Y coordinates shown below, you can hold the Ctrl key
in the geometry window to trigger the measuring tool, then click at your desired upstream and
downstream culvert flowline locations. This will bring up a length measurement as well as the
start and end X and Y coordinates. You can copy and paste these into the Barrel GIS Data.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

23. In the Geometry Editor window, click somewhere in your Perimeter 1 mesh and select “Edit 2D
Flow Area”.

Since we want to include the new culvert in the mesh, click the “Generate Computation Points
on Regular Interval with All Breaklines…” button. Address any mesh errors, as needed.

24. Save the Geometry, close the Geometry Editor, and open RAS Mapper again.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

25. In RAS Mapper, under Map Layers, right click the NewLandCover layer and select “Edit Land
Cover Data Table”. Populate n values, as desired. These are somewhat randomly selected for
this workshop. In practice, use values according to the reference material of your choice.

26. Next, we will assign boundary conditions before running our model. In the main HEC-RAS
window, check that the “Muncie 2D Only” geometry file is open. Then, click the Unsteady Flow
Editor button, and click File > New Unsteady Flow Data. Name it “Muncie 2D Flow.”

a. Click the empty Boundary Condition next to “Muncie Creek Inflow” and then click the
“Flow Hydrograph” button to assign a flow hydrograph to this boundary condition line.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

Set the Data time interval to “6 Hour” and enter the flow ordinates shown below. Note
that the required energy grade slope for distributing flow across the BC line is required,
and we are setting this to 0.001.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

b. Use the same procedure to assign this flow hydrograph to the BCLine “White River
Inflow”:

c. For the “White River Outflow” BC Line, use the “Normal Depth” button to assign a
normal depth boundary condition with a friction slope of 0.001:

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

27. In the main HEC-RAS window, check that the geometry file “Muncie 2D Only” and flow file
“Muncie 2D Flow” are both open.

Next, click the Unsteady Flow Analysis icon and enter the run parameters shown below:

Make sure the Geometry File is set to “Muncie 2D Only” and the Unsteady Flow File is set to
“Muncie 2D Flow”. Click File > Save Plan As… and name it “Workshop 2” with the Short ID
“Workshop 2”:

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

28. We have all the necessary files to run the simulation now, so click the Compute button in the
Unsteady Flow Analysis window. The duration of the simulation will depend on the resolution
of your mesh and the speed of your computer, but for this model it should be no longer than 5
minutes.

You may see an error that “the SA 2D connection at Highland Ave has a weir elevation lower
than the cells they are connected to.” To fix this, open the Geometry Editor window, left-click
Highland Ave, and choose Edit Connection. The weir profile will show the connected 2D cell
minimum elevations in black. A spillway elevation lower than one of these cell elevations can
trigger this error. To fix it, just click the Clip Weir Profile to 2D Cells… button, using the default
value of 0.1 feet. Then try running your model again.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

A successful run should end with this window:

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 2

BONUS 1: Breaking the mesh in the Geometry Editor

29. Zoom to any part of the mesh boundary, ideally a corner location. For this example, I am picking
this spot, just east of the Muncie Creek Inflow.

30. Zoom in very close and click Edit > “Move Points/Objects”. Using the mouse, click and drag a
mesh boundary point to create a sharp concavity. Then, to exit editing mode click Edit > “Move
Points/Objects” again. Then regenerate the mesh. Once complete, any errant cells will be
highlighted red, with the associated warning showing in the bottom left corner of the screen.

31. These types of errors have been greatly reduced with improved meshing algorithms in new
versions of RAS, but are still possible. To resolve, simplify the geometry by removing the extra
point and creating a smooth mesh boundary. Click Edit > “Remove Points”, and click the
boundary point to be removed. To exit editing mode, click Edit > “Remove Points” again.
Without regenerating the mesh, the problem is resolved, but it is a best practice to regenerate
the mesh after any boundary edits.

BONUS 2: Reviewing Mesh Properties

32. In RAS Mapper, zoom to an area of the mesh that looks interesting and right-click a cell. Explore
the menus. Choose Plot Property Table -> Cell: Volume-Elevation to see the cell’s storage curve.

