TECHNICAL PAPERS
Mar 1, 1993

Evaluation of Runoff and Erosion Models

Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 119, Issue 2

Abstract

Runoff and sediment yield for 30 runoff events on three experimental watersheds are calculated using the agricultural non‐point‐source pollution (AGNPS), areal non‐point‐source watershed environmental response simulation (ANSWERS), and chemicals runoff and erosion from agricultural management systems (CREAMS) runoff‐erosion models. The results are compared with measured runoff and sediment yield. The computed and measured runoffs show reasonable to poor agreement. The average ratios of computed to measured sediment yields for the various storms and watersheds show a large scatter. ANSWERS provides the most consistent results for estimates of runoff and sediment yield. All three models tend to underestimate sediment yield for large storms. For high intensity and low intensity storms on two small watersheds, the detachment models in ANSWERS and CREAMS have biases (ratio of calculated to measured sediment yields) that range between 0.9–1.0 and 0.4–1.6, respectively.

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Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 119Issue 2March 1993
Pages: 364 - 382

History

Received: Apr 1, 1991
Published online: Mar 1, 1993
Published in print: Mar 1993

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Authors

Affiliations

Tien H. Wu, Fellow, ASCE
Prof. of Civ. Engrg., The Ohio State Univ., 2070 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210
James A. Hall, Associate Member, ASCE
Civ. Engr. Burgess & Niple, Ltd. 5085 Reed Rd., Columbus, OH 43220
James V. Bonta, Member, ASCE
Res. Hydr. Engr., USDA‐Agric. Res. Service, No. Appalachian Experiment Watershed, P.O. Box 478, Coshocton, OH 43812

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