HEC-RAS Mapper

THIS IS A GUIDED ASSIGNMENT TWO FOR MSC WRE 2021

DR. MUNISHI
 Download HEC-RAS
You can download HEC-RAS and HEC-GeoRAS from the US Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic
Engineering Center website at [Link]
 Computer Requirements
1. ArcMap 10.1 or newer
2. HEC-GeoRAS version 10.1 or newer
3. HEC-RAS version 5.0.3 or newer
HEC-RAS File Management
 Getting Started
Start ArcMap by clicking Start  Programs  ArcGIS  ArcMap.
Save the ArcMap document (by clicking File  Save As..) as
baxter_georas.mxd in your working folder.
Since Hec-GeoRAS uses functions associated with ArcGIS Spatial
Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions, make sure these extensions are
available, and are enabled.
You can check this by clicking on Tool  Extensions.., and
checking the boxes (if they are unchecked) next to 3D Analyst and
Spatial Analyst as shown below:
Close the Extensions window.
Now load the HEC-GeoRAS toolbar into ArcGIS by clicking on Customize
Toolbars HEC-GeoRAS to see the toolbar as shown below:

You can either leave the HEC-GeoRAS toolbar on the map or dock it with
other toolbars as desired.
The HEC-GeoRAS toolbar has four menus (RAS Geometry, RAS Mapping, ApUtilities,
Help) and
seven tools/buttons (Assign RiverCode/ReachCode, Assign FromStation/ToStation,
Assign LineType, Construct XS Cutlines, Plot Cross Section, and Assign Levee Elevation)
as shown in circles and boxes, respectively in the figure below.

The RAS Geometry menu contains functions for pre-processing of GIS data for input to
HECRAS.
The RAS Mapping menu contains functions for post-processing of HEC-RAS results to
produce flood inundation map.
The ApUtilites menu contains functions mainly for data management.
The Help menu is self-explanatory.
 Setting up Analysis Environment for HEC-
GeoRAS
Using GIS for hydrologic/hydraulic modeling
usually involves three steps:
1) pre-processing of data,
2) model execution, and
3) post-processing/visualization of results
To create a geometry file, you need terrain
(elevation) data.
Click on Add button in ArcMap (+), and browse
to baxter_tin to add the TIN to the map
document
 Analysis Environment for HEC-GeoRAS
 You must have the same coordinate system for
all the data and data frames used for this
tutorial
 Because baxter_tin already has a projected
coordinate system, it is applied to the data
frame.
 You can check this by right-clicking on the data
frame and looking at its properties.
 Next, click on RAS Geometry→Layer Setup.
 Select baxter_tin as the single TIN in the
Required Surface tab, and click OK.
Part 1: Creating RAS Layers
 The geometry file for HEC-RAS contains information on cross-
sections, hydraulic structures, river banks and other physical
attributes of river channels.
 The pre-processing using HEC-GeoRAS involves creating these
attributes in GIS, and then exporting them to the HEC-RAS
geometry file.
 In HEC-GeoRAS, each attribute is stored in a separate feature class
called as RAS Layer.
 So before creating river attributes in GIS, first create empty GIS
layers using the RAS Geometry menu on the HEC-GeoRAS toolbar.
Part 1: Creating RAS Layers
Click on RAS Geometry → Create RAS Layers.
You will see a list of all the possible attributes that you can
have in the HEC-RAS geometry file.
 If you wish, you can click on individual attribute to create
a single layer at a time, or you can click on All to create all
layers.
For this tutorial, click on ALL to create all layers.
In the Create All Layers
window, accept the default
names, and click OK.
 HEC-GeoRAS creates a geodatabase in the same folder
where the map document is saved, gives the name of the
map document (the .mxd file) to the geodatabase
(Baxter_georas.mdb, in this case), and stores all the
feature classes/RAS layers in this geodatabase.
 After creating RAS layers, these are added to the map
document with a pre-assigned symbology.
 Since these layers are empty, our task is to populate some
or all of these layers depending on our project needs, and
then create a HEC-RAS geometry file.
Creating River Centerline
 The river centerline is used to
establish the river reach network for
HEC-RAS, and is a good starting
reference point.
 The baxter_tin dataset has the
Baxter River flowing from east to
west with Tule Creek as a tributary.
 So there are three reaches: upper
Baxter River, lower Baxter River and
Tule Creek Tributary as shown
below
We will create/digitize one feature for each
reach approximately following the center of
the river, and aligned in the direction of flow
Zoom-in to the most upstream part of the
upper Baxter reach to see the main channel
(black outline shown in the above figure).
To create the river centerline (in River
feature class), start editing.
In the create features
window,
select River for features and
Line for construction tools