33. In RAS Mapper, right-click a cell face and explore the menus. Choose Face: Profile to see a
station-elevation plot of the cell face. Plot the other face tables.

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 Session 3

Session 3

ADDING DETAIL
TO A 2D MODEL

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES…PRACTICAL RESULTS…OUTSTANDING SERVICE

2D AREA CONNECTIONS

• Originally used to connect two storage areas

• Can now use to connect two 2D flow areas
• Can also use as an internal 2D area
connection in a single 2D flow area
o Weir
o Weir and Culvert
o Weir and Gates
o Bridges – new in v6.0

2D AREA CONNECTIONS
• Add structures to the middle of a mesh – same
as storage area connections from RAS 1D

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 Session 3

2D AREA CONNECTIONS
• Bridge Hydraulics within 2D (new in v6.0)
• Add just like normal SA/2D connection
• Bridge geometry processed into family of curves
like 1D
• Same inputs as 1D - deck, piers, manning’s
roughness, ineffective areas, HTABs, etc.

2D AREA CONNECTIONS

2D AREA CONNECTIONS

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 Session 3

2D AREA CONNECTIONS

2D AREA CONNECTIONS

LATERAL STRUCTURES
• Connect a 1D reach to other
1D reaches, storage areas,
or 2D flow areas
• Can include gates or
culverts
• Can be breached
• Lateral structure profile
must be higher than
adjacent 2D cells

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 Session 3

LATERAL STRUCTURES

10

LATERAL STRUCTURES
• Consider real-world geometry represented by the
lateral weir

11

INLINE CONNECTIONS
• 1D reaches can connect directly to a 2D flow area
• For stability, last 1D section should match terrain

12

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 Session 3

INLINE CONNECTIONS
• 1D reach + upstream 2D flow area:
No special requirements
• 1D reach + downstream 2D flow area:
Requires initial conditions ramp-up

13

1D/2D ITERATIONS
• By default, RAS doesn’t iterate between 1D/2D
• Enable in plan options

14

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Terrain modifications made simple with RASMapper in v6.0
o Modifications in RAS Mapper
 Shapes – Circle, Rectangle, Triangle, Elongated Pier
 Lines – High Ground, Channel
 Polygons – Multipoint, Rectangle
o Channels, Levees, Ponds, Roads, etc.
o Virtual Clones

15

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 Session 3

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Quickly build levees or channels using high ground or channel
modifications

• Control cross section (top/bottom width, extents, side slopes)

• Control station-elevation along profile

16

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Fill “High Ground”

17

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Fill “High Ground”

18

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 Session 3

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Fill “High Ground” + Control Points

19

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Plot Terrain: Preview XS

20

TERRAIN MODIFICATION
• Modification layers can
take GIS shapefiles as
inputs

21

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 Session 3

UNSTEADY PLAN FILE

• Programs to Run
o Geometry
Preprocessor
o Unsteady Flow
o Post Processor
o Floodplain Mapping
regenerates stored
rasters
• Mixed Flow Regime
o No longer needed
for 2D runs, only 1D

22

MODEL RUN TIME

• Mesh cell size, extents
o Consider larger cells,
with breaklines at
critical locations
o Reduce total area
after initial run
• Equation Set
o Diffusion Wave faster and more stable than SWE-ELM
o Compute both, use SWE-ELM if different

• Speed Improvements in v6.0 – 2D models are 20-50% faster

23

TIME STEP - COURANT NUMBER

• Relationship between velocity, cell spacing, and
time step
∗∆ = high velocities
= ∆ = computation timestep
∆ ∆ = cell spacing

o Diffusion Wave – C ≤ 2 (max 5)

o Full Momentum – C ≤ 1 (max 3)

• Can be helpful in setting computation

parameters but requires iteration
• New variable timestep increases efficiency

24

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 Session 3

EQUATION SETS
• Full Momentum Equations
o Complex equations for Conservation of Mass and
Momentum in x and y dimensions

• Diffusion Wave Approximation

o Simplifies Momentum component
o Not applicable for large flow separations, eddies, or
significant channel to overbank momentum

25

EQUATION SETS
• Diffusion Wave
• Full Momentum - SWE-ELM (original/faster)
o Same as “Full Momentum” from earlier versions
• Full Momentum – SWE-EM (stricter momentum)
o New in v6.0
o Full shallow water equation solver
o Conserves momentum better than current SWE
solver
o Explicit solver which requires smaller timesteps

