Abstract
Selecting the right model to simulate a specific watershed has always been a challenge, and field testing of watersheds could help researchers to use the proper model for their purposes. The performance of three popular Geographic Information System (GIS)-based watershed simulation models (European Hydrological System Model (MIKE SHE), Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)) were evaluated for their ability to simulate the hydrology of the 52.6 km2 Canagagigue Watershed located in the Grand River Basin in southern Ontario, Canada. All three models were calibrated for a four-year period and then validated using an independent four-year period by comparing simulated and observed daily, monthly and annual streamflow. The simulated flows generated by the three models are quite similar and closely match the observed flow, particularly for the calibration results. The mean daily/monthly flow at the outlet of the Canagagigue Watershed simulated by MIKE SHE was more accurate than that simulated by either the SWAT or the APEX model, during both the calibration and validation periods. Moreover, for the validation period, MIKE SHE predicted the overall variation of streamflow slightly better than either SWAT or APEX.
Highlights
Many computer simulation models have been developed to simulate watershed-scale processes and the hydrologic effects of different management scenarios
Selecting the proper model to simulate the hydrologic processes of a specific watershed has always been a challenge, and field testing of the hydrologic components of watersheds could help researchers to use the proper model for their purposes
This paper presents the overall performances of the three models in this Ontario watershed, where there is significant snowfall and snowmelt influence runoff
Summary
Many computer simulation models have been developed to simulate watershed-scale processes and the hydrologic effects of different management scenarios. Watershed models are effective tools for investigating the complex nature of those processes that affect surface and subsurface hydrology, soil erosion and the transport and fate of chemical constituents in watersheds [1]. A watershed model can be used to achieve a better understanding of the impact of land use activities and different management practices on these hydrologic processes. Due to the increased spatial data availability, more and more distributed hydrological models are used. The Geographic Information System (GIS) has provided another useful basis for spatially distributed physical processes, including watershed models. Selecting the proper model to simulate the hydrologic processes of a specific watershed has always been a challenge, and field testing of the hydrologic components of watersheds could help researchers to use the proper model for their purposes
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