as shown in the figure

Using the straight segment tool on the Editor, start digitizing the river centerline from the
upstream end of the upper Baxter River reach towards the downstream until you reach the
intersection with the Tule Creek tributary. Each click creates a vertex on the line.
When you reach the intersection, double click to complete the centerline for the upper reach of
the Baxter River.
If you need to pan (to slide the image), click the pan tool , pan through the map and then
continue by clicking the sketch tool (do not double-click until you reach the junction).
After finishing digitizing the upper Baxter Reach, save the edits.
Before you start digitizing the Tule Creek tributary, modify some editing options.
Click on Editor → Snapping → Snapping Toolbar, and select the check the End
Snapping option as shown below
We are selecting this snapping option because when we digitize the Tule
tributary we want its downstream end coincide with the downstream end of the
upper Baxter Reach.
Now start digitizing the Tule Tributary from its upstream end towards the
junction with the Baxter River
When you come close to the junction, zoom-in, and you will notice that the tool
will automatically try to snap to the downstream end of the upper Baxter
Reach.
Double click at this point to finish digitizing the Tule Tributary.
Save edits.
 Finally, digitize the lower Baxter reach from junction with
the Tule Tributary to the most downstream end of the
Baxter River.
 Again make sure you snap the starting point with the
common end points of Upper Baxter Reach and Tule
Tributary.
 Save edits, and stop editing.
 Snapping of all the reaches at the junction is necessary for
connectivity and creating a junction that HEC-RAS will use
to define the intersection of these lines.
 After the reaches are digitized, the next task is to name them.
 Each river in HEC-RAS must have a unique river name, and each reach
within a river must have a unique reach name.
 We can treat the main stem of the Baxter River as one river and the
Tributary as the second river.
 To assign names to reaches, click on Assign RiverCode/ReachCode
button to activate it as shown below:

 With the button active, click on the upper Baxter River reach.
 You will see the reach will become selected, invoking the following
window:
  Assign the River and Reach name as Baxter
River and Upper Reach, respectively, and click
OK.

