Assessment of BMPs by Estimating Hydrologic and Water Quality Outputs Using SWAT in Yazoo River Watershed

Abstract

Water quality is a global concern; it is due to point and non-point source pollution. Non-point sources for pollution are mainly runoff from Agricultural and forest. To decrease nutrient inputs, management practices are implemented. Using Soil and Water Assessment Tool, water quality parameters can be quantified. Yazoo River Watershed is the largest watershed in Mississippi, which have impact on surface water quality due to large scale agriculture and forest lands. Model has been calibrated and validated for streamflow, sediment, Total Nitrogen (TN), Total Phosphorus (TP) for the USGS gauge stations in the watershed. Model efficiency was assessed with Coefficient of Determination (R2) and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency index (NSE). Best Management Practices (BMPs) were implemented throughout the watershed to simulate the impact of BMPs on streamflow, sediment, and nutrient yields. Vegetative Filter Strips (VFS), Riparian Buffer, combination of VFS and Riparian buffer and Cover Crops (CC) were tested for assessing the effective BMP in improving water quality. VFS, Riparian buffer and both (VFS + riparian) have no effect on streamflow, but they were able to decrease sediment, TN, and TP yields. Scenario with both VFS and Riparian buffer had the highest reduction capability as per varying width (5, 10, 15, and 20 m). For CC, Rye grass, Winter Barley and Winter Wheat (WW) were used, of which Rye grass had highest, 5.3% reduction in streamflow. WW has the highest Total Nitrogen reduction that is of 25.4%. CC also has significant reduction ranged between 10% to 11% for TP. This research would assist the Agricultural community to apply appropriate Management practices to improve water quality.