26

EQUATION SETS
• Local Inertia – SWE-LIA
o New in 6.3
o Ignores nonlinear adjective (~30% computation
time) and mixing terms from momentum equation
o Faster and more stable
o Allows for larger time steps
o Speed, accuracy, applicability (in between DWE and
SWE solvers)

27

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 Session 3

MATRIX SOLVERS
• Paradiso (Direct)
• SOR (Iterative)
• FGMRES-SOR (Iterative)
• 1D Solvers
o Finite Difference (classic HEC-RAS methodology)
o Finite Volume (new in v6.0)
 Allows 1D channels to start dry or go dry during simulation
 More stable that original 1D scheme, particularly for steep terrain
and low flows

28

WORKSHOP #3

29

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 3

WORKSHOP 3
Adding Detail to a 2D Model

Objective: Edit existing terrain data, add internal 2D area connections, add lateral structures to
connect 1D and 2D elements

1. If you were able to complete Workshop 2, continue using that model for Workshop 3.
a. Open the geometry editor and save the geometry as “Workshop 3”
b. Go back to the Unsteady Flow Analysis window and save the plan as “Workshop 3.”
c. Skip to Step 3.

2. If you were not able to complete Workshop 2, use the Muncie 2D Flow Area example project
for this workshop. Open the reference project and open RAS Mapper.
a. Open the Unsteady Flow Analysis window and open the plan titled “Unsteady Run with
2D 50ft User n Value R”
b. Open the geometry editor and save the geometry as “Workshop 3”
c. Go back to the Unsteady Flow Analysis window and save the plan as “Workshop 3.”

3. In RAS Mapper, make a clone of the existing terrain “TerrainWithChannel” that was associated
with the original geometry. This clone will enable us to modify a copy of the original terrain
without modifying the original file.
a. Right click “TerrainWithChannel” > Clone Terrain (Virtual)
b. After selecting clone terrain, a window should pop up which asks to provide a suffix for
the cloned terrain. Give the cloned terrain a suffix of “Workshop3.”

4. Examine the terrain. It does not appear that the terrain captures the railroad which bisects the
2D area. Add the railroad to the terrain.
a. Right click Map Layers and select Add Web Imagery. Add Google Hybrid layer. The
opacity of the aerials can be adjusted by right clicking the layer, selecting Image Display
Properties, and adjusting the Opacity slider.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 3

b. Right click TerrainWithChannel.Workshop3 > Add Modification > Lines > High Ground
c. Upon selecting “High Ground”, a window should pop up to name the modification layer.
Name the layer “Railroad.”
d. RAS Mapper should automatically go into editing mode. Using the Google Hybrid layer
as reference, draw a centerline which represents the railroad, similar to what is shown
below in pink.

e. After completion of the line, the Ground Line Editor should pop up. If it doesn’t, right
click on the line and select “Edit Ground Line Modification.”
i. There are two sections to this window. The upper portion can control the top
width, extents, and side slope of this high ground modification, along with the
modification method.
ii. The lower portion allows the user to edit the station-elevation data of the line.
iii. For this workshop, use the “Higher (Terrain/User) Value” modification method,
which will take the highest value of existing terrain vs. proposed modification.
iv. Experiment with the station elevation data in the lower portion of the editor. An
example is shown below.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 3

5. Once you are satisfied with the proposed modification select ‘OK.’ Right click on the
modification under “TerrainwithChannel.Workshop3” and save your edits. The railroad should
now be visible in the terrain.

6. A mysterious developer with deep pockets has decided to excavate a portion of greenspace
near the Hughes Nature Preserve (RS 12000) to alleviate flooding downstream. We will add in
this excavation in similarly to the railroad in steps 4-5.
a. Under the modified terrain, select Modifications > Add Modification > Polygons >
Multipoint and name the modification layer “Excavation.”
i. Before drawing any features, make sure that “Excavation” is below “Railroad”
in the modification layer. The order of these effects the drawing order of the
modifications.
ii. The order of these can be moved by right clicking and selecting “Move Priority
Up” or “Move Priority Down.”
b. RAS Mapper should automatically enter editor mode for this modification layer. Draw
a polygon which represents the bottom of the excavation similar to the one shown
below.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 3

c. Upon completion of the polygon, an editor window should pop up.

i. Select “Use Constant Elevation,” and enter a fixed elevation of 932 for the
bottom of this pond.
ii. After applying these settings, select OK, stop editing, and save your edits.
iii. The terrain should look similar to what is shown below.

