Point Flow Analysis Software for the Lower South Platte River

• Description: User Guide: Point Flow Module & Querying & Charting Module
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 12/1/1994
• Author: Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
• Title: User Guide for the Point Flow Analysis Software for the Lower South Platte River Kersey to Julesburg
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Although Figure 3 shows the Q &CM querying only tables created by the PFM, if formatted
properly, the Q &CM can operate on tables created by other means.
The PFM consists of the Point Flow Software which acquires information through a user's
interface (screen/keyboard) and by accessing preconstructed tables (historical data). These
information components are illustrated, respectively, to the left and right of the Point Flow
Software component in Figure 3. The Point Flow Software is written in FoxPro database
language and operates within the FoxPro (for Windows) environment.
The only information the Point Flow Software requests from the user's interface is the beginning
and ending date of the period for which gains and flows are to be determined and the names of the
input and output tables. The bulk of the information necessary to perform the point flow
computations is stored within multiple tables. The upper most input table displayed in Figure 3,
entitled 'Control Table'. �ntains information specific to each structure within the river segment
and information charact� izing the fields within the Historical Data table(s). As Figure 3 shows,
multiple Historical Data tables can be included in the PFM. This allow users the ability to procure
data from multiple sources without having to incorporate the information into a single table. For
example, one Historical Data Table may contain only river diversion values, another Historical
Data Table may contain only values relating to inflowing streams, while a third Historical Data
Table comprises official river gauging values.
As noted above the only products from the PFM are two tables storing calculated subreach gains
and river channel flows (at points above and below each structure). The structural format and
field makeup of both the input tables (Control Table and Historical Table(s)) and the output tables
('Gains' Table and 'Flows' Table) are defined in subsequent sections.
The Q &CM consists of the Querying & Charting Software which relies on information supplied
directly by the user and from information stored in the 'Gains' and 'Flows' tables (output from the
PFM). The Querying and Charting Software is programmed in Visual BASIC and operated
within the Microsoft Excel (for Windows) environment. Charts (x -y graphs) and Summary Sheets
are the sole output of the Q &CM and can be directed to either a computer monitor or a printer.
The most logical operational scenario is to utilize the Point Flow Module only when data is
altered and /or appended to one or more of the Historical Data Tables. If no changes are expected
in any of the Historical Data Tables, the Point Flow Software need only be run one time to create
the 'Gains' and 'Flows' Tables (assuming that the entered 'beginning' and 'ending' date encompass
all dates wanting to be queried). Following the creation of the 'Gains' Table and 'Flows' Table the
Q &CM would be executed each 'querying' session.
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