Hec-Ressim Lessons

Mastering HEC-ResSim: Structured Video Lessons

What you'll learn

Create a watershed and reservoir network by defining streams, reservoirs, junctions, and reaches.

Configure reservoir characteristics using the Reservoir Editor, including storage, outlets, power plants, and pumps.

Develop and apply reservoir operation rules to simulate conservation, flood control, hydropower, and downstream flow requirements.

Set up and run alternatives, trials, and simulations to evaluate operational strategies under varying hydrologic conditions.

Use rule scripting, if-blocks, and state variables to build advanced operational logic and decision-making processes.

Analyze and compare simulation results using plots, reports, ResSim Mapper, and performance metrics.

Incorporate observed data, ensemble computing, yield analysis, and Monte Carlo methods to assess system reliability and uncertainty.

Independently build, run, troubleshoot, and interpret HEC-ResSim models to support real-world water management and reservoir operation studies.

Requirements

This course is designed for individuals with a basic understanding of water resrouces engineering. Prior experience with water modeling software would be helpful, but not necessary. No prior experience with HEC-ResSim is necessary — we’ll start with the fundamentals and build from there.

Description

** All videos are downloadable **Learn how to model reservoir operations using HEC-ResSim, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ powerful software for simulating reservoir and river system behavior. Whether you are completely new to reservoir modeling or looking to expand and refine your skills, this course provides a step-by-step approach to building and analyzing models that replicate real-world water management scenarios. You’ll begin with the fundamentals of watershed setup, learning how to define basin boundaries, create a reservoir network, and link system elements such as reservoirs, junctions, and river reaches.As you progress, you’ll explore the Reservoir Editor, where you’ll define storage characteristics, elevation-area-capacity relationships, and operational data needed for accurate simulations. The course then introduces Reservoir Rules, where you’ll develop and apply rule sets that capture water management strategies such as conservation, flood control, hydropower, and downstream flow requirements. You’ll also learn how to set up alternatives and trials to evaluate different operational policies and scenarios under varying hydrologic conditions. Advanced topics include working with ensembles, analyzing system performance, and troubleshooting common modeling issues.Throughout the course, you’ll gain hands-on experience with ResSim Mapper and other tools for visualizing results, comparing alternatives, and assessing system behavior. Each lesson is practical, focused, and aligned with the kinds of tasks reservoir modelers face in consulting, public agencies, and research. No prior experience with HEC-ResSim is required, though a basic understanding of hydrology and reservoir operations will be helpful.By the end of the course, you’ll be able to independently build, run, and troubleshoot HEC-ResSim models, apply operational rules, and interpret results to support water supply planning, flood risk management, and multipurpose reservoir operation studies.

Overview

Section 1: Download and Install

Lecture 1 Download and Install

Section 2: Watershed Setup

Lecture 2 Creating a Watershed

Lecture 3 Watershed Configurations

Lecture 4 Stream Alignment - Draw

Lecture 5 Stream Alignment - Import

Lecture 6 Stream Alignment - Editing

Lecture 7 Watershed Display Settings

Lecture 8 Computation Points - Add, Edit, Import, Export

Lecture 9 Reservoirs (Watershed Setup)

Lecture 10 Diversions (Watershed Setup)

Lecture 11 Levees, Channel Modifications, Off-Channel Storage, and Other Projects

Section 3: Reservoir Network

Lecture 12 Creating a Reservoir Network

Lecture 13 Network Connectivity - Junctions and Reaches

Lecture 14 Junction Editor

Lecture 15 Reach Editor

Lecture 16 Diversion Editor

Section 4: Reservoir Editor

Lecture 17 Reservoir Editor - Physical Overview

Lecture 18 Reservoir Editor - Reservoir, Pool, Dam

Lecture 19 Reservoir Editor - Leakage, Tailwater Elevation, Forebay Head Loss

Lecture 20 Reservoir Editor - Outlets

Lecture 21 Reservoir Editor - Power Plants and Pumps

Lecture 22 Reservoir Editor - Operations Set

Lecture 23 Reservoir Editor - Operation Zones

Lecture 24 Reservoir Editor - Release Allocation

Section 5: Reservoir Rules

Lecture 25 Reservoir Rules - Overview

Lecture 26 Reservoir Rules - Release Function Rules

Lecture 27 Reservoir Rules - Release Function Rules (Part 2)

Lecture 28 Reservoir Rules - Release Function Rules (Part 3)

Lecture 29 Reservoir Rules - Downstream Control

Lecture 30 Reservoir Rules - Downstream Control (Part 2)

Lecture 31 Reservoir Rules - Induced Surchage

Lecture 32 Reservoir Rules - Rate of Change Limits

Lecture 33 Reservoir Rules - Hydropower

Lecture 34 Reservoir Rules - Pump Schedule

Lecture 35 Reservoir Rules - Tandem Operation and Prescribed Release

Lecture 36 Reservoir Storage Balance

Lecture 37 Reservoir System Editor

Section 6: Alternatives, Simulations, and Results

Lecture 38 Alternatives

Lecture 39 Simulations

Lecture 40 Simulations (Part 2)

Lecture 41 Simulations (Part 3)

Lecture 42 Plotting Results

Lecture 43 Viewing and Managing Reports

Section 7: Advanced Topics

Lecture 44 If Blocks

Lecture 45 State Variables

Lecture 46 Reservoir Rules - Scripts

Lecture 47 Water Account Sets

Lecture 48 Capacity Outage Schedules

Lecture 49 Storage Credit

Lecture 50 Reservoir Decision Schedule and Projected Elevation

Lecture 51 Reservoir Network Importers

Lecture 52 Adding Background Maps

Lecture 53 Observed Data

Lecture 54 Utility Scripting

Lecture 55 Yield Analysis

Lecture 56 Hotstart Options

Lecture 57 Ensemble Computing

Lecture 58 Monte Carlo Analysis

This course is ideal for beginners new to reservoir modeling, professionals looking to expand their skills in HEC-ResSim, and experienced users seeking a practical refresher on both basic and advanced topics.