Application of Watershed Modeling System (WMS) for Integrated Management of a Watershed in Turkey

Abstract

Watershed models, that enable the quantification of current and future pollution loading impacts, are essential tools to address the functions and conflicts faced in watershed planning and management. In this study, the Watershed Modeling System (WMS) version 7.1 was used for the delineation of boundaries of Koycegiz Lake-Dalyan Lagoon watershed located in the southwest of Turkey at the Mediterranean Sea coast. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was created for one of the major streams of the watershed, namely, Kargicak Creek by using WMS, and DEM data were further used to extract stream networks and delineate the watershed boundaries. Typical properties like drainage areas, characteristic length and slope of sub-drainage areas have also been determined to be used as model inputs in hydrological and diffuse pollution modeling. Besides, run-off hydrographs for the sub-drainages have been calculated using the Rational Method, which produces valuable data for calculating the time variable inflow and input pollution loads to be further utilized in the future water quality models of the Creek. Application of WMS in the study has shown that, it is capable to visualize the results in establishing watershed management strategies.

Estimation of monthly diffuse nutrient loads for a watershed in Turkey

“…In this approach, any drainage area considered as a separate unit is defined as a subwatershed. More detailed information on the subwatershed‐based diffuse nutrient load estimation can be found in (Erturk et al 2004, 2006, 2007a).…”

“…Besides, GIS provided a wide study area to analyse various layers that are stored and updated together with attributes and spatial information of any geographical surface. GIS has been extensively used for various purposes to support watershed modelling and assessment programmes over the last 10–15 years (Saunders & Maidment 1996; Evans et al 2002; Luzio et al 2004; Prasad et al 2005; Erturk et al 2006, 2007a; Jha et al 2007). When RS and GIS are used together, they provide a capacity to process high‐resolution spatial data that would help to identify the complex land‐use properties and to perform comprehensive queries.…”

Water quality assessment and meta model development in Melen watershed – Turkey

“…Watershed-based loads reaching to the streams were estimated in another study conducted by Gurel et al (2007b) using the methodology referred in Erturk et al (2006Erturk et al ( , 2007a, where the entire watershed was divided into drainage areas named as subwatersheds (Fig. 6).…”

Editorial: Clean Soil Air Water 2/2009

“…Istanbul Technical University (ITU) * Using GIS technology and remote sensing for land management [3,4]. There has been two Environmental Calls in FP7 (2007-2013) so far.…”