 Click on the tributary reach, and use Tule

Creek and Tributary for River and Reach name,
respectively.
For lower Baxter River, use Baxter River and Lower Reach for River and Reach name,
respectively
Now open the attribute table of River featureclass, and you will see that the information
you just provided on river and reach names is entered as feature attributes as shown
below:
Also note that there are still some unpopulated attributes in the River feature class (FromNode,
ToNode, etc.).
You can close the attribute table.
Before we move forward let us make sure that the reaches we just created are connected, and
populate the remaining attributes of the River feature class.
Click on RAS Geometry  Stream Centerline AttributesAll
Confirm River for Stream Centerline and baxter_tin for Terrian TIN, River3D for Stream Profiles,
and click OK
 This function will populate the FromNode and
ToNode attribute of the River feature class.
This will populate all attributes in River, and will
also create 3D version (new feature class) of River
centerline called River3D.
Now open the attribute table for River, and
understand the meaning of each attribute.
 HydroID is a unique number for a given feature in a geodatabase.
 The River and Reach attributes contain unique names for rivers and reaches, respectively.
 The FromNode and ToNode attributes define the connectivity between reaches.
 ArcLength is the actual length of the reach in map units, and is equal to Shape_Length.
 In HEC-RAS, distances are represented using station numbers measured from downstream
to upstream.
 For example, each river has a station number of zero at the downstream end, and is equal
to the length of the river at the upstream end.
 Since we have only one reach for Tule Creek tributary the FromSta attribute is zero and the
ToSta attribute is equal to the ArcLength.
 Since the Baxter River has two reaches, the FromSta attribute for Upper Reach = ToSta
attribute of lower reach, and the ToSta attribute for upper reach is the sum of ArcLengths
for the upper and lower reach.
 Close the attribute table, and save the map document
Creating River Banks
 Creating bank lines is similar to creating the channel centerline
 There are no specific guideless with regard to line orientation and
connectivity - they can be digitized either along the flow direction
or against the flow direction, or may be continuous or broken.
 To create the channel centerline (in Banks feature class), follow
the same digitization procedure by selecting bank feature and
straight segment tool.
 Although there are no specific guidelines for digitizing banks, to be
consistent, follow these guidelines:
Creating River Banks
1) Start from the upstream end;
2) Looking downstream, digitize the left bank first and
3) then the right bank.
 When digitizing the left bank, you do not have to stop at the
intersection, you can have a single bank for the whole reach.
 One the right hand side, however, you cannot cross the creek so you
will need two separate lines for the right bank of the Baxter River.
 Digitize banks for all three reaches and save the edits, stop the editor,
and save the map document.
Creating Flowpaths
The flowpath layer contains three types of lines: centerline, left
overbank, and right overbank.
The flowpath lines are used to determine the downstream reach
lengths between cross-sections in the main channel and over bank
areas.
If the river centerline that we created earlier lie approximately in
the center of the main channel (which it does), it can be used as the
flow path centerline.
Creating Flowpaths
Click on RAS GeometryCreate RAS LayersFlow Path
Centerlines.
Click Yes on the message box that asks if you want to use the
stream centerline to create the flow path centerline.
Confirm River for Stream Centerline and Flowpaths for Flow Path
Centerlines, and click OK
Create the Left & Right Flow Paths
To create the left and right flow paths (in Flowpaths feature class),
start editing again
Digitize flowpaths using the same digitization procedure as before.
The left and right flowpaths must be digitized within the floodplain.
These lines are used to compute distances between crosssections
in the over bank areas.
Again, to be consistent, looking downstream first digitize the left
flowpath followed by the right flowpath for each reach.
After digitizing, save the edits and stop editing
 Label the Flowpaths
Now label the flowpaths by using the Assign LineType button .
Click on the button (notice the change in cursor), and then click on one of the flow paths (left or
right, looking downstream), and name the flow path accordingly as shown below:

Label all flow paths, and confirm

this by opening the attribute table
of the Flowpaths feature class.
The LineType field must have data
for each row if all flowpaths are
labeled.
Creating Cross-sections
Cross-section cutlines are used to extract the elevation data from
the terrain to create a ground profile across channel flow.
The intersection of cutlines with other RAS layers such as centerline
and flow path lines are used to compute HEC-RAS attributes such as
bank stations (locations that separate main channel from the
floodplain), downstream reach lengths (distance between cross-
sections) and Mannings n.
Therefore, creating adequate number of cross-sections to produce
a good representation of channel bed and floodplain is critical
Creating Cross-sections
(1) they are digitized perpendicular to the direction of flow;
(2) must span over the entire flood extent to be modeled; and
(3) always digitized from left to right (looking downstream).
if you come across a structure (eg. bridge/culvert) along the
channel, make sure you define one cross-section each on the
upstream and downstream of this structure
Even though it is not required, it is a good practice to maintain
a consistent spacing between cross-sections
Click the Add Data button to add the
aerial photo layer (named "aerial") to the
map.
For example, we will use one bridge
location in this exercise just downstream
of the junction with tributary as shown
below (bridge location is shown in red)
To create cross-section cutlines (in
XSCutlines feature class), start editing.
 If you receive a window like that below, select the geodatabase that contains the
feature XSCutlines

 Digitize cross-section cutlines using the same digitization procedure as before,

but follow the guidelines outlined in the previous paragraph.
 While digitizing, make sure that each crosssection is wide enough to cover the
floodplain.
 This can be done using the cross-sections profile tool.
 Click on the profile tool, and then click on the cross-section to view the profile.
 For example, if you get a cross-section profile shown in Figure A below, then there is no need
to edit the cross-section,
 but if you get a cross-section as shown in Figure B below, then the crosssection needs
editing.
 (Note: This tool stops the edit session so you will have to start the edit session every time
after viewing the cross-section profile).

