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CHEMICALS, RUNOFF, AND EROSION FROM AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - CREAMS
Description:
The CREAMS model can simulate pollutant movement on and from a field site, including such constituents as fertilizers (N and P), pesticides, and sediment. The effects of various agricultural practices can be assessed by simulation of the potential water, soil, nutrient, and pesticide losses in runoff from agricultural fields. The model structure consists of three major components: hydrology, erosion/sedimentation, and chemistry. The hydrology component estimates the volume and rate of runoff, evapotranspiration, soil moisture content, and percolation. The erosion/sedimentation portion of the model considers the processes of soil detachment, transport, and deposition. The chemistry portion of the model considers nutrients and pesticides. The transport of soluble and sediment- attached chemicals is evaluated. Interaction between plants and chemicals within the root zone is also considered. The model is designed to require a bare minimum of calibration parameters and is intended to be used for comparison of different management and land use strategies. The spatial scale of the model is intended to be the size of an agricultural field.
