Modeling daily surface runoff, sediment and nutrient loss at watershed scale employing Arc-APEX model interfaced with GIS: a case study in Lesser Himalayan landscape

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Kumar ◽  
Ravinder Pal Singh ◽  
Justin George Kalambukattu
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Kumar ◽  
Ravinder Pal Singh ◽  
Justin George Kalambukattu

Abstract Daily surface runoff, sediment and nutrient loss data collected from a watershed located in Uttarakhand state of Indian Himalayan region, in year 2010-2011 and of which half of the events data were used for calibration and remaining for validation. Model was calibrated for surface runoff, sediment loss and nutrient loss to optimize the input given to the model to predict the sediment loss, erosion and nutrient loss. The calibration was done by changing the sensitive parameters. Analysis showed that SCS CN number was found most sensitive to runoff, followed by saturated hydraulic conductivity, available water-holding capacity, CN retention parameter and C factor whereas erosion control practice (P) factor was found to be most sensitive, followed by C factor, sediment routing coefficient, average upland slope and soil erodibility (K) factor for the sediment and nutrient loss. APEX model calibrated for the watershed and it predicted quite well for the surface runoff (r=0.92, NSE=0.50), sediment loss (r=0.88, NSE=0.61 and nutrients of total carbon (r=0.78, NSE=0.59) and fairly for total nitrogen (r=0.77, NSE=0.19). Surface runoff was predicted well for low and medium rainfall; however, it was over predicted for high rainfall events. Over prediction may be attributed to the unaccountable conservation measures and practices which were not accounted by the model. Similarly, sediment loss was estimated on daily basis at the watershed scale and was well predicted for low and medium rainfalls but under-estimated for high rainfall events. The area is prone to landslips occurred at high rainfall events was not accounted by the model that may be a reason for under prediction of sediment loss by the model.


Author(s):  
Abhisek Kumar Singh ◽  
K.R. Sooryamol ◽  
Anu David Raj ◽  
Mary Regina ◽  
Suresh Kumar

2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renaud Quilbé ◽  
Alain N. Rousseau ◽  
Pierre Lafrance ◽  
Jacinthe Leclerc ◽  
Mohamed Amrani

Abstract Numerous models have been developed over the last decades to simulate the fate of pesticides at the watershed scale. Based on a literature review, we inventoried thirty-six models categorized as management, research, screening or multimedia models, each of them having specific strengths and weaknesses. Given this large number of models, it may be difficult for potential users (stakeholders or scientists) to find the most suited one with respect to their needs. To help in this process, this paper proposes a pragmatic approach based on a multi-criteria analysis. Selection criteria are defined following the user's needs and classified in five classes: modelling characteristics, output variables, model applicability, possibilities to simulate best management practices (BMPs) and ease of use. The relative importance of each criterion is quantified by a weight and the total score of a model is calculated by adding the resulting weights of satisfied criteria. This selection framework is illustrated with a case study that consists in selecting a model to develop water quality standards at the watershed scale with respect to the implementation of BMPs. This resulted in the selection of three models: BASINS, SWAT and GIBSI.


MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-606
Author(s):  
CHINMAYA PANDA ◽  
DWARIKA MOHAN DAS ◽  
B. C. SAHOO ◽  
B. PANIGRAHI ◽  
K. K. SINGH

In this present study, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) embedded with ArcGIS interface has been used to simulate the surface runoff from the un-gauged sub-catchments in the upper catchment of Subarnarekha basin. Model calibration and validation were performed with the help of Sequential Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) in-built in the SWAT-CUP package (SWAT Calibration Uncertainty Programs). The model was calibrated for a period from 1996 to 2008 with 3 years warm up period (1996-1998) and validated for a period of 5 years from 2009 to 2013. The model evaluation was performed by Nash - Sutcliffe coefficient (NSE), Coefficient of determination (R2) and Percentage Bias (PBIAS). The degree of uncertainty was evaluated by P and R factors. Basing upon the R2, NSE and PBIAS values respectively, of the order of 0.90, 0.90 and -12%, during calibration and 0.85, 0.83 and -15% during validation, substantiate performance of the model. All uncertainties of model parameters have been well taken by the P and R factors respectively, of the order of 0.95 and 0.77 during calibration and 0.82 and 0.87 during validation. The runoff generation from 19 sub-catchments of Adityapur catchment varies from 29.2-44.1% of the annual rainfall and average surface runoff simulated for the entire catchment is 545 mm. As the surface runoff generated in most of the sub-catchments amounts to above 30% of rainfall, it is recommended for adequate number of structural interventions at appropriate locations in the catchment to store the rainfall excess for providing irrigation, recharging groundwater and restricting the sediment and nutrient loss.


