ARS | Publication request: WEPP WATERSHED MODEL TECHNOLOGY

Submitted to: Soil Conservation and Water Quality Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: September 15, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) watershed model is a process- based, continuous simulation model built as an extension of the WEPP hillslope model (Flanagan and Nearing, 1995). The model was developed to predict erosion effects from agricultural management practices and to accommodate spatial and temporal variability in topography, soil properties, and land use conditions within small agricultural watersheds. The model contains three primary components: hillslope, channel, and impoundment. The WEPP watershed component is capable of 1) identifying zones of sediment deposition and detachment within permanent channels or ephemeral gullies; 2) accounting for the effects of backwater on sediment detachment, transport, and deposition within channels; 3) representing spatial and temporal variability in erosion and deposition processes as a result of agricultural management practices; and 4) improving estimates of watershed sediment yield by accurately modeling sediment impoundment effects. It is intended for use on small agricultural watersheds (less than 260 ha) in which the sediment yield at the outlet is significantly influenced by hillslope and channel processes. Model application is constrained by the following limitations: 1) no partial area response; 2) no headcutting; 3) no bank sloughing; and 4) no perennial streams.