| Title: | A sensitivity analysis of impacts of conservation practices on water quality in L'Anguille River Watershed, Arkansas |
| Authors: | Singh, G., D. Saraswat and A. Sharpley |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Journal: | Water |
| Volume (Issue): | 10(4) |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 443 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/w10040443 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic and pollutant |
| Primary Application Category: | BMP and/or cropping system assessment |
| Secondary Application Category: | pollutant cycling/loss and transport |
| Watershed Description: | 2,474 km^2 L'Anguille River, located in the Mississippi Delta ecoregion in northeast Arkansas, U.S. |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | Assessing the performance of appropriate agricultural conservation practices (CPs)
frequently relies on the use of simulation models as a cost-effective tool instead of depending solely
on the monitoring of water quality at individual field and watershed levels. This study evaluates the
predicted impacts of several CPs on nutrient and sediment loss at the hydrological response unit scale
in the L’Anguille River Watershed, which is a watershed identified as a “focus watershed” under the
Mississippi River Basin healthy watershed Initiative (MRBI) program. The Soil andWater Assessment
Tool model was calibrated and validated between 1998–2005 and 2006–2012, respectively for flow,
sediment, total phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen. Out of the seven MRBI CPs modeled in this study,
the highest reduction in sediment (80%) and nutrient (58% for total phosphorus and 16% for total
nitrogen) was predicted for the critical area planting practice, followed by filter strip, irrigation land
leveling, grade stabilization structure, irrigation pipeline, nutrient management, and irrigation water
management. Some of the predicted impacts conflicted with expected CP performance. The study
underscores the importance of the proper formulation of CP algorithms in using simulation models
for predicting impacts on water quality. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | conservation practice; environmental modeling; SWAT |