scholarly journals SWAT modeling of hydrology, sediment and nutrients from the Grand River, Ontario

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aslam Hanief ◽  
Andrew E. Laursen

Abstract The Grand River watershed (GRW) is an important agricultural area in Southern Ontario. Land use has been modified by various human endeavors, altering hydrology and increasing export of sediment and nutrients. The objective of this study was to predict spatial and temporal patterns of hydrology, and export of sediment and nutrients from the GRW to Lake Erie using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The Sequential Uncertainty FItting (SUFI2) program was used to calibrate and validate stream flow for years 2001–2010. Calibration and validation of the SWAT model for monthly stream flow at York indicated good model performance (R2, NSE, and PBIAS = 0.64, 0.63 and 7.1 for calibration (2001–2005); = 0.82, 0.74 and 0.2, for validation (2006–2010)). The model was applied to predict sediment and nutrient export from the GRW into Lake Erie. Predicted loading at Dunnville (near the mouth) was 2.3 × 105 tonnes y−1 total suspended sediment, 7.9 × 103 tonnes y−1 TN, and 2.3 × 102 tonnes y−1 TP. This SWAT model can now be used to investigate the relative effects of best management practices, and to forecast effects of climate change, on sustainable water management, hydrology, and sediment and nutrient export to Lake Erie.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Kamel Khanchoul ◽  
Amina Amamra ◽  
Bachir Saaidia

Erosion is identified as one of the most significant threats to land in increasing rates of soil loss and reservoir sedimentation. An integrated approach therefore requires sediment assessment for identification of its sources for efficient watershed management. The present study is aimed to examine the spatial and temporal sediment yield distribution potential and to identify the critical erosion prone zones within Kebir watershed, Algeria using Soil and Water Assessment Tool interfaced in GIS for the period from 1982 to 2014. The model is calibrated by adjusting sensitive parameters and validation is done using observed data from 1982 to 1998. The model performance checked by the coefficient of determination (0.76), Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (0.75) and relative error (+8.19%) suggests that the model has performed satisfactorily for sediment yield prediction. The simulated outputs of the model show that the 33-year period of sediment load production is estimated to be 19.24×106 tons and a mean annual sediment yield of 856.14 T/km²/yr. Temporally, sixty-four percent (50%) of sediment yield generated in the watershed occurs in five months of the winter and fall seasons. The most erosion vulnerable sub-basins that could have a significant impact on the sediment yield of the reservoirs are identified. Based on this, sub-basin 16, 14, 13, 11 and 8 are found to be the most erosion sensitive areas that could have a significant contribution, of 50%, to the increment of sediment yield. Best management practices are highly recommended for the land sustainability because of the high sediment supply to the dams.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Abera Ermias Koshuma ◽  
Yegelilaw Eyesus Debebe ◽  
Defaru Katise Dasho ◽  
Tarun Kumar Lohani

Rainfall is a basic input parameter for hydrological modelling that exerts a great influence on the dependability of hydrological simulations. Limited availability of accurate and reliable precipitation data in Abelti watershed of Omo Gibe basin of Ethiopia coerces to use satellite rainfall data to design watershed management practices. The primary objective of this research is to find a better output by comparing and evaluating Climate Prediction Centre Morphing techniques (CMORPH) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Satellite precipitation products (SPPs) and inputs were incorporated to simulate stream flow. Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, calibration, and validation of the model were conducted using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Calibration and Uncertainty Program 2012 (SWAT-CUP-2012), particularly the Sequential/Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) algorithm for all rainfall inputs independently. The calibration and validation period was taken as 2003–2010 and 2011–2018, respectively. On the basis of the modelling results of SWAT and uncertainty analysis, TRRM relatively performed well than that of CMORPH. The result illustrated that the SWAT model thoroughly predicted the catchment runoff simulation for all SPPs. However, TRMM-based simulations capture the shape of the observed stream flow hydrograph, and there was slight under and overestimation of the stream flow volume simulated SPPs followed by the reduction of model performance statistics. Bias-corrected satellite rainfall-based simulations significantly improved the model performance as well as the volume of stream flow simulated. The detail study exhibited that the in situ-based simulation outperformed satellite products in terms of the objective functions in the study area.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
Wakjira Takala Dibaba ◽  
Tamene Adugna Demissie ◽  
Konrad Miegel