After digitizing the

cross-sections,

save the edits and

stop editing
The next step is to add HEC-RAS attributes to these
cutlines.
We will add Reach/River name, station number along the
centerline, bank stations and downstream reach lengths.
Since all these attributes are based on the intersection of
cross-sections with other layers, make sure each cross-
section intersects with the centerline and overbank flow
paths to avoid error messages
 Click on RAS GeometryXS Cut Line
AttributesRiver/Reach Names.
 This tool uses the River and Reach attributes of
the centerline, and copy them to the XS Cutlines.
 Next, click on RAS GeometryXS Cut Line
Attributes->Stationing.
 This tool will assign station number (distance
from each cross-section to the downstream end
of the river) to each cross-section cutline.
 Next, click on RAS Geometry  XS Cut Line
Attributes  Bank Stations.
 Confirm XSCutlines for XS Cut Lines, and Banks
for Bank Lines, and click OK.
 This tool assigns bank stations (distance from the starting point on
the XS Cutline to the left and right bank, looking downstream) to
each cross-section cutline.
 Finally, click on RAS Geometry  XS Cut Line Attributes 
Downstream Reach Lengths.
 This tool assigns distances to the next downstream cross-section
based on flow paths.
The cross-section cutlines are 2D lines with no elevation information associated with them (Polyline).
When you used the profile tool earlier to view the cross-section profile, the program used the underlying terrain
to extract the elevations along the cutline.
You can convert 2D cutlines into 3D by clicking
RAS Geometry  XS Cut Line Attributes  Elevation.
Confirm XSCutlines for XS Cut Lines, and baxter_tin for Terrian TIN.
The new 3D lines (XS Cut Lines Profiles) will be stored in the XSCutLines3D feature class. Click OK

After this process is

finished, open the
attribute table of
XSCutLines3D feature
class and see that the
shape of this feature
class is now PolylineZ.
 Creating Bridges and Culverts
 To create bridges/culverts (in Bridges feature class), start editing.
 A bridge or culvert is treated similar to a cross-section so the
same criteria used for creating cross-sections must be used for
bridge/culverts
 Using Bridge as the edit feature and the straight segment tool on
the editor toolbar, digitize bridge location just downstream of
the tributary junction.
 While digitizing the bridge, make use of the terrain model to
make sure the bridge/road centerline fall on the high ground.
 Save your edits and stop editing.
After digitizing bridges/culverts, you need to assign attributes such as River/Reach name and
station number to these features.
Click on RAS GeometryBridge/Culverts  River/Reach Names to assign river/reach
names.
Next click on RAS Geometry  Bridge/Culverts  Stationing to assign station numbers.
Besides these attributes, you must enter additional information about the bridge(s) such as
the name and width in its attribute table as shown below.
Start editing, and add the required information.

Close the attribute table, save edits and stop

editing
 Similar to cross-sections, the Bridges feature class stores 2D polylines, you
can make them 3D
 Click RAS GeometryBridge/CulvertsElevations to create a new
3DBridges feature class.
 Confirm Bridges for Bridges/Culverts, baxter_tin for Terrain, Bridges3D for
Bridges/Culverts Profiles, and Click OK.
 A new feature class (Bridges3D) will be created.
 You can check it is PolylineZ by opening its attribute table
Creating Ineffective Flow Areas
Ineffective flow areas are used to identify non-conveyance
areas (areas with water but no flow/zero velocity) of the
floodplain.

For example, areas behind bridge abutments representing

contraction and expansion zones can be considered as
ineffective flow areas.
Creating Ineffective Flow Areas
To define ineffective areas (in IneffAreas feature class),
start editing, and choose IneffAreas as the edit feature, and Polygon
as the construction tool.

