Point and Non point source data

[Somsubhra chattopadhyay]

Dear SWAT users

I have some point sources such as wastewater treatment plants in my watershed, which I am planning to include in my project. I am just wondering that how can I obtain the data for those sources and what is the best way to include those sources in my SWAT model (expected format of the data, etc).

Also I am looking for the specific non point sources data including the tillage operation, fertilizer application and the management practices occurring in the region to use in my SWAT project. Is there a specific website/online source to find information about these data?


I would be really thankful for any suggestions/insights.

Best
Somsubhra

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Thanks and Regards,
Somsubhra Chattopadhyay
Graduate Research Assistant
Water Resource Research Group
Department of Civil Engineering
North Carolina A&T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina
Email: scha...@aggies.ncat.edu

[Adam Freihoefer]

Somsubhra,

If you want to incorporate WWTP information within SWAT you will need to obtain the monitoring data collected at the WWTP outfall. I am not sure how it works in North Carolina, but in Wisconsin the Dept. of Natural Resources has each permittee's monitoring data (average daily flow and concentration data collected during a given interval). From the monitoring data we can calculate a monthly or annual load and incorporate it as a point source within SWAT. Obtaining monthly loads is best, but if the information is course you can extrapolate monthly loads from the annual information. Reference the SWAT user manual in regards to the specifics for setting up a point source input file. In SWAT 2009 the type of input file you setup is dependent on the time step of the point source (rechour, recday,recmon, recyear). Basically the SWAT input file will include the station coordinates and load information.

In terms of collecting land management information (tillage, rotation, fertilizer applications) there is only so much you can obtain from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (http://www.nass.usda.gov/ or http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/). North Carolina may have a state run website that provides some land management information, but most states do not. In Wisconsin we tend to work with the county conservationists since they work with the farm community on a daily basis and are considered the local experts regarding agricultural land management within their respective county. I typically provide them with a map of the ag land in their county and they can provide me (and based on their knowledge) with the typical management info per farm. I then can build that into the .mgt file per HRU within the SWAT model.

Hope that helps,

Adam Freihoefer

TMDL Modeler

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources