DICU

Explanation

General Description

The Delta Island Consumptive Use (DICU) model simulates the island monthly consumptive use, corresponding island water supplies, and channel diversion, seepage and return flow volumes for 142 islands in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta. The calculation is performed using information on land use, historical precipitation, and agricultural activities. The model is used to estimate historical agricultural flows, future planning agricultural volumes, and the estimate values were assigned to nodes in DSM2. The DICU model provides time series values of diversions, drainage and seepage at 257 locations throughout the Delta at a monthly time step.

Model Domain

The model domain is the same as DSM2.  

Developer

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Planning Division

Hardware computing requirements

The model runs on Windows based computer platforms.  

Code language

FORTRAN

Original application

The model was developed for the Delta.  

Public/proprietary and cost

Public

Physically or empirically based

Physically based

Mathematical methods used

The water balance for each sub-area consists of the following terms:

TCU = CUp + CUs + CUaw + dSM = ET + dSM
TCU – total consumptive use
CUp – consumptive use of precipitation
CUs – consumptive use of seepage
CUaw – consumptive use of applied water
dSM – soil moisture change

Input data requirements

The main data inputs are:

• Monthly precipitation at 7 stations
• Monthly pan evaporation
• Acreages of 142 sub-areas
• Acreages of 20 land use categories
• Water year type
• Mean reference ET of each crop
• Irrigation schedule

Outputs

Model outputs include diversions, seepage and return  flows at DSM2 nodes.  

Pre-processing and post-processing tools

None/unknown.

Representation of uncertainty

None/unknown.

Prevalence

Frequently used in the Delta, and in conjunction with the DSM2 model.

Ease of use for public entities

Mass balance model, easy to use for public entities

Ease of obtaining information and availability of technical support

Technical support is available upon request from DWR.  

Source code availability

Available upon request.

Status of model development

The model is well maintained and actively updated.  

Challenges in integration

The model has been integrated with DSM2.