Multimodel, Multiple Watershed Examination of In-Stream Bacteria Modeling
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 5
Abstract
Excessive bacteria levels are a major water-quality problem in U.S. water bodies, and this study looked at the use of watershed-scale computer models to predict in-stream bacteria concentrations. The study site was the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW) in Tifton, Georgia, and fecal coliform fate and transport models were built for four of the LREW subwatersheds over the period January 1996–December 2002. Three models were examined: HSPF, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT), and the characteristic concentration (CC) model based on the principles of hydrograph separation. It was found that the most sensitive HSPF and SWAT water-quality parameters were associated with the in-stream bacteria processes, whereas parameters relating to terrestrial activity varied from sensitive to completely insensitive. Model performance was evaluated using the Nash–Sutcliffe statistic, and HSPF, SWAT, and the CC model performed comparably while showing distinct performance capabilities.
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Acknowledgments
Paul Duda of AquaTerra in Atlanta, Georgia, and Tom Jobes of the St. Johns River Water Management District in Paletka, Florida, provided valuable support with the HSPF models. Nancy Sammons and Mike White of the USDA-ARS in Temple, Texas, provided valuable support with the SWAT models. Victor Pestien of the University of Miami helped clarify mathematical concepts used in the Latin hypercube analysis. Chris Hanson of the University of Miami provided valuable support in setting up the GIS components of the models. Shihab Asfour and Khaled Zakaria of the University of Miami graciously provided extra computer resources for the modeling efforts.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 5 • May 2013
Pages: 719 - 727
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 5, 2012
Accepted: Oct 24, 2012
Published online: Oct 26, 2012
Published in print: May 1, 2013
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