Nonpoint source pollution: a distributed water quality modeling approach

A distributed water quality model for nonpoint source pollution modeling in agricultural watersheds is described in this paper. A water quality component was developed for WATFLOOD (a flood forecast hydrological model) to deal with sediment and nutrient transport. The model uses a distributed group response unit approach for water quantity and quality modeling. Runoff, sediment yield and soluble nutrient concentrations are calculated separately for each land cover class, weighted by area and then routed downstream. With data extracted using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology for a local watershed, the model is calibrated for the hydrologic response and validated for the water quality component. The transferability of model parameters to other watersheds, especially those in remote areas without enough data for calibration, is a major problem in diffuse modeling. With the connection to GIS and the group response unit approach used in this paper, model portability increases substantially, which will improve nonpoint source modeling at the watershed-scale level.