High-Resolution Interoperable Human-Friendly Naming System for Hydrographic Features and Model Elements (HRI-HydroName)

Recent years have seen the growth of hydrologic and hydraulic models operating at varying spatial resolutions at regional scales, which emphasizes the need for consistent naming methodologies to enhance model interoperability and integration across domains, sub-models, and modeling frameworks. This paper introduces HRI-HydroName, a high-resolution, interoperable, and human-friendly model naming system designed to complement to the Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed naming convention and support high spatial resolution model development and interoperability. HRI-HydroName establishes a convention for naming stream and river segments, forming the basis for naming associated physical hydrographic features and logical model elements. The system is particularly suited for naming regional models developed using the Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) software. HRI-HydroName addresses the constraints of identifier character limits in modeling software while ensuring comprehensibility and model composability. HRI-HydroName is illustrated through an application to HUC8-scale hydrologic and hydraulic models of the Amite River basin in southern Louisiana, though it is generalizable to other regions and models. The data and the software that support the implementation and adaptation of the HRI-HydroName system are shared in a publicly accessible repository. The paper discusses implementation challenges and suggests solutions for software utilities to support streamlined adoption and usability by different stakeholders.