Katrin Bieger

Aarhus University

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Jeffrey G. Arnold

Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Michael J. White

Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Peter M. Allen

Baylor University

Hendrik Rathjens

Purdue University West Lafayette

David D. Bosch

Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory

Nicola Fohrer

Kiel University

Ryan T. Bailey

Colorado State University

Raghavan Srinivasan

Texas A&M University

Seonggyu Park

Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Haw Yen

Auburn University

Cooperative Institutions

Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Agricultural Research Service

Texas A&M University

Kiel University

United States Department of Agriculture

Purdue University West Lafayette

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Aarhus University

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Clinical Research Center Kiel

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Representing the Connectivity of Upland Areas to Floodplains and Streams in SWAT+

JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association (2019)

Katrin Bieger Jeffrey G. Arnold Hendrik Rathjens Michael J. White David D. Bosch

Abstract In recent years, watershed modelers have put increasing emphasis on capturing the interaction of landscape hydrologic processes instead of focusing on streamflow at the watershed outlet alone. Understanding the hydrologic connectivity between landscape elements is important to explain the hydrologic response of a watershed to rainfall events. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool+ (SWAT+) is a new version of SWAT with improved runoff routing capabilities. Subbasins may be divided into landscape units (LSUs), e.g., upland areas and floodplains, and flow can be routed between these LSUs. We ran three scenarios representing different extents of connectivity between uplands, floodplains, and streams. In the first and second scenarios, the ratio of channelized flow from the upland to the stream and sheet flow from the upland to the floodplain was 70/30 and 30/70, respectively, for all upland/floodplain pairs. In the third scenario, the ratio was calculated for each upland/floodplain pair based on the upland/floodplain area ratio. Results indicate differences in streamflow were small, but the relative importance of flow components and upland areas and floodplains as sources of surface runoff changed. Also, the soil moisture in the floodplains was impacted. The third scenario was found to provide more realistic results than the other two. A realistic representation of connectivity in watershed models has important implications for the identification of pollution sources and sinks.

Impervious surface

SWAT model

Flow routing

10.1111/1752-1688.12728

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Citations (61)

A QGIS-based graphical user interface for application and evaluation of SWAT-MODFLOW models

Environmental Modelling & Software (2018)

Seonggyu Park Anders Nielsen Ryan T. Bailey Dennis Trolle Katrin Bieger

MODFLOW

Python

Graphical user interface

Interface (matter)

10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.10.017

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Citations (66)

Development and Evaluation of Bankfull Hydraulic Geometry Relationships for the Physiographic Regions of the United States

JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association (2015)

Katrin Bieger Hendrik Rathjens Peter M. Allen Jeffrey G. Arnold

Abstract Bankfull hydraulic geometry relationships are used to estimate channel dimensions for streamflow simulation models, which require channel geometry data as input parameters. Often, one nationwide curve is used across the entire United States ( U.S. ) (e.g., in Soil and Water Assessment Tool), even though studies have shown that the use of regional curves can improve the reliability of predictions considerably. In this study, regional regression equations predicting bankfull width, depth, and cross‐sectional area as a function of drainage area are developed for the Physiographic Divisions and Provinces of the U.S. and compared to a nationwide equation. Results show that the regional curves at division level are more reliable than the nationwide curve. Reliability of the curves depends largely on the number of observations per region and how well the sample represents the population. Regional regression equations at province level yield even better results than the division‐level models, but because of small sample sizes, the development of meaningful regression models is not possible in some provinces. Results also show that drainage area is a less reliable predictor of bankfull channel dimensions than bankfull discharge. It is likely that the regional curves can be improved using multiple regression models to incorporate additional explanatory variables.

Sample (material)

Hydraulic structure

10.1111/jawr.12282

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Citations (104)

Detailed spatial analysis of SWAT-simulated surface runoff and sediment yield in a mountainous watershed in China

Hydrological Sciences Journal (2014)

Katrin Bieger Georg Hörmann Nicola Fohrer

In this study, surface runoff and sediment yields, simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the Xiangxi catchment, China, are analysed at the spatial level of hydrologic response unit (HRU). This allows for a more precise targeting of best management practices than analysis at the coarser sub-basin level. It also provides the opportunity to validate simulated surface runoff and sediment yield by evaluating the plausibility of their spatial variation within the watershed. The results indicate that satisfactory model performance at a gauge does not guarantee plausible results at HRU level. Both surface runoff and sediment yields were found to vary reasonably with land use and soil types, but not with slope. The credibility of simulated surface runoff was increased by modifying selected SWAT algorithms and parameters. However, these modifications had only a marginal effect on sediment yield, which can be explained by the nonlinear relationship between sediment yield and HRU area in the modified Universal Soil Loss Equation. This study demonstrates that evaluation of model output at HRU level is highly recommended.