7. There is now a long stretch of railroad over the proposed mitigation, there appears to be a
much more efficient route for the railroad crossing over the mitigation. RAS Mapper allows us
to easily edit our terrain modifications from earlier.
a. Right click the railroad modification and start editing. Move the vertices of the
centerline so that it has a shorter span over the excavation. Once you are satisfied with
the alignment, stop editing and save your edits. The terrain will automatically update.
The alignment should look something like below.
b. Make sure the modified geometry is associated with “Workshop-3” geometry and close
RAS Mapper.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 3

Note: Steps 8-18 outline the steps required to add a bridge within the 2D mesh. If you are working
from the Workshop 2 (fully 2D geometry), use these steps as a guide to add a bridge across the main
channel instead of the overland area as described below.

8. In the geometry editor, turn on the Google Hybrid layer by clicking the blue and green
Background Layers button on the right side of the top ribbon. Unchecking and checking the
Plot Terrain box will make the terrain symbology update based on the screen extent.

9. The proposed mitigation cuts through a portion of the Cardinal Greenway Trail. Let’s add a
pedestrian bridge that will restore this path. Open the geometry editor window and select
SA/2D Area Connection at the top of the screen.

10. Using the Google Hybrid layer as reference, draw in the centerline of the bridge, like the
alignment shown below.

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Hands-On HEC-RAS 2D Workshop 3

11. Select the newly drawn connection and select “Enforce Internal Connection as Breakline in 2D
Flow Area.” Then select the connection and select “Edit connection.” An editor window should
open.
a. Under structure type, select Bridge (Internal to 2D Area).
b. Scroll through the various plot options and see what RAS is showing.

12. Open the Deck/Roadway editor and enter a bridge deck like what is shown below. Note that
the end station should match the Weir/Centerline Length shown in the Connection Data Editor.
a. After entering the deck information, scroll through the various plot options. You should
be able to see a bridge deck now.

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13. Optional: Add piers to this bridge by selecting the pier button in the Connection Data Editor
and adding the data shown below. To quickly add multiple piers, select “Copy” at the top of the
Pier Data Editor and update the station data. The bridge in this example has piers every 100
feet.

14. Make sure to set HTAB parameters just like is required in 1D HEC-RAS.

15. The final piece of the bridge editor is the selection of manning’s roughness values for the cross
sections. At the top of the connection editor, selection Options > External and Internal Bridge
Cross Sections. A window should open like is shown below.
a. For this workshop, use an n-value of 0.05 for the entirety of all four cross sections.

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16. Once you are satisfied with your bridge geometry, have applied HTAB parameters, and added
manning’s roughness values, close the windows and view the bridge in plan view. Notice that
2D RAS displays 4 dummy cross sections like what is traditionally used in 1D HEC-RAS.

17. The model is now ready to run. Save your geometry and run the model.

18. Plot the results for the bridge, do they look stable/unstable? Why might this be? Is there
anything we can do differently that may improve results?

Bonus #1 – Add more detail to the model to capture the terrain features we created.
1. Add a culvert beneath the railroad to allow flow to pass through it.
a. In the geometry data window, use “SA/2D Area Connection” button to trace an
alignment (left-to-right looking downstream). This will establish a new internal
connection in the 2D area. After it’s drawn, click it and choose Enforce Internal
“Connection as Breakline in 2D Flow Area”. Once the mesh has computed, click the
connection and choose “Edit Connection.”

2. You should be able to see the terrain profile along the connection alignment. Click “Cut profile
from terrain” and select “Yes” to automatically add the terrain data.

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3. Return to the Connection Data Editor and open the Weir/Embankment editor. There should be
station-elevation data in this window from the previous step. Enter a weir width that seems
reasonable.

