Hydrological model for Hemren dam reservoir catchment area at the middle River Diyala reach in Iraq using ArcSWAT model

Thair Sharif Khayyun,Imzahim Abdulkareem Alwan,Ali Mohsen Hayder

doi:10.1007/s13201-019-1010-0

Thair Sharif Khayyun, Imzahim Abdulkareem Alwan + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-019-1010-0

Copy DOI

Abstract

In this study, the catchment area’s runoff of Hemren dam reservoir within middle River Diyala reach beyond Derbendi-Khan dam at the northeast of Iraq is simulated using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (ArcSWAT-2012) model integrated with remote sensing and geographical information systems. The model was calibrated in monthly time step for the period extended from 1981 to 2000 with 2 years of warm-up period and validated with observed stream flow for years between 2001 and 2008. The model calibration and parameters sensitivity analysis were conducted using automatic calibration method within the SWAT-CUP program. The model performance for the studied catchment area was evaluated with many statistical criteria. In general, the performance of the model was good. Results of sensitivity analysis showed that there are seven parameters that mostly effect on the hydrological processes in the studied catchment; these were ALPHA_BF, CH_K2, CN2, CH_N2, SOL_AWC, REVAPMN, and GW_REVAP. Results showed that an effective runoff happens at wet seasons, and there is not continuous effective base flow from the studied catchment, and the average annual inflow volume to Hemren dam reservoir during the simulation period was 0.871 BCM, i.e., 17.42% of the overall inflow volume to Hemren dam reservoir. Furthermore, it was founded that the use of climate forecast system reanalysis of global weather station data is possible in the studied catchment area. Finally, a simple direct regression formula is determined by correlating the monthly runoff volume with monthly rainfall depth.

Highlights

Hydrological modelling is making simpler of the conceptual representation of a part of the hydrology cycle, and it is fundamentally used to describe the physical processes in a watershed that controls the conversion of precipitation to runoff
The objectives of this study were: (1) to model hydrological processes of the middle River Diyala catchment in Iraq based on semi-distributed hydrological model ArcSWAT-2012; (2) to evaluate the contribution of the middle River Diyala catchment area to surface runoff that inters to Hemren dam reservoir regardless of the releases from the Derbendi-Khan dam; (3) to find a possibility to use the climate forecast system reanalysis (CFSR) of global weather station data
The Hemren dam catchment in ArcSWAT model has been initially executed with default parameters, and a variety of results has been generated, and in light of these results, automatically calibration done with an explicit interface software Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Calibration and Uncertainty Program (SWAT-CUP) which is specially developed for calibration and uncertainty analysis can be coupled with the SWAT model in which the factors for the representation can be selected in accordance with the objectives of the study

Summary

Introduction

Hydrological modelling is making simpler of the conceptual representation of a part of the hydrology cycle, and it is fundamentally used to describe the physical processes in a watershed that controls the conversion of precipitation to runoff. Among the different kinds of models, semi-distributed models are the most efficient model for hydrological simulation as it exceeds the difficulties normally faced with fully distributed model and lumped model (Jajarmizadeh et al 2013) Out of these models, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a continuous daily step, long period, physically based parameter, and distributed hydrologic model has been used widely to simulate agricultural watersheds management practices as in Moriasi et al (2011), help to evaluate the climate change impacts as in Singh and Gosain (2011), identify water quality in watersheds as in Boithias et al (2011) and Oeurng et al (2010), and assess the surface, subsurface flow, and sediment yield transfer in various watersheds with varying soils as in Arnold et al (2012) and Gassman et al (2014). Several researchers have studied the water balance of the dam’s reservoir watershed using SWAT model as in Neitsch et al (2002, 2011), China as in Wang and Xia (2010) and Pakistan as in Ghoraba (2015)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion