Application of Swat for modeling runoff and sediment in Cau river basin

Abstract

     This study presents an application of the model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate water discharge and sediment fluxes in the Cau River Basin, an important river of the North region. The model was calibrated and validated based on a comparison of simulated and observed flow rates and sediment loads with time series from 2007 to 2014. In runoff simulation module, calibration and validation were assesed as very good class (R2 = 0.905, NSE = 0.903 and PBIAS = 0.635 in calibration; R2 = 0.921; NSE = 0.9 and PBIAS =10.03 in validation). In sediment simulation processes were evaluted as satisfactory class (R2 , NSE and PBIAS were respectively 0.832, 0.812 and -22.534 in calibration; 0.645, 0.587 and -18.586 in validation). According to model simulation, sediment load contributed to Cau River varied spatially and temporally with annual average load about 940 thousand tons. The model results and calibrated parameters can be used for futher detail studies.