Hydrology & Hydraulics

Hydrology & Hydraulics

The engineers and scientists of Balance Hydrologics take a holistic approach to complex problems, using hydrologic, geomorphic, and hydraulic lines of evidence. At the same time, our focus is to find practical, cost effective solutions that meet client needs. To these issues, we apply an in-depth understanding of regulatory requirements and how to move projects from start to completion within a regulatory framework. We select from a broad suite of analysis tools and simulation software packages most capable to rapidly assess conditions and produce detailed results.

Balance provides a broad-range of FEMA related services, including Letter of Map Change submittals involving floodplain and floodway establishment or remapping as a result of land development, floodplain restoration, stormwater and interior drainage facilities, bridge construction, and FEMA levee and floodwall accreditation. Our staff are experienced in a wide range of one- and two-dimensional hydrologic and hydraulic modeling platforms applied towards riverine/stormwater systems, floodplain mapping, dam break simulations, scour analyses, and in developing field and data collection programs to calibrate and validate simulations.

Watershed Hydrology

Balance combines geomorphic, hydrologic and watershed process expertise in developing predictions of runoff quantity and quality from urban, rural and mixed watersheds. Disruptions in long-term hydrologic processes due to effects such as climatic changes, land use changes, fires and other episodic events, and deforestation are central to our experience. Balance Hydrologics has completed numerous large-scale watershed studies that include numerical simulation of rainfall-runoff processes applied towards developing peak flow attenuation strategies, reservoir operation criteria, fish passage analyses, and climate change studies. We are conversant with both urban and wildland drainages and use commercially available software packages and customized programs to simulate peak flow rates, runoff hydrographs, long-term runoff, snow melt runoff, and probable maximum precipitation events.

Hydraulic Analyses

To address our client’s needs and to offer a holistic view of the river or water system, Balance staff combines hydraulic fundamentals; experience with a wide range of water bodies; knowledge of hydraulic structures such as spillways, gates, and channels; understanding of river morphology; and knowledge of erosion and sediment transport processes. Along with these essentials we apply analytical tools, including sophisticated simulation software, spreadsheet calculations, and principle hydraulic equations. The results are a series of flexible, quantitative methodologies used to solve specific, identified problems by investigating the full range of options and alternatives.