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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #223879
Title: Testing Models for Predicting BMP Effectiveness in Town Brook, a CEAP Watershed

Author
item DAHLKE, HELEN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item RAO, NALINI - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item WHITE, ERIC - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Veith, Tameria - Tamie
item EASTON, ZACH - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item SCHNEIDERMAN, ELLIOT - NYC DEP
item STEENHUIS, TAMMO - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: National Sedimentaton Laboratory (NSL)- 50 Years of Soil & Water Research in a Changing Agricultural Environment
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2008
Publication Date: 9/30/2008
Citation: Dahlke, H., Rao, N., White, E., Veith, T.L., Easton, Z., Schneiderman, E., Steenhuis, T. 2008. An interactive web tool model for siting best management practices in humid areas. In: The National Sedimentaton Laboratory (NSL)- 50 Years of Soil & Water Research in a Changing Agricultural Environment. Sept. 3-5, 2008, Oxford, Mississippi. 2008 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: Not applicable

Technical Abstract: The spatial distribution of saturated areas is an important consideration in numerous applications, such as water resource planning or sighting of management practices. Many water quality models use some form of the Soil Conservation Service curve number (CN) equation to predict storm runoff in ways that implicitly assume an infiltration-excess response to rainfall. Because of this, these models may fail to predict variable source areas (VSAs) correctly in rural, humid regions where runoff is typically generated from saturated areas. Much of the non-point source pollution in these watersheds originate from the VSAs. In this talk, we will discuss various techniques using the SCS curve number method to predict the spatial moisture patterns in the rural, humid Town Brook CEAP watershed. The techniques range from a simple analytical expression solved in spreadsheets or running water balance models within a GIS to running SWAT with both standard hydrologic response units (HRUs) which depend on soil and vegetation type and modified HRUs that are based on the topographic index. We find that all models can predict equally well the discharge at the watershed outlet, but spatial results vary between models. As expected the spatial location of saturated areas simulated with VSA type models compare well with field and satellite observations. Infiltration excess models predict the spatial runoff pattern surprisingly well because their land use and wetness are linked in the watershed. However, some discrepancies in simulated runoff location were noted too. Finally, BMP effectiveness predicted with the models in Town Brook watershed will be discussed by comparing the results against available data.