Excessive soil loss and sediment yield in the highlands of Ethiopia are the primary factors that accelerate the decline of land productivity, water resources, operation and function of existing water infrastructure, as well as soil and water management practices. This study was conducted at Finchaa catchment in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia to estimate the rate of soil erosion and sediment loss and prioritize the most sensitive sub-watersheds using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using the observed streamflow and sediment data. The average annual sediment yield (SY) in Finchaa catchment for the period 1990–2015 was 36.47 ton ha−1 yr−1 with the annual yield varying from negligible to about 107.2 ton ha−1 yr−1. Five sub-basins which account for about 24.83% of the area were predicted to suffer severely from soil erosion risks, with SY in excess of 50 ton ha−1 yr−1. Only 15.05% of the area within the tolerable rate of loss (below 11 ton ha−1yr−1) was considered as the least prioritized areas for maintenance of crop production. Despite the reasonable reduction of sediment yields by the management scenarios, the reduction by contour farming, slope terracing, zero free grazing and reforestation were still above the tolerable soil loss. Vegetative contour strips and soil bund were significant in reducing SY below the tolerable soil loss, which is equivalent to 63.9% and 64.8% reduction, respectively. In general, effective and sustainable soil erosion management requires not only prioritizations of the erosion hotspots but also prioritizations of the most effective management practices. We believe that the results provided new and updated insights that enable a proactive approach to preserve the soil and reduce land degradation risks that could allow resource regeneration.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián López-Ballesteros ◽  
Javier Senent-Aparicio ◽  
Raghavan Srinivasan ◽  
Julio Pérez-Sánchez

Best management practices (BMPs) provide a feasible solution for non-point source pollution problems. High sediment and nutrient yields without retention control result in environmental deterioration of surrounding areas. In the present study, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was developed for El Beal watershed, an anthropogenic and ungauged basin located in the southeast of Spain that drains into a coastal lagoon of high environmental value. The effectiveness of five BMPs (contour planting, filter strips, reforestation, fertilizer application and check dam restoration) was quantified, both individually and in combination, to test their impact on sediment and nutrient reduction. For calibration and validation processes, actual evapotranspiration (AET) data obtained from a remote sensing dataset called Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM) were used. The SWAT model achieved good performance in the calibration period, with statistical values of 0.78 for Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE), 0.81 for coefficient of determination (R2), 0.58 for Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and 3.9% for percent bias (PBIAS), as well as in the validation period (KGE = 0.67, R2 = 0.83, NS = 0.53 and PBIAS = −25.3%). The results show that check dam restoration is the most effective BMP with a reduction of 90% in sediment yield (S), 15% in total nitrogen (TN) and 22% in total phosphorus (TP) at the watershed scale, followed by reforestation (S = 27%, TN = 16% and TP = 20%). All effectiveness values improved when BMPs were assessed in combination. The outcome of this study could provide guidance for decision makers in developing possible solutions for environmental problems in a coastal lagoon.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 13955-13978 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Shawul ◽  
T. Alamirew ◽  
M. O. Dinka

Abstract. To utilize water resources in a sustainable manner, it is necessary to understand the quantity and quality in space and time. This study was initiated to evaluate the performance and applicability of the physically based Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in analyzing the influence of hydrologic parameters on the streamflow variability and estimation of monthly and seasonal water yield at the outlet of Shaya mountainous watershed. The calibrated SWAT model performed well for simulation of monthly streamflow. Statistical model performance measures, coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.71, the Nash–Sutcliffe simulation efficiency (ENS) of 0.71 and percent difference (D) of 3.69, for calibration and 0.76, 0.75 and 3.30, respectively for validation, indicated good performance of the model simulation on monthly time step. Mean monthly and annual water yield simulated with the calibrated model were found to be 25.8 mm and 309.0 mm, respectively. Overall, the model demonstrated good performance in capturing the patterns and trend of the observed flow series, which confirmed the appropriateness of the model for future scenario simulation. Therefore, SWAT model can be taken as a potential tool for simulation of the hydrology of unguaged watershed in mountainous areas, which behave hydro-meteorologically similar with Shaya watershed. Future studies on Shaya watershed modeling should address the issues related to water quality and evaluate best management practices.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Merriman ◽  
Amy Russell ◽  
Cynthia Rachol ◽  
Prasad Daggupati ◽  
Raghavan Srinivasan ◽  
...  

Subwatersheds within the Great Lakes “Priority Watersheds” were targeted by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to determine the effectiveness of the various best management practices (BMPs) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service National Conservation Planning (NCP) Database. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is created for Alger Creek, a 50 km2 tributary watershed to the Saginaw River in Michigan. Monthly calibration yielded very good Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) ratings for flow, sediment, total phosphorus (TP), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and total nitrogen (TN) (0.90, 0.79, 0.87, 0.88, and 0.77, respectively), and satisfactory NSE rating for nitrate (0.51). Two-year validation results in at least satisfactory NSE ratings for flow, sediment, TP, DRP, and TN (0.83, 0.54, 0.73, 0.53, and 0.60, respectively), and unsatisfactory NSE rating for nitrate (0.28). The model estimates the effect of BMPs at the field and watershed scales. At the field-scale, the most effective single practice at reducing sediment, TP, and DRP is no-tillage followed by cover crops (CC); CC are the most effective single practice at reducing nitrate. The most effective BMP combinations include filter strips, which can have a sizable effect on reducing sediment and phosphorus loads. At the watershed scale, model results indicate current NCP BMPs result in minimal sediment and nutrient reductions (<10%).


