Temporal Simulation of Sediment Yield Using WEPP Model in Dal Catchment of Temperate Region of Kashmir Valley, India: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 5
Abstract
Soil erosion by water is a serious and continuing environmental problem. In the present study the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model was used in the Dal catchment to simulate sediment yield. The study was conducted with the objective of calibrating and validating WEPP at the plot scale to examine its suitability for conservation planning. The WEPP model was calibrated using modified input parameters; further, the results were validated using a different data set. The soil erodibility () and critical shear stress () values vary from 1.70–2.7 and 0.27–0.76 Pa, respectively, for the study area. The average annual sediment yield (hillslope 1 and hillslope 2) was as against the measured value of . The modeled values of sediment yield showed a close agreement with field observed values. The model also produced temporal variations of sediment yield on hillslope areas. The correlation coefficients were found to be 0.93 and 0.945, RMSE were 0.065 and , and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency indexes were 0.84 and 0.85 for the validation and calibration periods, respectively. The coefficient of determination () values were found to be 0.89 and 0.90 during calibration and validation of the model, respectively. Results indicated that the WEPP model simulated sediment yield from steep slope conditions and in forest conditions as well. The WEPP model was found to be an effective tool for simulating hydrological and soil erosion processes in watersheds having scarce data.
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Data Availability Statement
All code generated and data used appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors are highly thankful to the College of Agricultural Engineering Technology, SKUAST- Kashmir for providing data and facilities to conduct the study.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 26 • Issue 5 • May 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Dec 5, 2019
Accepted: Dec 7, 2020
Published online: Feb 25, 2021
Published in print: May 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jul 25, 2021
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