4. Return to the Connection Data Editor and ensure the structure type is set to “Weir, Gates,
Culverts, Outlet RC and Outlet TS.”
a. Click the Culvert button and enter the following parameters. This will add a 3’x3’ culvert
beneath the roadway.

5. The model is now ready to run. Run the model and view the results.

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Bonus #2 – Connect the 1D reach to the newly excavated 2D area with a lateral structure. Note: This
step is not required if this workshop was completed in a fully 2D model.
1. Open the geometry
editor and select
“Lateral Structure” on
the left side of the
window.

2. At the top of the window,

select Options > Add a
Lateral Structure
a. A window will
open requesting
the station of the
lateral structure,
enter 9853.
b. Once entered,
the window will
switch to the
new lateral
structure. It will
initially be blank.

3. Since the 2D area is on the left bank of the river reach, update the HW position to Left
overbank.

4. Under Tailwater connection, select “Storage Area/2D Flow Area.”

a. This will automatically add the SA/2DFA row shown above. Use the “Set SA/2DFA”
button to connect the lateral structure to the 2D area.

5. Now draw the centerline of the lateral structure. HEC-RAS allows the use of GIS coordinates to
set the location of this line. This can be achieved in both RAS Mapper and the Geometry
window. Try it in the geometry window.
a. While holding Ctrl, click and draw an alignment like what is shown below. A window will
open, select “Copy coordinates to clipboard.”

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6. Go back to the lateral structure editor and click the “Centerline GIS Coords...” button. Paste in
the values you copied in the previous step.

7. You should be able to see the terrain profile along the connection alignment. Click the “Terrain
Profile” button and then the Table tab to select and copy the entire profile.

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8. Return to the connection data editor window and click the Weir/Embankment button. Paste
the profile.

9. The product should look something like what is shown below. Now, the 2D area is connected
back to the 1D reach, and flow can enter and exit. Save your geometry and run the model.

10. If the model does not run due to an error, go back to the Lateral structure and select the “Clip
weir profile to 2D Cells.” Button. This will artificially raise the weir elevation data so that no
elevation is lower than the 2D cell its connected to, which is not allowed in HEC-RAS. Save the
geometry and try running the model again.

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 Session 4

Session 4

RAIN-ON-GRID MODEL
DEVELOPMENT

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES…PRACTICAL RESULTS…OUTSTANDING SERVICE

PRECIPITATION APPLICATION (V5)

• A boundary condition in the flow file
• Uniformly applied to individual 2D Areas

• No infiltration considered in the calculation

o MUST APPLY EXCESS PRECIPITATION

• Temporal pattern needed

o Balanced Frequency, NOAA Temporals, SCS Type
II/III

PRECIPITATION APPLICATION (V6)

• Meteorological Data enabled in flow file

• Spatially applied to all elements (2D and 1D)

• Spatial infiltration based on Land Cover layer
• Temporal pattern is part of applied data

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PRECIPITATION APPLICATION (V6)

• Point Data (gages)
o Create multiple gages and assign a time series to
each
o Interpolation schemes
 Thiessen Polygon, Inverse Distance, Peak Preservation
• Gridded Data (radar rainfall)
o Input as DSS (process in MetVue or Vortex)
o Load from GDAL
 NetCDF, GRIB, GRIB2

2D MESH

2D MESH DEVELOPMENT
Study Area Extents Land Cover Topography
 2D Area Perimeter  Classification Polygons  Terrain Modifications
 2D Area Cell Size  Manning’s n-values  High ground
 Channels

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2D MESH DEVELOPMENT
Infiltration Impervious

 Soils-based  NLCD with override polygons

 Can intersect soils and land cover

CELL MODEL
The computational cell faces
control the flow movement
from cell to cell.

CELL MODEL
Precipitation

Impervious Infiltration Lost

Excess

The computational cell faces

control the flow movement
from cell to cell.

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KEY CONSIDERATIONS
• Is all flow accounted within the model domain?
o Precipitation over entire upstream drainage area
o Precipitation over smaller domain + routed inflows
• Are your Infiltration and Impervious layers the
same as your Manning’s roughness?
o Should they be?
• Have you developed the mesh in such a way
that the watershed drains freely?

