The NextGen Water Resources Modeling Framework: Community Innovation at the Intersection of Hydrologic, Data and Computer Sciences
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Hydrologic science lacks a comprehensive theory of stormflow generation, preventing the development of a general hydrologic model. Studies show that models focusing on dominant local processes often outperform general models that rely on parameter tuning, leading to higher confidence solutions. For continental‐scale hydrologic and hydraulic prediction, regional mosaics of models may outperform a single‐model approach. However, variations in model inputs, programming languages, solvers, and discretizations hinder interoperability and comparisons. To address these challenges, we developed the Next Generation Water Resources Modeling Framework (NextGen): a model‐agnostic, standards‐based architecture for model interoperability and evaluation. Two standards enable the Framework: (1) the Basic Model Interface (BMI) version 2.0, for model control, coupling, and querying; and (2) the Open Geospatial Consortium WaterML 2.0 part 3 Hydrologic Features (HY_Features) conceptual data model to describe the “hydrofabric” of surface water hydrologic and hydraulic features. In the NextGen Framework, models retain their unique solution methods while becoming interoperable through BMI variable exchange tied to a common hydrofabric. The Framework enables scientific evaluation of water prediction models that simulate diverse hydrologic and hydraulic processes. Its design supports models written in multiple programming languages and runs on laptops, cloud and distributed memory supercomputers.
Authors: Fred L. Ogden, Keith Jennings, Edward P. Clark, Ethan Coon, Brian Cosgrove, Luciana Kindl da Cunha, Matthew W. Farthing, Trey Flowers, Jonathan M. Frame, Nels J. Frazier, Jessica L. Garrett, Thomas M. Graziano, Joseph D. Hughes, J. Michael Johnson, Rachel McDaniel, J. David Moulton, Scott D. Peckham, Fernando R. Salas, Gaurav Savant, Roland Viger, Andy Wood
Institutions: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA National Weather Service, NOAA Office of Water Prediction, University of Vermont, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, West Japan Engineering Consultants, Inc. (Japan), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, University of Alabama, United States Geological Survey, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Colorado School of Mines
Language: English
Subfield: Geology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,200
OpenAlex ID: W7128497722