CIROH Researchers Showcase Cutting-Edge Hydrologic Science at NHWC 2025

CIROH team at NHWC 2025 in Tucson, Arizona, standing by the event’s official banner.

CIROH had a strong showing at the 15th Biennial National Hydrologic Warning Conference (NHWC 2025), with our researchers presenting innovative solutions and engaging with the broader hydrologic warning community. The conference brought together field personnel, innovators, engineers, hydrologists, forecasters, water resource managers, and emergency management officials from across the country to advance flood warning systems and address emerging challenges in evolving climate and drought management.

Advancing Model Reliability in Hydrologic Forecasting

During the NextGen presentation track, moderated by Dr. Steve Burian, CIROH researchers focused on improving evaluation techniques for hydrologic models—particularly in the context of the National Water Model (NWM).

NWS NextGen Program

Edwin Welles from Deltares USA presenting the NextGen framework.

Edwin Welles from Deltares USA kicked things off with insights into a groundbreaking initiative. The Office of Water Prediction, of the National Weather Service has undertaken an ambitious project to implement and apply a new framework for hydrological modeling: the The Next Genearation Water Resources Modeling Framework, or the NextGen framework, is designed to emphasize modularity, interoperability, and reproducibility, creating an environment where disparate modeling components can be freely combined to enhance modeling capabilities. These advantages offer critical support to the National Water Model, alongside other key initiatives such as national Flood Inundation Mapping research. The system is being implemented by Raytheon with subcontract support from Deltares USA. His presentation provided a summary of the project and envisioned outcomes.

Leading the NextGen Revolution

Arpita Patel presenting “Navigating the NextGen Ecosystem and NextGen In A Box (NGIAB).”

Arpita Patel followed with “Navigating the NextGen Ecosystem and NextGen In A Box (NGIAB),” a presentation focused on making the NextGen framework more accessible to researchers, forecasters, and water managers. This was achieved through the NextGen In A Box platform, which harnesses containerization and supportive tooling to make the NextGen framework accessible and easy to use. This work directly supports CIROH’s mission to democratize access to advanced hydrologic modeling capabilities and foster broader adoption of next-generation water prediction tools.

🥉 Patel also demonstrated exceptional engagement throughout the conference. Her outstanding participation earned her an impressive #3 ranking on the NHWC 2025 conference leaderboard with 70,200 points. This demonstrated not only her technical expertise, but also her active involvement in conference activities and community engagement.

Rethinking Evaluation

Dr. Md Shahabul Alam presenting different model evaluation methods.

Dr. Md Shahabul Alam also delivered a compelling talk titled “Rethinking Model Reliability: A Dual Evaluation of NWM Using Time Series and Extreme Events” during the NextGen program track. His work focuses on advancing operational hydrology by developing more rigorous and resilient methods to evaluate the National Water Model across varying temporal scales and extreme event conditions—a crucial step in improving forecasting and decision-making under a changing climate. This work represents CIROH’s commitment to enhancing the reliability and accuracy of national-scale hydrologic prediction systems, directly supporting the operational forecasting community’s need for trustworthy model outputs during both routine conditions and extreme weather events.

🥇 Dr. Alam earned also earned the #1 ranking on the NHWC 2025 conference leaderboard, maintaining a commanding lead of over 100,000 points throughout the week and finishing with a remarkable 194,700 points. His name quickly became a focal point of the conference. Each morning, attendees checked the Whova app with anticipation—only to see Shahab had once again pulled further ahead. His energetic participation and engaging presence made him a standout at the conference, combining technical depth with social and technological savvy. Dr. Alam not only demonstrated exceptional leadership and charisma at the NHWC 2025 conference, but also brought well-deserved visibility to CIROH and its ongoing mission.

Strengthening Community Connections

The inclusion of these presentations within the NextGen presentation track highlights CIROH’s central role in advancing the NextGen Water Resources Modeling Framework. This alignment demonstrates our organization’s commitment to translating research innovations into operational capabilities that serve the broader water resources community.

Following the presentations, many researchers expressed immediate interest in using NextGen In A Box for both their research applications and operational forecasting. The tool's modular design, ease of deployment, and compatibility with diverse datasets resonated strongly with attendees seeking flexible and scalable modeling solutions. Several participants noted its potential for accelerating innovation in hydrologic modeling and expressed intent to integrate it into their ongoing and future projects.

The conference provided valuable opportunities for our researchers to connect with operational forecasters, emergency managers, and fellow scientists, fostering collaborations that will enhance the real-world impact of CIROH’s research initiatives. These interactions are essential for ensuring our scientific advances address the practical challenges faced by those responsible for flood warning and water resource management.

Looking Ahead

CIROH’s strong presence at NHWC 2025 underscores our dedication to bridging the gap between research and operations in hydrologic science. Our researchers’ contributions to model evaluation methodologies and NextGen ecosystem development represent key steps toward more reliable, accessible, and effective water prediction systems.

As we continue to advance hydrologic science, conferences like NHWC 2025 provide essential platforms for sharing innovations, gathering feedback from the operational community, and building the collaborative relationships that drive progress in water resources management and flood warning systems.

The success of our team at NHWC 2025 reflects CIROH’s growing impact in the hydrologic sciences community and our commitment to developing solutions that serve both scientific advancement and societal needs.