10

WORKSHOP #4

11

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WORKSHOP 4
Rain-on-Grid Model Development

Objective: Create rain-on-grid model and explore RAS Mapper capabilities.

A. File Setup

1. Open HEC-RAS 6.4.1. Select Help > Download Example Projects … Navigate to the location
where the example projects were installed (C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\HEC
Data\HEC-RAS\Example Projects\2D Unsteady Flow Hydraulics). Copy the
“BaldEagleCrkMulti2D” folder to a working folder on your C: drive.

2. Open “BaldEagleDamBrk.prj” model. Open the “Gridded Precip – Infiltration” plan (.p06).

3. In the Geometric Data window, select File > New Geometry Data. Use “WS4 Gridded Precip”
for the title.

4. In the Unsteady Flow Data window, select File > Save Unsteady Flow Data As … Use “WS4
Gridded Precip” for the title.

5. In the Unsteady Flow Data window, select Options > Delete Boundary Condition(s) … Select all
existing boundary conditions and select “OK.”

6. In the Unsteady Flow Analysis window, select File > Save Plan As … Use “WS4 Gridded Precip”
for the title. Use “WS4” for the short plan identifier. Close the plan window.

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B. Creating Land Cover, Soils, and Infiltration Layers

7. Open RAS Mapper. Right-click on “Map Layers” and select Create a New RAS Layer > Land
Cover Layer. Click the “+” symbol to add the “LandCover.tif” raster from the “Land
Classification” folder. Click “OK” when asked to continue processing a large number of cells.
The naming standard should populate automatically with “NLCD 2016” to assign
classifications based on the numeric values from the raster. Use the file folder button in the
bottom-right corner to update the name to “WS4_LandCover.hdf” in the “Land Classification”
folder. Set Cell Size to 10 ft. Click “Create.”

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8. We now have a WS4_LandCover layer based on the National Land Cover Dataset. We’ll now
add some detail using a different land cover value for the main channel.
a. Within the “Map Layers”, turn on the “LandCover” layer. This land cover already has a
polygon defined for the main channel. Right-click on its “Classification Polygons” and
select Export Layer > Save Features to Shapefile. Save as “MainChannelPolygon.shp”
in the “GISData” folder.
b. Turn on the “WS4_LandCover” layer that you created in the previous step. Right-click
on its “Classification Polygons” and select “Edit Layer.” Right-click again and select
“Import Features from Shapefile.” Navigate to the “GISData” folder and select the
“MainChannelPolygon” shapefile that was exported. Select “Import.”
c. Right-click on “Classification Polygons” and select “Open Attribute Table.” Enter “Main
Channel” in the name field for the feature you imported. Close the layer properties
dialog. Right-click on “Classification Polygons”, select “Stop Editing,” and save edits.

9. Right-click on the “WS4_LandCover” layer and select “Edit Land Cover Data Table.” Enter
values as shown below (you can also copy and paste these values from the “Land Cover” layer).

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10. Right-click on “Map Layers” and select Create a New RAS Layer > Soils Layer. Click the “+”
symbol to add the “Hydrologic Soil Groups.tif” raster from the “Soils Data” folder. Click “OK”
when asked to continue processing a large number of cells.
a. Update the “Classification” field on the lower left to match the values shown below.
Each number in the source data tif corresponds with a different hydrologic soil group
– 1 is B, 4 is D, etc.
b. To maintain consistency with your original layer IDs, update the “ID” field on the lower
right such that B is assigned to 1, D is 4, etc. This is not strictly necessary, but it is good
practice.
c. Click the folder icon, update the filename to “WS4_Soils.hdf” and save to the “Soils
Data” folder.

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11. Right-click on “Map Layers” and select Create a New RAS Layer > Infiltration Layer from Land
Cover / Soils Layer. Use the following parameters to create the infiltration layer.

12. Enter parameters in the Infiltration Data Table. To save time, we will copy tabular values from
the existing “Infiltration” layer. Right-click on the existing “Infiltration” layer and select “Edit
Infiltration Data Table.” Select and copy the numeric values for curve number, abstraction
ratio, and infiltration rate. Paste in the Infiltration Data Table for the “WS4_Infiltration” layer.

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13. BONUS: Set up an Excel spreadsheet to look up Curve Number based on the land use and soil
classifications.