Use the sketch

tool to define
ineffective
areas
The figure below shows an example of
ineffective area for the bridge downstream
of the tributary junction (Note: this is a
polygon feature class).
HEC-RAS does not store all information
about ineffective areas.
Only the information where the
ineffective area may interfere with cross-
sections/flow is stored.
 To extract the position and elevation at points
where these ineffective areas intersect with
cross-sections
 click on RAS Geometry  Ineffective Flow
Areas  Position.
 Leave the default feature classes for
IneffectiveAreas, XS Cut Lines, and Terrain
unchanged.
 The position of ineffective areas will be
stored in a new table named
IneffectivePositions.
 Leave current user elevations unchecked, and
Click OK.
Creating Obstructions
Obstructions represent blocked flow areas
(areas with no water and no flow).
For example, buildings in the floodplain
and levees are considered obstructions.
We can add blocked obstructions to our
study by using building locations in the
aerial photograph
In the upper reach of the Baxter River just
before Tule Creek, there are two building in
the floodplain that can be considered as
blocked obstructions.
Creating Obstructions
To define blocked obstructions (in BlockedObs feature class), start
editing, and choose BlockedObs as the edit feature and Polygon as
the construction tool.
Using the straight segment tool, digitize the blocked obstruction
polygon, save edits and stop editing.
Similar to Ineffective flow areas, the positions and elevations of the
intersection of this obstruction with cross-sections needs to be
stored in a table.
Click on RASGeometry  Blocked Obstructions  Positions.
Creating Obstructions
Leave the default values in the
Blocked Obstructions window,
and click OK.
You will notice that a new table
(BlockedPositions) will be added
to the map document, and its
content are identical to
IneffectivePositions table.
Assigning Manning’s n to cross-sections
Assigning Manning’s n value to individual cross-sections.
In HEC-GeoRAS, this is accomplished by using a land use
feature class with Manning’s n stored for different land use
types
you will store this information in the LandUse feature class
added to the map document.
Since we created empty feature classes at the beginning
of the tutorial, we do not have this information yet.
If you open this you will find an empty table:
 Remove the empty LandUse feature class from the map, and add LandUse
shapefile (stored in LandUse folder) provided with the tutorial dataset.
 (Note: you can also replace the LandUse feature class in Baxter_georas.mdb
with the shapefile in ArcCatalog).
 The attribute table for the LandUse shapefile looks like this:

The land use table must have a

descriptive field identifying landuse
type, which is LUCode in this case,
and a field for corresponding
Manning’s n values.
Assigning Manning’s n to cross-sections
To assign Manning’s n to cross-sections, click on
 RAS GeometryManning’s n Values  Extract n Values.
 Confirm LandUse for Land Use, choose N_Value for Manning Field,
 XSCutLines for XS Cut Lines, leave the default name Manning for
XS Manning Table, and click OK.
 (Note: Summary Manning Table is not required if n values already
exist in the LandUse table.).
Assigning Manning’s n to cross-sections
 Add the table to the ArcMap
document, if it isn't already added (it
should be there).
 Depending on the intersection of cross-
sections with landuse polygons,
Manning’s n are extracted for each
cross-section, and reported in the XS
Manning Table (Manning)
Assigning Manning’s n to cross-sections
 Open the Manning table, and
see how the values are stored.
 Similar to previous tables, the
data are organized as the
feature identifier (XS2DID), its
relative station number and
the corresponding n value as
shown below
 Close the table.
We are almost done with GeoRAS pre-
processing
Create a GIS Import File for HEC-RAS
The last step is to create a GIS import file for HEC-RAS so that it can
import the GIS data to create the geometry file.
 Before creating an import file, make sure we are exporting the
right layers.
Click on RAS Geometry  Layer Setup, and verify the layers in
each tab.
The required surface tab should have baxter_tin for single Terrain
option.
 The required surface tab
should have baxter_tin for single
Terrain option.

The Required Layers tab should

have River, XSCutLines and
XSCutLines3D for Stream
Centerline, XSCutmLines and
XSCut Lines Profiles, respectively.
Create a GIS Import File for HEC-RAS
In the Optional
Layers tab, make
sure the layers
that are empty
are set to Null.

Finally, verify the

tables and Click OK.
Export RAS Data
After verifying all layers and tables, click on
RAS GeometryExport RAS Data
Export RAS Data
 Confirm the location and the name of the export file (GIS2RAS in
this case), and click OK.
 This process will create two files: [Link] and
[Link].
 Click OK on the series of messages about computing times.
 You are done exporting the GIS data!
 Save the map document
Create an ArcMap layout of your created
HEC-RAS model
This should show :
• cross sections
• river banks
• flow paths
• bridge
• obstructions
THE END OF ASSIGNMENT 2
Consider yourself now a master in Hydraulic Modelling.