WEPP model prediction evaluation of soil water content in northeast Uruguay

Abstract

WEPP is a process-based model that estimates runoff and water erosion at slope level, maintaining a soil water balance at daily pace. The objective of this work is to adjust and validate the water balance component of the WEPP model in two watershed management situations (afforestation and natural grassland field) to obtain an adjusted tool that determines runoff and erosion. Soil water content data measured with neutron probe 4 times in the year down to 1.3 m depth during 10 years were used, and were compared with WEPP estimates. The results indicate that the WEPP estimations were not good (Efficiency coefficient (E) = 0.03, -1.29, -0.01, -1.74, 0.17 and -0.08 for the profiles) in high slope (C), average slope (D) and low slope (F), in the Grassland and afforested watershed, respectively, with an E considered insufficient and with periods of over and underestimation water content for both management situations. A better fit was obtained by eliminating the data outside of the calibration line in the profile C, with no improvement for the D and F profiles in both management situations. The results indicate that parameters such as evapotranspiration and WEPP equations must be adjusted to achieve better performance.