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3.2 OPTIONAL COURSES
G7. SURFACE WATER MODELING
(KUL-code: I868 (Th); I869 (Pr))
Lecturer: BAUWENS W.
ECTS-credit: 5 pts
Contact hours: 30 hrs
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of surface hydrology, groundwater hydrology and hydraulics is
essential
Time and place: 1st semester, 7 sessions of 3 hours each, VUB
Course syllabus:
Evaluation: Report on SWAT (report + presentation) (25%), report on the application (report +
presentation) (25%) and examination: discussion on the reports (50%).
Comparable handbook: Arnold et al. (1996). SWAT. Soil and Water Assessment Tool. USDA, Temple, Tx,
USA.
Additional information: SWAT www site: http://www.brc.tamus.edu/swat/index.html
Learning objectives:
The aim of the workshop is to familiarise the students with the problems associated to the use of comprehensive
hydrologic models. Additional aims are the fostering of the self-learning capacities of the students, training on
multidisciplinary group work, on the search for information (including the use of the www), on the redaction of
scientific reports and on the presentation of research results.
Course description:
The workshop is built around the use of the hydrologic simulator SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool).
SWAT consists of a semi-distributed hydrologic rainfall-runoff model and hydrologic river and reservoir
routing models, as well as erosion, sediment transport and diffuse pollution wash-off modules. The simulator is
also suited to analyse the impact of alternative management (soil, vegetation, irrigation) and climate change
scenario's.
In a first stage, the students have to learn about modelling problems in general. To this purpose, lectures will be
organised, dealing with the classification and the use of models, data assessment problems and model
calibration and evaluation. Also, a general introduction of the SWAT simulator will be provided.
The students will then be subdivided into working groups, to analyse the theory underlying SWAT. Within each
group, individual students will analyse in detail a specific component of SWAT (surface runoff, groundwater,
erosion, river processes, soil and plant interactions,...). Each group will present its results (written and orally) in
plenary sessions, so that the entire group will be informed about the different components.
In a second stage, SWAT will be applied to analyse the impact of climate change scenario's on the hydrologic
response, erosion and water quality for a real river basin. The application results will be presented and
discussed in plenary sessions.
36 / Course syllabi