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Delineation of “hydrologic hot spots” affecting watershed nutrient and hydrologic dynamics using large-scale models across a 500,000 km2 domain
Citation:
Rajib, A., H. Golden, C. Lane, AND E. D'Amico. Delineation of “hydrologic hot spots” affecting watershed nutrient and hydrologic dynamics using large-scale models across a 500,000 km2 domain. Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds (ICRW), Shepherdstown, WV, July 23 - 26, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Sub-basin scale models improve our ability to manage the surface water quality and quantity for swimmable, fishable, and drinkable goals
Description:
Wetlands and other waters are hot spots of nutrient and hydrological activity in watersheds. However, most hydrological models do not produce fine-resolution spatial characterizations of watershed locations where these waterbodies have the greatest impact on watershed nutrient concentrations and hydrology. This is particularly true for large river basins, affecting our ability to properly manage the quality and quantity of water available for swimmable, fishable, and drinkable beneficial uses. In response to this limitation, we initiated a large-scale modeling study across the ~0.45 million km2 Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), we developed a high-spatial resolution hydrologic model for UMRB with ~20,000 National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) stream segments. We included a spatially explicit riparian area in SWAT, and further modified the model to incorporate riparian hydraulic geometry and roughness parameters that vary both spatially and temporally with normal and flood conditions. The areal extent and water-storage capacity of ~0.9 million waterbodies (wetlands and other waters) in the UMRB were determined from spatial datasets (e.g., National Hydrography Dataset, National Wetlands Inventory, etc.) and a 10-m National Elevation Dataset incorporated into the SWAT model. With aggregated waterbody storage-discharge functions at the sub-basin level, our application of the SWAT model allows quantification of waterbody hydrologic contributions to downstream flow affecting nutrient concentrations over the ~0.45 million km2 domain. A 5-year hydrologic simulation using the modified UMRB SWAT model enabled spatially explicit delineation of “hydrologic hot spots” across the basin. The results highlight specific watersheds and regions important to the effective management of the UMRB and also identifies areas for targeted waterbody restoration.
URLs/Downloads:
http://www.cvent.com/events/6th-interagency-conference-on-research-in-the-watersheds/archived-3567aed4bb4040af82