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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #171967
Title: LINKING WATERSHED AND RESERVOIR MODELS

Author
item WHITE, KATI - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item CHAUBEY, INDRAJEET - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Haggard, Brian

Submitted to: Proceedings of American Society of Agricultural Engineers
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2004
Publication Date: 8/1/2004
Citation: White, K.L., Chaubey, I., Haggard, B.E. 2004. Linking watershed and reservoir models. In: Proceedings of American Society of Agricultural Engineers, August 1-4, 2004, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Watershed nutrient management is essential in minimizing the eutrophic rate of reservoirs. A shortcoming in nutrient management of watershed-reservoir systems has been the successful linking of watershed and water body models. The objectives of this research were to 1) calibrate and validate a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model for Beaver Reservoir Watershed; 2) calibrate and validate a CE-QUAL-W2 (W2) reservoir model for Beaver Reservoir, 3) link the watershed and reservoir models, and 4) evaluate reservoir water quality changes with changing watershed management practices. Watershed management scenarios that were evaluated include: reductions in litter application rates, reductions in commercial fertilizer rates, and reductions in waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent phosphorus (P). Scenarios were evaluated by comparing chlorophyll-a and PO4-P concentrations at two locations within the reservoir. Results indicated that chlorophyll-a and PO4-P concentrations were always greater at the transitional zone location than the lacustrian zone location, which is an expected reservoir water quality response. Predicted chlorophyll-a and PO4-P concentrations from scenarios evaluating reduction in commercial fertilizer and reduction in WWTP effluent P indicated generally less than 1% change at both reservoir locations. Scenarios simulating reduction in chicken litter applied in the watershed predicted a substantial decline in PO4-P concentrations with decline in litter applied. The loosely linked SWAT and W2 modeling scheme provides a holistic approach to modeling nutrient sources, transport, and delivery in a watershed-reservoir system. The linked models can be used to assess the probably influence different watershed management schemes will have on reservoir water quality concentration at targeted locations within the reservoir.