Project Name:
AGWA: Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment Tool
Collaborators:
USDA-ARS SWRC scientists with collaborators from EPA and University of Arizona
Goals/purpose:
The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool is a multipurpose, GIS-based hydrologic analysis system designed for watershed, water resource, land use, and biological resource managers and scientists. Co-developed by the USDA-ARS, EPA, and the University of Arizona, AGWA accommodates both novice and expert GIS users in performing small watershed to basin-scale studies. It utilizes commonly available, standardized spatial datasets—such as Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), soil data, land cover grids, and 
AGWA conceptual design and workflowprecipitation data—to fully parameterize, execute, and spatially visualize results for various watershed runoff and erosion models, including SWAT and KINEROS2. By automating these processes, AGWA significantly reduces the time and effort required for model setup. The tool is highly effective for evaluating the hydrologic impacts of land-cover and land-use changes, supporting scenario development, and simulating alternative futures at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Additionally, AGWA is capable of performing rapid, post-fire watershed assessments by modifying existing land cover with burn severity maps, helping decision-makers identify problem areas needing mitigation.