BASINS 4.0 -- 2007-11-01

Any previous version of BASINS 4 should be uninstalled before proceeding.


If this computer has BASINS 3.1 installed:

Adding BASINS 4 will replace some of the files used by BASINS 3.1. 
Both should still function properly, but if BASINS 4 is removed, 
then BASINS 3.1 will need to be re-installed.


Changes since first release of BASINS 4.0:

Updated MapWindow Version 4.4

New version of Climate Assessment Tool

Automatic Watershed Delineator now works with ESRI grids and has several
other improvements

Improved grid layer merging

Updated documentation in docs\BASINS4.0.chm

Expanded functionality of frequency grid analysis

Changed importing USGS daily values into WDM to match change in NWIS web site

Added ability to directly open RDB files containing USGS daily values

Fixed PLOAD handling of user-supplied loading tables

Fix for Mass-Link subscripts on UCI creation

Fix for transformation function in Ext Targets when outputing 
hourly timeseries

Increased HSPF workspace size, max special actions instructions, 
and osv size for large runs

Fix some HSPF binary output headers and possible divide by 
zero errors in NITR and PHOS
_________________________________________________________________

Release Notes for Downloading Updated BASINS Met Data

Downloading of the updated BASINS Meteorological database is now available.
The updated database contains data at over 16,000 stations, though not all 
stations are still active and most of them contain only a subset of all 
the meteorological constituents used in BASINS.  For those stations that 
are current, data have been updated through the year 2005.

The updated data are downloaded by choosing "Download Met Data" from the File menu.
This feature requires loading two plugins, both of which are available under 
D4EM Data Download in the Plugins menu.  The two plugins are 
"BASINS" and "Main". For new BASINS installations these plugins will 
automatically be loaded, but for BASINS updates the plugins must be loaded by hand.

The updated met data are now downloaded based on the extent of the geographic area 
currently being viewed in the BASINS project.  All stations within the current 
view are downloaded and merged into a single project WDM file.  Each station’s 
datasets are organized using the same data set numbering scheme as the existing 
BASINS met database (i.e. 1, 11, 21,… PREC; 3, 13, 23,… ATEM; and so on).  
The resulting WDM file is named met.wdm and is stored in the BASINS project 
directory (e.g. \BASINS\Data\Project Name\).

Besides a dramatic increase in the number of available meteorological stations, 
there are two key differences between the original database and the updated:

1. The Pan Evaporation (EVAP) dataset has been removed 
   The original database contained both this computed Pan Evaporation dataset
   and a computed Potential Evapotranspiration (PEVT) dataset.
   Besides frequently causing end-user confusion, it was strongly suggested by 
   modeling experts that the PEVT dataset is more appropriate as an input to the
   HSPF model.

2. Many stations do not contain the full suite of seven meteorological constituents.
   Whereas the original database contained all eight potentially-needed constituents
   at each station, the updated database has greatly expanded the number of
   available stations, many of which contain a subset of the seven meteorological
   constituents used in BASINS.

BASINS components have been updated to reflect these two changes:

The BASINS GIS interface has been updated to display a suite of distinct icons
at each station to graphically represent which constituents are available at each
station.  With each station marked by the letter M, the seven available constituents
are represented at the following positions in relation to the station center:

- Precipitation (PREC) – due South
- Wind speed (WIND) – due West
- Cloud Cover (CLOU) – North West
- Potential Evapotranspiration (PEVT) – due North
- Solar Radiation (SOLR) – North East
- Air Temperature (ATEM) – due East
- Dewpoint Temperature (DEWP) – South East

There is a know problem with the met station icons that is being addressed.  
When the attribute table for the met station coverage is viewed and a station is 
selected from the table, the constituent icons disappear, though the station 
locations are still displayed.

WinHSPF has been updated to only look for the PEVT dataset and to effectively use 
stations that do not contain all seven constituents.  The WinHSPF project creation 
interface now includes a list of all stations with at least PREC and PEVT datasets.  
Stations in this list marked with a “*” are those that contain the full suite of 
meteorological inputs.  If a station is selected that does not have the full suite, 
the interface allows the user to specify where to get other needed constituents.

A more detailed description of how to use the updated database, possibly in the 
form of a BASINS Tech Note, will be provided when the database is formally released.