Geomatic methods at the service of water resources modelling

•Acquisition and management of spatial information are crucial for water modelling.•Several geomatic methods of different nature arise at the service of water modelling.•Choosing the right geomatic method is still a challenge in this field.•This study provides a guide and review to best practices of geomatic methods.•A suitability assessment is made driven by geometric and radiometric variables.

SummaryAcquisition, management and/or use of spatial information are crucial for the quality of water resources studies. In this sense, several geomatic methods arise at the service of water modelling, aiming the generation of cartographic products, especially in terms of 3D models and orthophotos. They may also perform as tools for problem solving and decision making. However, choosing the right geomatic method is still a challenge in this field. That is mostly due to the complexity of the different applications and variables involved for water resources management. This study is aimed to provide a guide to best practices in this context by tackling a deep review of geomatic methods and their suitability assessment for the following study types: Surface Hydrology, Groundwater Hydrology, Hydraulics, Agronomy, Morphodynamics and Geotechnical Processes. This assessment is driven by several decision variables grouped in two categories, classified depending on their nature as geometric or radiometric. As a result, the reader comes with the best choice/choices for the method to use, depending on the type of water resources modelling study in hand.