Identifying sediment source areas in a Mediterranean watershed using the SWAT model

Ricci, Giovanni Francesco; Girolamo, Anna Maria De; Abdelwahab, Ossama M.M.; Gentile, Francesco

doi:10.1002/ldr.2889

Cited by 67 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 112 publications

(145 reference statements)

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“…CEA, as part of Mediterranean sub-arid catchments with low precipitation rates and accentuated water scarcity during summer, is a fragile ecosystem and some measures are needed to mitigate water resources overexploitation, as commented by other authors (Ricci et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Further analysis during very low flow days (measured data) is necessary (Bisantino et al, 2010;Skoulikidis et al, 2017). A calibration based on a seasonal scheme is needed (Ricci et al, 2018) and differentiated dynamic baseline flow could provide a strategy to follow (Arnold et al, 1995). Although there are some studies that report very low flows in regulated rivers in Europe (Kirkby et al, 2011), or in Spain (Martinez -Capel et al, 2011Salmoral et al, 2017), no discussion about this condition related with PBIAS is provided.…”

Section: Swat Model Sensitivity Analysis Calibration and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An accurate evaluation of water availability in sub-arid Mediterranean watersheds through SWAT: Cega-Eresma-Adaja

Rivas-Tabares

Tarquis

Willaarts

et al. 2019

Agricultural Water Management

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Simulation of flow processes in hyper-regulated Mediterranean watersheds is critical when examining general water demand and established ecological flows of River Basin Management Plans. Weather dynamics in the Mediterranean zone in recent decades have been characterised by a natural variation of drought cycles. In addition, exacerbated climate change proves that water fluxes must be estimated with more exhaustive models. The aim of this study is to assess the water balance of the Cega-Eresma-Adaja (CEA) watershed, including a detailed assessment of land uses and management practices to quantify agricultural water demand for the time period 2004-2014. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), given that it is a widespread tool that involves complex processes of the water cycle on a basin scale, providing information on water dynamics related to land use as a fundamental characteristic for water balance calculation. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient efficiency value, the main index of calibration and validation performance, was 0.86 for the Eresma-Adaja River and 0.67 for the Cega River. This presents a good result considering the large-scale watershed studied. Analysing dry hydrological years, we found that the estimation of ecological flows for sub-arid zones needs to consider the shallow aquifer-river relationship. During spring-summer periods, with very low flow, monitoring the shallow aquifer levels ensures a good ecological status. The study reveals that aspects such as crop rotation, soil management and their associated measures in Mediterranean basins are key factors for water resource management during drought periods. These results are expected to serve stakeholders and river basin authorities in conducting better-integrated water management practices in the watershed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Swat Model Sensitivity Analysis Calibration and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

An accurate evaluation of water availability in sub-arid Mediterranean watersheds through SWAT: Cega-Eresma-Adaja

Rivas-Tabares

Tarquis

Willaarts

et al. 2019

Agricultural Water Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Firstly, the selected model parameters affecting the discharge simulation process were inserted within SWAT-CUP calibration. Published studies of similar catchments were identified to establish initial range values plausible for the study area and Mediterranean climate conditions [2,4,58,59]. As indicated by De Girolamo and Lo Porto [30], we assumed a transposition of the groundwater parameters, soil parameters, and management parameters for the same combination of input data.…”

Section: Model Calibration and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from the effects on biotic communities, there is a growing interest in long-term hydrological dynamics in intensive-agriculture watersheds. Extensive research has shown that environmental processes governed by water flow, such as sediment loads and nitrogen and phosphorus discharges in these environments, could seriously exacerbate freshwater and groundwater pollution, salinity, and soil erosion [3][4][5][6]. The indirect effects of the modified freshwater flux and water supply associated with the local climates' uncertainties will induce changes in plant growth and the productivity of crops due to drought and heat stress [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Streamflow and Nutrient Loadings in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean Watershed with Ephemeral Streams Using the SWAT Model

