| Title: | Identification of critical source areas (CSAs) and evaluation of best management practices (BMPs) in controlling eutrophication in the Dez River Basin |
| Authors: | Babaei, H., M. Nazari-Sharabian, M. Karakouzian and S. Ahmad |
| Year: | 2019 |
| Journal: | Environments |
| Volume (Issue): | 6 |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 20 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/environments6020020 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic and pollutant |
| Primary Application Category: | critical source area assessment |
| Secondary Application Category: | BMP and/or cropping system assessment |
| Watershed Description: | 5,560 km^2 Dez River, which drains a portion of the northwest part of the Province of Khuzestan and is located in west central Iran. |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | Best Management Practices (BMPs) are commonly used to control pollution in the river
basins. Prioritization of BMPs helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of pollution reduction,
especially in Critical Source Areas (CSAs) that produce the highest pollution loads. Recently, the Dez
River in Khuzestan, Iran, has become highly eutrophic from the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides.
In this basin, dry and irrigated farming produce 77.34% and 6.3% of the Total Nitrogen (TN) load,
and 83.56% and 4.3% of the Total Phosphorus (TP) load, respectively. In addition, residential,
pasture, and forest land uses together account for 16.36% of the TN and 12.14% of the TP load in
this area. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was implemented to model the Dez River
basin and evaluate the applicability of several BMPs, including point source elimination, filter strips,
livestock grazing, and river channel management, in reducing the entry of pollution loads to the
river. Sensitivity analysis and calibration/validation of the model was performed using the SUFI-2
algorithm in the SWAT Calibration Uncertainties Program (SWAT-CUP). The CSAs were identified
using individual (sediment, TN, TP) and combined indices, based on the amount of pollution
produced. Among the BMPs implemented, the 10 m filter strip was most effective in reducing TN
load (42.61%), and TP load (39.57%). |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | water quality, SWAT, SWAT-CUP, SUFI-2 |