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Simulation of Agricultural Management Alternatives for Watershed Protection

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  • Pushpa Tuppad
  • Narayanan Kannan
  • Raghavan Srinivasan
  • Colleen Rossi
  • Jeffrey Arnold

Abstract

The Bosque River Watershed in Texas is facing a suite of water quality issues including excess sediment, nutrient, and bacteria. The sources of the pollutants are improperly managed cropland and grazing land, dairy manure application, and effluent discharge from wastewater treatment facilities. Several best management practices (BMPs) have been proposed for pollution reduction and watershed protection. The overall objectives of this study were to demonstrate a modeling approach using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to simulate various BMPs and assess their long-term impacts on sediment and nutrient loads at different spatial levels. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated for long-term annual and monthly flows at Valley Mills and for monthly sediment, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) at Hico and Valley Mills monitoring locations. The BMPs including streambank stabilization, gully plugs, recharge structures, conservation tillage, terraces, contour farming, manure incorporation, filter strips, and PL-566 reservoirs were simulated in the watershed areas that met the respective practice’s specific criteria for implementation. These BMPs were represented in the pre- and post-conditions by modifying one or more channel parameters (channel cover, erodibility, Manning’s n), curve number (CN), support practice factor (P-factor), filter strip width, and tillage parameters (mixing efficiency, mixing depth). The BMPs were simulated individually and the resulting Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs), subwatershed, and watershed level impacts were quantified for each BMP. Sensitivity of model output values to input parameters used to represent the BMPs was also evaluated. Implementing individual BMPs reduced sediment loads from 3% to 37% and TN loads from 1% to 24% at the watershed outlet; however, the changes in TP loads ranged from 3% increase to 30% decrease. Higher reductions were simulated at the subwatershed and HRU levels. Among the parameters analyzed for sensitivity, P-factor and CN were most sensitive followed by Manning’s n. The TN and TP outputs were not sensitive to channel cover. This study showed that the SWAT modeling approach could be used to simulate and assess the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Suggested Citation

  • Pushpa Tuppad & Narayanan Kannan & Raghavan Srinivasan & Colleen Rossi & Jeffrey Arnold, 2010. "Simulation of Agricultural Management Alternatives for Watershed Protection," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(12), pages 3115-3144, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:24:y:2010:i:12:p:3115-3144
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-010-9598-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Parajuli, P.B. & Mankin, K.R. & Barnes, P.L., 2008. "Applicability of targeting vegetative filter strips to abate fecal bacteria and sediment yield using SWAT," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(10), pages 1189-1200, October.
    2. Hagen Koch & Uwe Grünewald, 2009. "A Comparison of Modelling Systems for the Development and Revision of Water Resources Management Plans," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 23(7), pages 1403-1422, May.
    3. Manoj Jha & Philip W. Gassman & Silvia Secchi & Roy Gu & Jeffrey G. Arnold, 2002. "Effect of Watershed Subdivision on SWAT Flow, Sediment, and Nutrient Predictions," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 02-wp315, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    4. Humberto Silva-Hidalgo & Ignacio Martín-Domínguez & María Alarcón-Herrera & Alfredo Granados-Olivas, 2009. "Mathematical Modelling for the Integrated Management of Water Resources in Hydrological Basins," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 23(4), pages 721-730, March.
    5. Gassman, Philip W. & Reyes, Manuel R. & Green, Colleen H. & Arnold, Jeffrey G., 2007. "The Soil and Water Assessment Tool: Historical Development, Applications, and Future Research Directions," ISU General Staff Papers 200701010800001027, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    6. Secchi, Silvia & Kling, Catherine L. & Feng, Hongli & Gassman, Philip W. & Jha, Manoj & Campbell, Todd & Kurkalova, Lyubov A., 2007. "The Cost of Cleaner Water: Assessing Agricultural Pollution Reduction at the Watershed Scale," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12723, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
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    6. Everton Rocha & Maria Calijuri & Aníbal Santiago & Leonardo Assis & Luna Alves, 2012. "The Contribution of Conservation Practices in Reducing Runoff, Soil Loss, and Transport of Nutrients at the Watershed Level," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(13), pages 3831-3852, October.
    7. Wu, Yiping & Chen, Ji, 2013. "Estimating irrigation water demand using an improved method and optimizing reservoir operation for water supply and hydropower generation: A case study of the Xinfengjiang reservoir in southern China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 110-121.
    8. Guidotti, Vinicius & Ferraz, Silvio Frosini de Barros & Pinto, Luis Fernando Guedes & Sparovek, Gerd & Taniwaki, Ricardo H. & Garcia, Lara Gabrielle & Brancalion, Pedro H.S., 2020. "Changes in Brazil’s Forest Code can erode the potential of riparian buffers to supply watershed services," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
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    11. Azar Sheikhzeinoddin & Abdoulkarim Esmaeili, 2017. "Ecological and economic impacts of different irrigation and fertilization practices: case study of a watershed in the southern Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 2499-2515, December.
    12. Jinkang Du & Hanyi Rui & Tianhui Zuo & Qian Li & Dapeng Zheng & Ailing Chen & Youpeng Xu & C.-Y. Xu, 2013. "Hydrological Simulation by SWAT Model with Fixed and Varied Parameterization Approaches Under Land Use Change," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(8), pages 2823-2838, June.
    13. Olufemi Abimbola & Aaron Mittelstet & Tiffany Messer & Elaine Berry & Ann van Griensven, 2020. "Modeling and Prioritizing Interventions Using Pollution Hotspots for Reducing Nutrients, Atrazine and E. coli Concentrations in a Watershed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-22, December.
    14. Prakash Kaini & Kim Artita & John Nicklow, 2012. "Optimizing Structural Best Management Practices Using SWAT and Genetic Algorithm to Improve Water Quality Goals," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(7), pages 1827-1845, May.
    15. Maharjan, Ganga Ram & Ruidisch, Marianne & Shope, Christopher L. & Choi, Kwanghun & Huwe, Bernd & Kim, Seong Joon & Tenhunen, John & Arnhold, Sebastian, 2016. "Assessing the effectiveness of split fertilization and cover crop cultivation in order to conserve soil and water resources and improve crop productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 305-318.
    16. Dechmi, F. & Skhiri, A., 2013. "Evaluation of best management practices under intensive irrigation using SWAT model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 55-64.
    17. Yiannis Panagopoulos & Christos Makropoulos & Maria Mimikou, 2011. "Diffuse Surface Water Pollution: Driving Factors for Different Geoclimatic Regions," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 25(14), pages 3635-3660, November.
    18. Özcan, Zeynep & Kentel, Elçin & Alp, Emre, 2017. "Evaluation of the best management practices in a semi-arid region with high agricultural activity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 160-171.
    19. Ricci, Giovanni Francesco & D’Ambrosio, Ersilia & De Girolamo, Anna Maria & Gentile, Francesco, 2022. "Efficiency and feasibility of Best Management Practices to reduce nutrient loads in an agricultural river basin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    20. Sanjeet Kumar & Ashok Mishra, 2015. "Critical Erosion Area Identification Based on Hydrological Response Unit Level for Effective Sedimentation Control in a River Basin," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(6), pages 1749-1765, April.

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