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C. Geometry, Flow, and Plan File Setup

14. Create a 2D flow area that generally covers the extents of your new WS4_Infiltration layer.
a. Within the “Geometries” layers, right-click on “WS4 Gridded Precip” and select “Edit
Geometry.” Expand “2D Flow Areas” and click on “Perimeters” so that it is highlighted
in pink.
b. Turn on the “WS4_Infiltration” layer for reference. Digitize the 2D flow area perimeter
just within the boundary of the “WS4_Infiltration” layer.
c. Use the default “Perimeter 1” for the name.
d. Set the DX and DY point spacing to 500 and click the button to “Generate Computation
Points.” Optionally check the box for “Composite Classification Values in Cells.” This
will compute average infiltration parameters within each cell, which can be helpful in
models with large cell spacing.
e. Right-click on the “WS4 Gridded Precip” geometry and select “Stop Editing.” Confirm
that edits should be saved.

15. Right-click on “Geometries” and click “Manage Geometry Associations.” Select the
“WS4_LandCover” layer for Manning’s n and % Impervious as depicted below. Select
WS4_Infiltration for Infiltration. The “Sediment Bed Material Layer” can left as “(None).”

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16. Close RAS Mapper and open the Geometric Data window. Click on the “BC Lines”
button in the Tools Ribbon at the top of the window. Draw a BC line at the top-right
corner of the 2D area. Name it “Outfall.”

17. In the Unsteady Flow Data window, click on the first record listed in the “Boundary Conditions”
tab (1 Perimeter 1 BCLine: Outfall). Click the “Normal Depth” button underneath “Boundary
Condition Types.” Enter 0.002 for the “Friction Slope” and use the default option to “Compute
separate water surface elevation per face along BC Line.” Initial conditions are not required
for 2D flow areas, and will be left blank for this exercise. Click on the “Meteorological Data”
tab and set the ratio to 100. The other meteorological data has already been input for a
historical storm from the example project data.

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18. Open the Unsteady Flow Analysis window. Select Options > Computation Options and
Tolerances … Parameters have already been input from the example project data. Notice that
the Advanced Time Step Control feature is being utilized based on the Courant condition. Close
the computation options window. In the Unsteady Flow Analysis window, adjust the simulation
parameters and computation settings as depicted below. Click the “Compute” button.

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D. Results Analysis

19. After the simulation has completed, open RAS Mapper. Within the “Results” layers, right-click
on “WS4” and select “Create a New Results Map Layer …” Select the “Cumulative Excess
Depth” map type and click “Add Map.” Repeat for “Cumulative Infiltration Depth” and
“Cumulative Precipitation Depth.” Right-click on “Cumulative Excess Depth” and select “Add
Watch to Layer Values.” Repeat for the infiltration and precipitation layers. In the “Layer
Values” table at the bottom-left corner of the RAS Mapper window, adjust the ID values to
match the layer name. Click on “WS4” so that it is highlighted in pink. Using the scroll bar at
the top of the RAS Mapper window, navigate through the time series. Use the pointer to scroll
over different areas to view the cumulative precipitation/infiltration/excess depth for a given
time step and location.

20. Close RAS Mapper. In the Unsteady Flow Data window, select File > Save Unsteady Flow Data
As … “WS4 Gridded Precip v2.” In the Unsteady Flow Analysis window, select File > Save Plan
As … “WS4 Gridded Precip v2” (Short ID: “WS4 v2”). In the “Meteorological Data” tab, adjust
the ratio from 100 to 90. Save the plan and compute.

21. Open RAS Mapper. Right-click on “WS4” in the “Results” layers and select “Create a New
Calculated Layer. Click the “+” symbol to add a variable for the “WS4” simulation. Use the
options shown below to create a dynamic depth layer, named “Depthv1.” Repeat for the “WS4
v2” simulation, named “Depthv2.”

22. Update the code as shown below. Rename the code to “CompareDepth” and click “Create
Layer.” Add the “WS4” and “WS4 v2” depth layers and the “CompareDepth” layer to the watch
layers. With the “Results” layer selected, scroll through various simulation times and validate
that the calculated difference in depths is reporting correctly.

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23. BONUS: Set up another calculated layer to compare the maximum depths.

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