Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Marziyeh Haji Mohammadi 1
- Aliakbar Nazari Samani 2
- Arash Zare Garizi 3
- Hamidreza Keshtkar 4
- Mahmood Arabkhedri 5
- Amir Sadoddin 6
1 PhD candidate in watershed Management sciences and engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.
4 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
5 Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.
6 Associate Professor, Faculty of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.
Abstract
The SWAT model is widely used to simulate watersheds and evaluate the impact of conservation watershed management practices. In this model, the simulation of the watershed processes is based on hydrological response units (HRUs) which are created by overlaying land use /land cover, soil and slope maps. Meanwhile, in the HRUs definition steps, these units become conceptual and lose their spatial location and continuously. This approach is a useful and often inevitable way to simulate large and heterogeneous watersheds in terms of computational efficiency. However, if the aim is spatializing and evaluating the effectiveness of management methods on runoff, sediment and other pollutants in medium to small basins, it is necessary to know the exact location of HRUs. The purpose of conducting this study was present a new approach to defining spatial and independent HRUs and compare the simulation results based on this method with the standard form of the model. In the new approach, independent and spatial HRUs are defined through pre-processing procedures in GIS and uniquely named soil units. The model results of both approaches were very similar and no significant difference was observed in the model outputs in Taleghan watershed. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of the simulated runoff and sediment at the outlet with the standard approach was 0.75 and 0.64, respectively. While, it was obtained 0.74 and 0.61, respectively for the new approach. The definition of spatial HRUs by applying the proposed method provides more tangible and practical outputs, which is more beneficial for identifying the critical areas as well as locating conservation practices compared to the conceptual HRUs approach.
Keywords
- Agricultural Jihad Organization of Tehran. (2013). Detailed Studies of Garap Gateh Deh Watershed, 32p (in Persian).
- Arabkhedri, M., Hakimkhani, S. and Nikkami, D. (2002). Comparison of Several Statistical Methods of Estimating Suspended Load in a Basin with Snow and Rain Regime. A research project, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, 63p (in Persian).
- Arnold, J.G. and Allen, P.M. (1999). Automated methods for estimating baseflow and groundwater recharge from streamflow records. JAWRA J Am Water Resour Assoc, 35,411–424.
- Bekele, E.G. and Nicklow, J.W. (2005). Multi-objective management of ecosystem services by integrative watershed modelling and evolutionary algorithms: management of ecosystem services. Water Resour Res, 41(10), 10p.
- Bieger, K., Hörmann, G. and Fohrer, N. (2014). Simulation of Streamflow and Sediment with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool in a Data Scarce Catchment in the Three Gorges Region, China. Journal of Environmental Quality, 43(1), 37-45.
- Bressiani, D.A., Gassman, P.W., Fernandes, J.G., Garbossa, L.H.P., Srinivasan, R., Bonuma, N.B. and Mendiondo, E.M. (2015). A review of SWAT (Soil and Water Application Tool) applications in Brazil: challenges and prospects. Int J Agric Biol Eng, 8, 9–35.
- Cao, W., Bowden, W.B., Davie, T. and Fenemor, A. (2006). Multi-variable and multi-site calibration and validation of SWAT in a large mountainous catchment with high spatial variability. Hydrol. Processes, 20, 1057–1073.
- Daggupati, P., Douglas-Mankin, K.R., Sheshukov, A.Y., Barnes P.L. and Devlin, D.L. (2011). Field-level targeting using SWAT: mapping output from HRUs to fields and assessing limitations of GIS input data. Trans. ASABE, 54, 501–514.
- Douglas-Mankin, K.R., Srinivasan, R. and Arnold, J.G. (2010). Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model: Current developments and applications. Trans ASABE, 53, 1423–1431.
- Fuka, DR., Walter, M.T., Archibald, JA., Steenhuis, T.S. and Easton ZM. (2015). A community modelling foundation for Eco-Hydrology.
