Hydrological & Terrain Analysis using WhiteboxTools

Introduction

This tutorial demonstrates how to perform hydrological and terrain analysis within QGIS. The workflow begins with downloading a DEM dataset, installing WhiteboxTools, and configuring QGIS to recognize the WhiteboxTools functions. Subsequent steps includes DEM preprocessing, flow direction and flow accumulation modelling, deriving slope and the creation of a Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) map.

Data & Software Requirements

• 30 m DEM of the Kananaskis region
• QGIS
• WhiteboxTools Open Core

Step 0: Installing WhiteboxTools

Download WhiteboxTools

To download WhiteboxTools, head on over to the WhiteboxTools Download Page and download the WhiteboxTools Open Core. After downloading, extract the .zip file and place the folder somewhere easy to find. For example, you may store it in: C:\Program Files\WhiteboxTools\

Configuring WhiteboxTools in QGIS

In QGIS, open Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins. In the search bar, type "WhiteboxTools" and the plugin should appear in the list. Select it and click "Install Plugin".

WhiteboxTools will now show up in the Processing Toolbox.

To configure the path to the WhiteboxTools executable, open Settings → Options → Processing. In the dialogue window, open Providers → WhiteboxTools, and under "WhiteboxTools executable", browse to the folder where you extracted the files and select the file named "whitebox_tools" which is found inside the WBT folder.