Author(s):  
Yu ◽  
Zhao ◽  
Fu

With the rapid expansion of impervious surfaces, urban waterlogging has become a typical “urban disease” in China, seriously hindering the sustainable development of cities. Therefore, reducing the impact of impervious surfaces on surface runoff is an effective approach to alleviate urban waterlogging. Presently, the development mode of many cities in China has shifted from an increase in urban scale to the improvement of urban quality through urban renewal, which is the current and future development path for most cities. Optimizing the design of impervious surfaces in urban renewal planning to reduce its impact on surface runoff is an important way to prevent and control urban waterlogging. The aim of this research is to construct an optimization model of impervious surface space layout under the framework of a geographic simulation technology-integrated ant colony optimization (ACO) and Soil Conservation Service curve number (SCS-CN) model (ACO-SCS) in a case study of Guangzhou in China. Urban runoff plots in the study area are divided according to the area of the urban planning unit. With the goal of minimizing the runoff coefficient, the optimal space layout of the impervious surfaces is obtained, which provides a technical method and reference for urban waterlogging prevention and control through urban renewal planning. The results reveal that the optimization of impervious surface space layout through ACO-SCS achieves a satisfactory effect with an average optimization rate of 9.52%, and a maximum optimization rate of 33.16%. The research also shows that the initial impervious surface layout is the key influencing factor in ACO-SCS. In the urban renewal planning stage, the space layout of the impervious surfaces with a high–low–high density discontinuous connection can be constructed by transforming medium-density impervious surfaces into low-density impervious surfaces to achieve the flat and long-type agglomeration of the low-density and high-density impervious surfaces, which can effectively reduce the influence of urban development on surface runoff. There is spatial heterogeneity of the optimal results in different urban runoff plots. Therefore, the policy of urban renewal planning for urban waterlogging prevention and control should be different. The optimized results of impervious surface space layout provide useful reference information for urban renewal planning.


2011 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 1439-1457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens-Olaf Delfs ◽  
Frank Blumensaat ◽  
Wenqing Wang ◽  
Peter Krebs ◽  
Olaf Kolditz

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuguo Han ◽  
Gary Feng ◽  
Ying Ouyang

Rainfall is a major dynamic source of soil erosion and nutrient loss on slopes. Soil and water conservation practices and agricultural activities can change the soil surface morphology and thus affect erosion and nutrient losses. This study focused on the effects of several typical soil and water conservation practices and agricultural land, for the purpose of: (1) determining how these practices prevent erosion and nutrient loss and identifying the hydrodynamic mechanisms; and (2) determining the application conditions for different practices. Runoff, sediment, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in fish-scale pits, agricultural land, narrow terraces, shrub cover and bare land, under rainfall events in rainy seasons (from May to November) during the 2010–2015 period, were monitored. Slope hydrodynamic mechanisms and application conditions of these practices were also investigated. The results showed that compared with bare land, fish-scale pits performed the best in preventing runoff, sediment, TN and TP, followed by 30% shrub coverage, narrow terraces and agricultural land, successively. Total runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses in fish-scale pits site were 19.70%, 2.03%, 10.10% and 35.97% of those in bare land of the same area, respectively. Soil and water conservation practices could change the hydraulic characteristics of slopes, decrease Re (Reynolds) and Fr (Froude) numbers, thereby decreasing runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses. Fish-scale pits were suitable for the areas with small single rainfall and good water permeability. When rainfall was greater than 60 mm, narrow terraces had highest efficiency in reducing sediment loss; therefore, they were suitable for the areas with relatively high rainfall intensity and soils similar to the sandy loams of the study area. As to the practice of covering land with plants, the effect was sustainable due to the plants’ long-term growth. Agricultural land was not recommended since the losses on it were relatively higher due to the impact of human activities. In reality, these practices may be applied in combination so as to effectively control water, soil and nutrient losses.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7093
Author(s):  
Solmaz Rasoulzadeh Gharibdousti ◽  
Gehendra Kharel ◽  
Arthur Stoecker

Best management practices (BMPs) are commonly used to reduce sediment loadings. In this study, we modeled the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed located in southwestern Oklahoma, USA using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and evaluated the impacts of five agricultural BMP scenarios on surface runoff, sediment yield, and crop yield. The hydrological model, with 43 sub-basins and 15,217 hydrological response units, was calibrated (1991–2000) and validated (2001–2010) against the monthly observations of streamflow, sediment grab samples, and crop-yields. The coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NS) and percentage bias (PB) were used to determine model performance with satisfactory values of R2 (0.64 and 0.79) and NS (0.61 and 0.62) in the calibration and validation period respectively for streamflow. We found that contouring practice reduced surface runoff by more than 18% in both conservation tillage and no-till practices for all crops used in this modeling study. In addition, contour farming with either conservation tillage or no-till practice reduced sediment yield by almost half. Compared to the conservation tillage practice, no-till practice decreased sediment yield by 25.3% and 9.0% for cotton and grain sorghum, respectively. Using wheat as cover crop for grain sorghum generated the lowest runoff followed by its rotation with canola and cotton regardless of contouring. Converting all the crops in the watershed into Bermuda grass resulted in significant reduction in sediment yield (72.5–96.3%) and surface runoff (6.8–38.5%). The model can be used to provide useful information for stakeholders to prioritize ecologically sound and feasible BMPs at fields that are capable of reducing sediment yield while increasing crop yield.


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