Pulighe¹,

Bonati²,

Colangeli

et al. 2019

Agronomy

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Predicting the availability and quality of freshwater resources is a pressing concern in the Mediterranean area, where a number of agricultural systems depend solely on precipitation. This study aims at predicting streamflow and nonpoint pollutant loads in a temporary river system in the Mediterranean basin (Sulcis area, Sardinia, Italy). Monthly discharge, suspended sediment, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, mineral phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen in-stream monitoring data from gauge stations were used to calibrate and validate the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model for the period 1979–2009. A Sequential Uncertainty Fitting procedure was used to auto-calibrate parameter uncertainties and model evaluation. Monthly simulation during the validation period showed a positive model performance for streamflow with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and percent bias values of 0.7% and 18.7%, respectively. The simulation results at a watershed level indicate that the sediment load was 1.13 t ha−1 year−1, while for total nitrogen and total phosphorus, the simulated values were 4.8 and 1.18 kg ha−1 year−1, respectively. These results were consistent with the values of soil and nutrient losses observed in the Mediterranean area, although hot-spot areas with high nutrient loadings were identified. The calibrated model could be used to assess long-term impacts on water quality associated with the simulated land use scenarios.

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“…The SWAT model was developed to predict the impact of land management practices on water, sediments and agricultural chemical yields in ungauged river basins [14]. The model is widely used in hydrological [8,26] and water-quality analyses at the basin scale [27,28] to assess the impact of land-use changes or climate changes on surface waters [19,29].…”

Section: Quantifying Point and Non-point Source Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Source Apportionment of Nutrient Loads to a Mediterranean River and Potential Mitigation Measures

Girolamo

Porto

2020

Water

Self Cite

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The aims of the study were to quantify nutrient loads from point and diffuse pollution sources in the Rio Mannu stream and to simulate mitigation measures for reducing nutrient loads delivered to the Santa Gilla wetland. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool model was used for simulating hydrology, nutrient balance and water quality. At the basin scale, the input from fertilisers was 80.3 kg ha−1 year−1 total nitrogen (TN) (87.6% of the total input) and 27.6 kg ha−1 year−1 of total phosphorus (TP) (99.8% of the total input). Atmospheric deposition and biological N-fixation together accounted for about 12% of the total TN input. The TN and TP from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were about 14.2 t year−1 and 3.1 t year−1, respectively. Nutrient loads delivered to the river system differed among the sub-basins, with TP ranging from 0.2 kg ha−1 year−1 to 2.7 kg ha−1 year−1, and the sum of organic N and NO3-N ranging from 1.8 kg ha−1 year−1 to 22.9 kg ha−1 year−1. Under high flow conditions, NO3-N and TP accounted for 89% and 99% of the total load, respectively. The low flow contribution to the total load was very low, with NO3-N and TP accounting for 2.8% and 0.7%, respectively. However, the natural hydrological regime in the study area is intermittent, and low flow represents a critical condition for the water quality due to the high concentrations of TP and NO3-N from WWTP discharge. To improve the water quality, the reuse of treated wastewater from three WWTPs for irrigation purposes on olive cultivation, coupled with a 20% reduction in fertiliser application, was simulated. The results showed a reduction in nutrient loads at the outlet for all hydrological conditions. However, additional measures are needed for improving water quality.

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Identifying sediment source areas in a Mediterranean watershed using the SWAT model

Cited by 67 publications

References 112 publications

An accurate evaluation of water availability in sub-arid Mediterranean watersheds through SWAT: Cega-Eresma-Adaja

An accurate evaluation of water availability in sub-arid Mediterranean watersheds through SWAT: Cega-Eresma-Adaja

Predicting Streamflow and Nutrient Loadings in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean Watershed with Ephemeral Streams Using the SWAT Model

Source Apportionment of Nutrient Loads to a Mediterranean River and Potential Mitigation Measures

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