SWAT model

10.1080/02626667.2014.965172

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Citations (40)

Advancements in Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for ecohydrological modelling and application

Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology (2019)

Mikołaj Piniewski Katrin Bieger Bano Mehdi

Ecohydrology

10.1016/j.ecohyd.2019.05.001

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Citations (8)

Representation of Hydrological Components under a Changing Climate—A Case Study of the Uruguay River Basin Using the New Version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Model (SWAT+)

Water (2023)

Osvaldo Luis Barresi Armoa Sabine Sauvage Tobias Houska Katrin Bieger Christoph Schürz

SWAT+ is a revised version of the SWAT model that has the capability to route flow across landscape units in the catchment, which is expected to improve the spatial representation of processes in watersheds. We applied the SWAT+ model in the Uruguay River Basin, an international river basin in South America with a total surface area of 370,000 km2, in order to (1) assess the water balance components, (2) represent their spatial distribution, and (3) examine their changes over time. The catchment was divided into uplands and floodplains and a decision table rule was developed based on streamflow data. The SPOTPY Python library was linked to SWAT+ and used as a tool to perform sensitivity analyses and calibration. The model represented the fluctuations of discharge well, although there was a general tendency to underestimate peak flows. Blue (precipitation and runoff) and green (evapotranspiration and soil water content) hydrological components were spatially plotted. Overall, SWAT+ simulated a realistic spatial distribution of the water cycle components. A seasonal Mann–Kendall test suggests a positive increasing trend in the average temperature (p-value = 0.007; Sen’s slope = 0.09), the soil water content (p-value = 0.02; Sen’s slope = 1.29), and evapotranspiration (p-value: 0.03; Sen’s slope = 1.97), indicating that the ecosystem experienced a changing climate during the simulation period. The findings presented in this study are of significant value for the impacts of sustainable management and the evaluation of climate change on water resources in the Uruguay River Basin.

SWAT model

Water balance

Water cycle

10.3390/w15142604

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Citations (7)

Development and accuracy assessment of a 12-digit hydrologic unit code based real-time climate database for hydrologic models in the US

Journal of Hydrology (2020)

Jungang Gao Katrin Bieger Michael J. White Jeffrey G. Arnold

Hydrological modelling

Quantitative precipitation forecast

10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124817

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Citations (5)

Featured Series Conclusion: SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges

JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association (2017)

Venkatesh Merwade Claire Baffaut Katrin Bieger Laurie Boithias Hendrik Rathjens

Research center

10.1111/1752-1688.12601

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Citations (2)

Representation of hydrological processes in a rural lowland catchment in Northern Germany usingSWATandSWAT+

Hydrological Processes (2022)

Paul D. Wagner Katrin Bieger Jeffrey G. Arnold Nicola Fohrer

Abstract The latest version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) features several improvements compared with previous versions of the model, for example, the definition of landscape units that allow for a better representation of spatio‐temporal dynamics. To evaluate the new model capabilities in lowland catchments characterized by near‐surface groundwater tables and extensive tile drainage, we assess the performance of two SWAT+ model setups in comparison to a setup based on a previous SWAT model version (SWAT 3S with a modified three groundwater storage model) in the Kielstau catchment in Northern Germany. The Kielstau catchment has an area of about 50 km 2 , is dominated by agricultural land use, and has been thoroughly monitored since 2005. In both SWAT+ setups, the catchment is divided into upland areas and floodplains, but in the first SWAT+ model setup, runoff from the hydrologic response units is summed up at landscape unit level and added directly to the stream. In the second SWAT+ model setup, runoff is routed across the landscape before it reaches the streams. Model results are compared with regard to (i) model performance for stream flow at the outlet of the catchment and (ii) aggregated as well as temporally and spatially distributed water balance components. All three model setups show a very good performance at the catchment outlet. In comparison to a previous version of the SWAT model that produced more groundwater flow, the SWAT+ model produced more tile drainage flow and surface runoff. Results from the new SWAT+ model confirm that the representation of routing processes from uplands to floodplains in the model further improved the representation of hydrological processes. Particularly, the stronger spatial heterogeneity that can be related to characteristics of the landscape, is very promising for a better understanding and model representation of hydrological fluxes in lowland areas. The outcomes of this study are expected to further prove the applicability of SWAT+ and provide useful information for future model development.

SWAT model

Tile drainage

10.1002/hyp.14589

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Citations (33)

Use of Decision Tables to Simulate Management in SWAT+

Water (2018)

Jeffrey G. Arnold Katrin Bieger Michael J. White Raghavan Srinivasan John A. Dunbar

Decision tables have been used for many years in data processing and business applications to simulate complex rule sets. Several computer languages have been developed based on rule systems and they are easily programmed in several current languages. Land management and river–reservoir models simulate complex land management operations and reservoir management in highly regulated river systems. Decision tables are a precise yet compact way to model the rule sets and corresponding actions found in these models. In this study, we discuss the suitability of decision tables to simulate management in the river basin scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) model. Decision tables are developed to simulate automated irrigation and reservoir releases. A simple auto irrigation application of decision tables was developed using plant water stress as a condition for irrigating corn in Texas. Sensitivity of the water stress trigger and irrigation application amounts were shown on soil moisture and corn yields. In addition, the Grapevine Reservoir near Dallas, Texas was used to illustrate the use of decision tables to simulate reservoir releases. The releases were conditioned on reservoir volumes and flood season. The release rules as implemented by the decision table realistically simulated flood releases as evidenced by a daily Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.52 and a percent bias of −1.1%. Using decision tables to simulate management in land, river, and reservoir models was shown to have several advantages over current approaches, including: (1) mature technology with considerable literature and applications; (2) ability to accurately represent complex, real world decision-making; (3) code that is efficient, modular, and easy to maintain; and (4) tables that are easy to maintain, support, and modify.

SWAT model

Decision table

10.3390/w10060713

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Citations (91)