title: Western Lake Erie Basin: Soft-data-constrained, NHDPlus resolution watershed modeling and exploration of applicable conservation scenarios.
abstract: Complex watershed simulation models are powerful tools that can help scientists and policy-makers address challenging topics, such as land use management and water security. In the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB), complex hydrological models have been applied at various scales to help describe relationships between land use and water, nutrient, and sediment dynamics. This manuscript evaluated the capacity of the current Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to predict hydrological and water quality processes within WLEB at the finest resolution watershed boundary unit (NHDPlus) along with the current conditions and conservation scenarios. The process based SWAT model was capable of the fine-scale computation and complex routing used in this project, as indicated by measured data at five gaging stations. The level of detail required for fine-scale spatial simulation made the use of both hard and soft data necessary in model calibration, alongside other model adaptations. Limitations to the model's predictive capacity were due to a paucity of data in the region at the NHDPlus scale rather than due to SWAT functionality. Results of treatment scenarios demonstrate variable effects of structural practices and nutrient management on sediment and nutrient loss dynamics. Targeting treatment to acres with critical outstanding conservation needs provides the largest return on investment in terms of nutrient loss reduction per dollar spent, relative to treating acres with lower inherent nutrient loss vulnerabilities. Importantly, this research raises considerations about use of models to guide land management decisions at very fine spatial scales. Decision makers using these results should be aware of data limitations that hinder fine-scale model interpretation.
authors.affiliation: Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M University, 720 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502, USA. Electronic address: haw.yen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haw
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: Grassland, Soil & Water Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 808 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Grassland, Soil & Water Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 808 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1314 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, OH 43212, USA.
authors.forename: S Conor
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Keitzer
authors.affiliation: Grassland, Soil & Water Research Laboratory, Resources Assessment Division, USDA-NRCS, 808 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502, USA.
authors.forename: Mari-Vaughn V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Grassland, Soil & Water Research Laboratory, Resources Assessment Division, USDA-NRCS, 808 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502, USA.
authors.forename: Jay D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Atwood
authors.affiliation: Spatial Science Laboratory, Texas A&M University, Suite 221, 1500 Research Plaza, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Prasad
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daggupati
authors.affiliation: The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Field Office, 101 East Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Field Office, 101 East Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906, USA.
authors.forename: Scott P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sowa
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1314 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, OH 43212, USA.
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ludsin
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
authors.forename: Dale M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Spatial Science Laboratory, Texas A&M University, Suite 221, 1500 Research Plaza, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Raghavan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Resources Assessment Division, USDA-NRCS, George Washington Carver Center, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rewa
keywords: Conservation practice; Lake Erie; Model calibration; NHDPlus model; Soft data; Swat-SAS