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Clear Filters
Model
Delft3D FM
LSPC
MIKE 21 FM
L-THIA
TETIS - N
WASP8
Delft3D
INCA
AnnAGNPS
APEX
Mike Basin
AGNPS-VSA
PCLake
WEP-N
QUAL2K
NDP
EFDC
HSPF
InVEST
DLEM
CBP-WSM (Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Model)
GWLF
SUSTAIN
ELEMeNT-N
SimplyP
CE-QUAL-W2
PCSWMM
DHSVM
MapShed
InfoWorks ICM
MIKE SHE
GBR Dynamic Sednet
FVCOM
QUAL2Kw
PDP
SWMM
GSSHA
AGNPS
EcoHAT
SWAT+
WAM
SSHBS
AVGWLF
WEPP-WQ
MIKE HYDRO River
THMB
WARMF
DYRESM�CAEDYM
SEAWAT-MODFLOW
MIKE21
SWAT
MIKE11
RGWLF
GBNP
SWAT-MODFLOW-RT3D
GPUOM-WQ
GLM
SWAT - MODFLOW
Water Body Type
Watershed
Water body
Location
Other
The Great Barrier Reef
Florida
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Watershed Size
Large
Medium
Small
Watershed Type
Urban
Agricultural
Water Body Characteristics
Streams
Estuarine
Rivers
Reservoirs
Coastal
Lakes
Oceans
Water Body Size
Large
Medium
Small
Dimensions
3D
1D
2D
Simulation Type
Continuous model
Event-based model
Parameters
TSS
Chla
TDS
Nitrogen
TP
Reservoir Operations
Primary production and plankton dynamics
phosphorus
Flow velocity
Sediment Transport
Water Levels
DO
wave parameters
algae
Temperature
Salinity
salinity
TN
tidal and wave parameters
nitrogen
Q
Phosphorus
Water levels
Time Step
Monthly
Minutes
Sub-daily
Hours
Seconds
Daily
Annual
Model Complexity
Simple
Medium
Complex
Simulation Objectives
evaluate water quality improvement
evaluate ecological restoration projects
evaluate green infrastructure implementation
flood and drought management
Assessing nitrogen pollution in watersheds
Simulating large scale watersheds
Evaluate hydrological and biogeochemical interactions in small streams
Evaluate BMP and low impact development stormwater controls
Screening Simulation
Understanding hydrological dynamics in snow-dominated regions
Holistic Simulation
Watershed management
developing TMDL
evaluate combined and sanitary sewer overflows
Climate Change Studies
Assess erosion variability due to management practices
modeling of complex domains
BMP cost estimation
simulate watersheds with variable source areas
Large-scale hydrologic modeling
hydropower optimization
understanding and managing phosphorus fluxes within polder systems
Wave-Current Interaction
assess the effects of land use change
Pollutant Transport
Predict the effects of natural and anthropogenic changes on water quality
Optimizing reservoir releases to manage downstream temperature and water quality
understanding and managing nitrogen fluxes within polder systems
Nutrient load assessment
assess the effects of urbanization
Flood Risk Assessment
Extreme events evaluation
Evaluate legacy Nitrogen
Ecosystem Assessments
assessing phosphorus loss from agricultural lands
Evaluate nitrogen loads in cold regions
Understanding contaminant transport through surface and subsurface systems
TMDL development
Modeling the transport and transformation of pollutants
Watershed management to reduce sediment and nutrient loads entering the Great Barrier Reef
Storm Surge analysis
Floodplain Mapping
flood risk assessment
Assessment of Storm events
Evaluate nutrient and carbon fluxes in stream networks
BMP Evaluations
Urban stormwater management and flood control
Environmental Impact Assessments
evaluate storm events
Algal Bloom Predictions
Support reservoir management decisions
Water Supply Management
Erosion analysis
assess sediment and nutrient transport
BMP locations
NPS nutrient loads evaluation
Evaluate groundwater nutrient dynamics
sustainable water resource management
Coastal and Estuarine Hydrodynamics
Support navigation
predict nitrogen transport and transformation within a watershed
management of eutrophication and algal blooms
Data Requirements
DEM
Soil
Wind speed
Hydraulic conductivity
Specific yield
Wind Speed
Relative humidity
River reach characteristics
Water quality
Sewer networks
DO
Wind
Precipitation
Temperature
Porosity
N surplus
Algae
Flow
Sediment characteristics
Stream network
LULC
Solar radiation
ET
Hydraulic data
Specific storage
Geomorphic parameters
Bathymetric data
Model Availability
Open source
Not open source
Open source
(www.ce.pdx.edu/w2)
Open source
(https://www.epa.gov/water-research/storm-water-management-model-swmm)
Model Limitations
Poor prediction of peak flows
Simplified biogeochemical processes
Simplified representation of nutrient dynamics
Limited model flexibility for internal modifications
Simulates N Only
Difficulty in verifying LID component for modeling bioretention cells
No provision for developing TMDLs
Limited applications in subtropical regions
Not suitable for shallow systems
