Usefulness of four hydrological models in simulating high-resolution discharge dynamics of a catchment adjacent to a road

Abstract. Four hydrological models (LISEM, MIKE SHE, CoupModel and HBV) were compared with respect to their capability to predict peak flow in a small catchment upstream of a road in SE Norway on an hourly basis. All four models were calibrated using hourly observed streamflow. Simulated and observed discharge generated during three types of hydrological situations characteristic of winter/spring conditions causing overland flow were considered: snowmelt, partially frozen soil and heavy rain events. Using parameter sets optimised for winter/spring conditions, flows simulated by HBV coupled with CoupModel were comparable to measured discharge from the catchment in corresponding periods. However, this combination was best when all the parameters were calibrated in HBV. For ungauged basins with no real-time monitoring of discharge and when the spatial distribution is important, MIKE SHE may be more suitable than the other models, but the lack of detailed input data and the uncertainty in physical parameters should be considered. LISEM is potentially capable of calculating runoff from small catchments during winter/spring but requires better description of snowmelt, infiltration into frozen layers and tile drainage. From a practical road maintenance perspective, the usefulness and accuracy of a model depends on its ability to represent site-specific processes, data availability and calibration requirements.