The 17th IASTED International Conference on
Applied Simulation and Modelling
~ASM 2008~

June 23 – 25, 2008
Corfu, Greece

TUTORIAL SESSION

Introduction to Using the Soil Water Assessment Tool Model Integrated with ArcGIS 9 with Demonstration

Julie Earls
University of South Florida, USA
jearls@mail.usf.edu

Dr. Barnali Dixon
University of South Florida, USA
bdixon@stpt.usf.edu

Abstract

Adequate characterization of a hydrological budget is critical in watershed management and planning for the future. While many models exist and some model a single dimension or component adequately, it is difficult to find a single model to handle ground and surface water interactions as well as ET and anthropogenic affects on a drainage basin. Further, it is difficult to visualize results and predict what is occurring for sub-basin areas within the larger drainage basin. This tutorial will introduce and address use of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to estimate elements of a hydrological budget in a model interfaced with a Geographic Information System (GIS). The SWAT model, utilizing GIS, allows for the spatial inputs of variables such as digital elevation models (DEMs), soil layers and landuse layers, to create a comprehensive and spatially distributed watershed model. Results from the model can be realized at a daily, monthly or annual time-step, and forecasting is one of the newer components of the recent model releases as well. Output variables that can be tested are: flow, ET, multiple groundwater components, nutrient loading, microbial loading, etc.

Knowledge Expected Of Participants

Participants should be aware of the major components of a hydrological budget and how different models approach quantifying them. Knowledge of GIS is preferred, but not required.

Learning objectives/outcomes

The objective of this tutorial is to introduce the SWAT model to the audience, go over the model interface and demonstrate its application (on tested data from a small study area to accommodate time constraints) and discuss the results of some of the studies that have been performed by the presenters.

Time Allocations for Major Course Topics

Biography of the Presenters

Julie Earls is a full-time Research Scientist at the University of South Florida and Lab Manager of the Geo-Spatial Analytics Lab. She has used the SWAT model for over 4 years, beginning with attending workshops on the Beginner and Advanced SWAT model at Texas A&M University where the majority of the training and model dissemination of the model continues to occur. She has utilized and tested the model for various research projects over multiple drainage basins and has presented the results at conferences such as Applied Geography, Interdisciplinary Environmental Association, Soil Science Society of America, Association of American Geographers, Florida Academy of Sciences, American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and American Water Resources Association. She has also published her results in many of the above-listed conference proceedings as well as the WIT Press River Basin Management III from 2005 and a special issue of the SSSA Vadose Zone Journal on Multi-Scale Mapping set to come out in early 2008.

Dr. Barnali Dixon is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in the Environmental Science, Policy & Geography Department and Director of the Geo-Spatial Analytics Lab. She has extensive experience in the application and teaching of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), geostatistics, fuzzy logic and neural networks for environmental modeling. Her areas of research interests include advancement of environmental modeling through enhancement of remotely sensed data (image processing) and GIS using fuzzy logic, neural networks and neuro-fuzzy techniques. Dr. Dixon has applied environmental models including soil erosion, surface and ground water quality, ground-water vulnerability, watershed risk assessment and management (soils, land-use and water quality relationship), contaminant transport processes, land-use and ground-water recharge, rainfall-runoff simulation, and land-use planning (urbanization, soils and water quality relationship).