| Title: | Modeling streamflow response to persistent drought in a coastal tropical mountainous watershed, Sierra Nevada De Santa Marta, Colombia |
| Authors: | Hoyos, N., A. Correa-Metrio, S.M. Jepsen, B. Wemple, S. Valencia, M. Marsik, R. Doria, J. Escobar, J.C. Restrepo and M.I. Velez |
| Year: | 2019 |
| Journal: | Water |
| Volume (Issue): | 11(1) |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 94 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/w11010094 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT-T & SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
| Primary Application Category: | drought assessment |
| Secondary Application Category: | crop, forest and/or vegetation growth/yield and/or parameters |
| Watershed Description: | 300 km^2 Rio Frio (Frio River), located on the southwestern slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Massif near the coast of northeast Colombia. |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | Droughts constitute natural hazards that affect water supply for ecosystems and human
livelihoods. In 2013–2016, the Caribbean experienced the worst drought since the 1950s, and climate
projections for the southern Caribbean predict less rainfall by the end of the 21st century. We assessed
streamflow response to drought for a watershed in the Colombian Caribbean by analyzing the
effects of drought length and land cover on streamflow recovery. We generated a calibrated SWAT
model and created annual and monthly drought scenarios from rainfall records. We used our model
to predict water yield for selected land covers (wet forest, shade coffee, shrub, and dry forest)
under drought conditions. Annual scenarios resulted in water yield reductions of ~15 mm month-1
(wet forest, coffee, and shrub) and 5 mm month-1 (dry forest) for the first month after a two-year
drought. Maximum water yield reductions for monthly scenarios occurred after a 10-month drought
and were ~100 mm month-1 (wet forest, coffee, and shrub) and 20 mm month-1 (dry forest).
Streamflow recovered within nine months (annual scenarios), and two to eight months (monthly
scenarios) after drought termination. Drought response seems to be conditioned by climatic factors
(rainfall seasonality and spatial variability) and catchment properties. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | drought; seasonal tropics; SWAT; SWAT-T; modeling |