Practice Note: Using Recorder Sets
This practice note is one of a set developed to provide consistency and transparency of river system models being used within the Murray–Darling Basin. The notes cover modelling practices, such as naming conventions for folder structures, to model methods, such as for flow routing and residual inflow estimation, and have been developed through a collaboration between the MDBA and Basin States.
Produced in collaboration with:
This practice note, "Using Recorder Sets in Source", describes the general principles that should be applied when setting up a minimum recorder set for any Source Scenario.
Background
Creating a recorder set to use with each Source Scenario is considered good practice when developing Source Models. The Source User Guide details developing recorder sets - Configuring Scenarios. This practice note does not aim to replicate the material in the Source User Guide but provides some guidance as to recorders that are useful to have turned on via a recorder set to allow you to determine the water balance between different gauges in your system.
Due to the impact on run time, it is not recommended that all recorders are turned on in a Source Scenario. The modeller must decide which recorders are important for understanding the model performance and reporting, and it is recommended that recorder sets are used to ensure the same outputs are recorded each time a Model Scearnio is run.
General Principles
- The modeller should decide which recorders are important for understanding the model performance and reporting.
- The modeller may decide to use recorder sets to ensure the same model outputs are recorded for each model run.
The modeller should consider developing a recorder set to allow a reach-based mass balance to be calculated.
- The modeller should consider setting up recorders for other metrics that are important for understanding the performance of the model or for reporting (e.g. do the allocations look sensible, are the total diversions in the expected range)
- These standard recorder sets can be saved as text files and included in the Model repository (see Model Management)
Example recorder set for determining a reach-based water balance
This recorder set aims to capture all the fluxes within the river system.
| Node/Link Type | Items recorded | Recorder set example | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gauge Node |
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| Recording upstream and downstream flow is important. The upstream and downstream flows will differ if the "Set Flow" tick box is checked at the gauge node. |
| Inflow Nodes |
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| Storages and Weir |
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| For the water balance you need to know the change in storage over the reporting period. |
| Supply Points |
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| Loss Node |
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| Storage Routing Links |
If these are used on the storage routing links, that should also be recorded
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| Lag Links |
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| Flow into links leaving a river section via a splitter (Breakout links) |
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| xxxx is the name of the breakout link |
| Flow entering a river section via a link at a confluence (return links) |
|
| xxxx is the name of the return link |
Example recorder set for other model outputs that might be useful for understanding model performance and reporting
| Model Component | Items recorded | Recorder set example | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Flow Requirement |
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| It is useful if a function is being used to determine the requirement, as you can check if the expected value is being returned. |
| Maximum Order Constraint |
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Resource Assessment |
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| These recorders would allow you to look at the water usage by different account holders. |
Functions |
| XXXX - Folder the function sits in YYYY - The name of the function For example, total consumptive use across the model may be determined as a function by summing the extraction at all the supply points. Recording this function would provide a useful reporting metric. | |
Environmental Flow |
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Transfer Ownership |
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| Supply Points |
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| Storages/Weirs |
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| xxxx is the name of the Storage or Weir |
| Water Users |
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