Author(s):  
Paweł Marcinkowski ◽  
Mikołaj Piniewski ◽  
Ignacy Kardel ◽  
Marek Giełczewski ◽  
Tomasz Okruszko

AbstractModelling of discharge, nitrate and phosphate loads from the Reda catchment to the Puck Lagoon using SWAT. This study presents an application of the SWAT model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) in an agricultural, coastal catchment situated in northern Poland, draining an area of 482 km2 (the Reda catchment). The main objective of this study was calibration and validation of the model against daily discharge and water quality parameters (bi-monthly total suspended solids [TSS], nitrate nitrogen [N-NO3] and phosphate phosphorus [P-PO4] loads). Calibration and validation were conducted using the SWAT-CUP program and SUFI-2 (Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Version 2) algorithm. The Nash- -Sutcliffe efficiency, which was set as an objective function in calibration of all variables, was equal for discharge to 0.75 and 0.61 for calibration and validation periods, respectively. For TSS, N-NO3 and P-PO4 loads NSE was equal to 0.56, 0.62 and 0.53 in calibration period, and 0.22, 0.64 and -1.78 in validation period, respectively. For the calibration period all the results are satisfactory or good, while for the validation period the results for TSS and P-PO4 loads are rather poor, which is related mainly to the lack of homogeneity between calibration and validation periods. These results demonstrate that SWAT is an appropriate tool for quantification of nutrient loads in Polish agricultural catchments, in particular for N-NO3. The model can therefore be applied for water resources management, for quantification of scenarios of climate and land use change, and for estimation of the Best Management Practices efficiency


Author(s):  
Meena Kumari Kolli ◽  
Christian Opp ◽  
Michael Groll

Freshwater ecosystems are facing severe threats from human activities. As a consequence of this, they can get disturbed. In developing countries, like India, freshwater lakes are endangered primarily by agricultural activities, which often accelerate erosion and the runoff. The massive application of pesticides and chemical fertilizers to agricultural lands is one of the reasons for eutrophication in Kolleru Lake. The different natural and anthropogenic influences increase the highly complex ecosystem of the lake. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to ascertain the priority control areas, aiming at socio-economic development for the protection of the lake water quality by applying the Best Management Practices (BMPs).  For this purpose, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to identify the critical areas of the lake's catchment in terms of pollution from agricultural runoff into the tributaries of the Kolleru Lake and the lake itself. The results demonstrated that the diffuse pollution load in the western and downstream watersheds the highest and that agricultural land was the primary pollutant source besides the accumulation of nutrients in the downstream areas. The differences in the sub-basin loads were observed in the catchment mainly depends on the topographic features, soil properties, land use, vegetation, and drainage patterns. From where the major outlet sub-basin has the highest accumulation of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3_N), and total phosphorus (TP) emissions were quantified. The temporal distribution of runoff and diffuse sources were estimated from 2008 – 2014. The runoff mainly governed diffuse pollution was found to be a significant contributing factor to the lake. Further, suggestions were provided for the implementation of agricultural management practices to minimize pollution levels.   Graphical Abstract:   (Own Source: Diagrammatic representation showing the interrelationship of the SWAT run model)


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aslam Hanief

Headwater streams are important lotic systems that represent more than 80% of the total stream lengths in watersheds. The dynamic coupling of hydrological and biogeochemical processes in headwaters is responsible for regulating the chemical form, residence time and longitudinal transport of nutrients. Over time, stream modification (e.g. to enhance drainage in agricultural watershed) has altered natural stream flow-paths and thus, stream functionality. Such alteration has resulted in degradation of habitat and water quality, both in upland and downstream waters. Currently, nutrients exported from the Grand River (Ontario) watershed are contributing to eutrophication and Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Erie. With respect to the Grand River watershed, this thesis examined (1) the impact of agriculture on the existing stream network, (2) the utility of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to simulate hydrology, sediment and nutrient export that closely correlate with measured data, and (3) the application of Best Management Practices in the watershed with the intent of meeting provincial and transnational nutrient targets. The results showed that compared to the actual ground-truthed stream network, the predicted stream network based on topography underpredicted a total of 2,535 km of actual channel present in the watershed. Channels not anticipated by topography were mostly first-order, with low sinuosity, and were most common in areas with high agricultural land use, and are likely excavated extensions to headwater streams to facilitate drainage. Then, the sediment and nutrient loading at Dunnville, discharging to entering Lake Erie, was predicted to be 2.3[superscript⁻1] 105 t yr[superscript-1] of total suspended sediment, 7.9 [superscript⁻1] 103 t yr-1 of total nitrogen, and 2.5 ⁻1 102 t yr-1 of total phosphorus. Finally, implementing wide buffer strips, stabilizing channel banks and grassed waterways were found to be the most effective practices for reducing sediment and phosphorus loading into Lake Erie.


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