Does not allow multiple subbasins to connect to a single reach
Does not incorporate SOD
Does not simulate physical characteristics of BMPs
Poor simulation of small watersheds
Limited to small stream networks
Lacks the conception of subbasin
Cannot fully capture lateral floodplain interactions
Limited to polder systems
Cannot simulate changes in aquatic ecosystem dynamics
Semi-distributed model
Manual calibration
Temporally lumped
Struggles with small-scale local flows
Does not incorporate urban drainage
Model expertise
Does not consider secondary currents
Monthly nutrient load outputs
Does not simulate P
Assumes horizontal homogeneity
Lumped model
Fixed internal structure
Lacks optimization procedures for reservoir operation
Requires high resolution grids
Simplified hydraulic processes
Limited ability in addressing long-term legacy N dynamics
Limited applications in urban watersheds
Requires detailed spatial data
Does not simulate large watersheds
Does not simulate specific agricultural and urban pollution inputs
Extensive datasets
Simplified hydrological processes
Topography data may require preprocessing
Does not simulate small outlets loss directly
Limited to Florida terrain
Limited crop differentiation
Does not incorporate wind effects
Does not simulate vegetation or forest changes
Limited to the Great Barrier Reef
High uncertainty
Hydrostatic assumption for vertical momentum equation
Does not account for nitrate transport in the vadose zone
Limited ecohydrological processes
Accuracy decreases with higher trophic levels
Simplified soil P processes
Calibration Complexity
Limited backwater flooding simulations
Poor simulation of extreme events
Model Expertise
Limited applications in the USA
Steady state conditions
Limitations in storm sewer pipes simulation and calibration
Requires numerous parameters and complex calibration
Loads modeled by scenarios with MP effects are always lower than the alternative scenario because the CBPWSM assigns a load reduction credit to each MP
Limited to urban watersheds
Limited applications for representing hydrological consequences of climate change
Limited to main stream simulation
GUI is not open source
Can not be coupled with optimization algorithm
Empirical water quality simulations
limited to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Model unstability with larger time steps
Sensitive to specific input parameters
Limited hydrodynamics
Non-commercial purposes only
Simplified Bottom seepage simulation
Cannot model supercritical flow
CBPWSM does not model lag times
Poor groundwater simulation
Algal processes are oversimplifed
Spatial limitations of the WSM preclude edge of field scale representation of phosphorus (P) losses
Requires high computational resources
Does not incorporate Zooplankton
Limited developer and community support
Structured grids
Inaccurate seasonal & decadal and climate projections
Poor simulation of suspended solids
Dependent on input data
Does not deal with NPS pollution
Poor interactive process between surface and subsurface water
Simplified Mixing Processes
Field scale model
Does not support saturated runoff generating areas
Dependent on Input Data
Assumes channel slope is equal to zero
Limited to cold regions
No Water Quality
Neglects bank erosion processes
Empirical P simulations
Does not simulate BMPs
Runs a fully hydrodynamic simulation
Poor channel/river routing
Requires high computational resources to be coupled with GA optimization
Limited applications in simulating chemical dynamics
Large spatial resolution
Point source loads are limited to constant loading rates for the entire simulation period
Not user friendly
Does not simulate urban watersheds
Simplified vertical stratification
Does not consider specific algae species
Poor nitrate simulation
Does not simulate baseflow
Does not simulate N
Grid dependency can affect accuracy
Poor sediment simulation
Limited sediment transport modeling
Model Library
Model library serves as a comprehensive reference guide for various watershed and waterbody simulation models. It provides detailed descriptions of each model’s type, developers, capabilities, limitations, computational requirements, and data inputs and outputs. The aim is to assist researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in selecting the most suitable modeling tools for their specific application. Each model entry includes links to download resources if it is open-source, relevant references, and examples of practical applications to further support users in making informed decisions. For more details see Model Library .
Model
Watershed Size
Watershed Type
Simulation Objectives