- Gassman, P.W., Reyes, M.R., Green, C.H. and Arnold, J.G. (2007). The soil and water assessment tool: historical development, applications, and future research directions. Trans. ASABE, 50, 1211–1250.
- Ghebremichael, L.T., Veith, T.L., Hamlett, J.M. and Gburek, W.J. (2008). Precision feeding and forage management effects on phosphorus loss modelled at a watershed scale. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 63(5), 280–291.
- Gitau, M.W., Veith, T.L. and Gburek, W.J. (2004). Farm-level optimization of BMP placement for cost-effective pollution reduction. Trans. ASAE, 47(6), 1923–1931.
- Johnston, R. and Smakhtin, V. (2014). Hydrological Modeling of Large River Basins: How Much is Enough? J of Water Resour Manage, 28, 2695–2730.
- Kalcic, M.M., Chaubey, I. and Frankenberger, J. (2015). Defining Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrologic response units (HRUs) by field boundaries. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 8(3), 69-80.
- Krysanova, V. and White, M. (2015). Advances in water resources assessment with SWAT an overview. Hydrol Sci J, 60(5), 771–783.
- MATLAB version 7.14.0. Natick, Massachusetts: The MathWorks Inc. (2012).
- Merriman, K.R., Russell, A.M., Rachol, C.M., Daggupati, P., Srinivasan, R., Hayhurst, B.A. and Stuntebeck, T.D. (2018). Calibration of a field-scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model with field placement of best management practices in Alger Creek, Michigan. Sustainability, 10(3), 1-23.
- Moradi Pour, SH. (2011). Soil erosion and sediment transport simulation using spatially distributed hydrological WetSpa model in Taleghan watershed, Alborz province. a Thesis of M.Sc. Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, 149p (in Persian).
- Moriasi, D.N., Arnold, J.G., Van Liew, M.W., Binger, R.L., Harmel, R.D. and Veith, T. (2007). Model evaluation guidelines for systematic quantification of accuracy in watershed simulations. Transactions of the ASABE, 50(3), 885–900.
- Neitsch, S.L., Arnold, J.R. and Williams, J.R. (2005). Soil and water assessment tool theoretical documentation. 647p.
- Ng, T.L., Eheart, J.W., Cai, X. and Braden, J.B. (2011). An agent-based model of farmer decision-making and water quality impacts at the watershed scale under markets for carbon allowances and a second-generation biofuel crop. Water Resources Research, 47, 17p.
- Pai, N., Saraswat, D. and Srinivasan, R. (2011). Field_SWAT: a tool for mapping SWAT output to field boundaries. Computers & Geosciences, 40, 175–184.
- Refahi, H., and Sarmadian, F. (1993). Taleghan Watershed Studies. Tehran Regional Water Organization, 73p (in Persian).
- Teshager, A.D., Misgna, G., Gassman, P., Secchi, S., Schoof, J. and Misgna (2016). Modeling agricultural watersheds with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT): Calibration and Validation with a Novel Procedure for Spatially Explicit HRUs. Journal of Environmental Management, 57,894-911.
- The Office of Water Resources Basic Studies. (2015). Studies on Updating the Water Balance of Sefidrud Watershed, 69p (in Persian).
- Tuppad, P., Douglas-Mankin, K.R., Lee, T., Srinivasan, R. and Arnold, J.G. (2011). Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrologic/ water quality model: extended capability and wider adoption. Trans ASABE, 54, 1677–1684.
- Veith, T.L., Sharpley, A.N. and Arnold, J.G. (2008). Modelling a small, northeastern watershed with detailed, field-level data. Trans. ASABE, 51(2), 471–483.
- Winchell, M., Srinivasan, R.Di., Luzio, M. and Arnold, J. (2013). User’s Guide, ArcSWAT Interface for SWAT 2012.
- Williams, J.R. (1975). Sediment routing for agricultural watersheds. Water Resour. Bull, 11,965–974.
- Yacoub, C. and Foguet, A.P. (2013). Slope Effects on SWAT Modeling in a mountainous Basin. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 18(12), 1663-1673.
)