Integrated Hydrological Modeling of the Godavari River Basin in Maharashtra Using the SWAT Model: Streamflow Simulation and Analysis

Hydrological modeling plays a crucial role in efficiently managing water resources and understanding the hydrologic behavior of watersheds. This study aims to simulate daily streamflow in the Godavari River Basin in Maharashtra using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). SWAT is a process-based hydrological model used to predict water balance components, sediment levels, and nutrient contamination. In this research, we used integrated remote sensing and GIS data, including Digital Elevation Models (DEM), land use and land cover (LULC) maps, soil maps, and observed precipitation and temperature data, as input for developing the SWAT model to assess surface runoff in this large river basin. The Godavari River Basin under study was divided into 25 sub-basins, comprising 151 hydrological response units categorized by unique land cover, soil, and slope characteristics using the SWAT model. The model was calibrated and validated against observed runoff data for two time periods: 2003-2006 and 2007-2010 respectively. Model performance was assessed using the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and the coefficient of determination (R2). The results show the effectiveness of the SWAT2012 model, with R2 value of 0.84 during calibration and 0.86 during validation. NSE values also ranged from 0.84 during calibration to 0.85 during validation. These findings enhance our understanding of surface runoff dynamics in the Godavari River Basin under study and highlight the suit-ability of the SWAT model for this region.

Impacts of land use/cover change on water balance by using the SWAT model in a typical loess hilly watershed of China

Land use/cover change(LUCC)plays a key role in altering surface hydrology and water balance,finally affect-ing the security and availability of water resources.However,mechanisms underlying LUCC determination of water-balance processes at the basin scale remain unclear.In this study,the Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT)model and partial least squares regression were used to detect the effects of LUCC on hydrology and water components in the Zuli River Basin(ZRB),a typical watershed of the Yellow River Basin.In general,three recommended coefficients(R^(2)and E ns greater than 0.5,and P bias less than 20%)indicated that the output results of the SWAT model were reliable and that the model was effective for the ZRB.Then,several key findings were obtained.First,LUCC in the ZRB was characterized by a significant increase in forest(21.61%)and settlement(23.52%)and a slight reduction in cropland(-1.35%),resulting in a 4.93%increase in evapotranspiration and a clear decline in surface runoffand water yield by 15.68%and 2.95%at the whole basin scale,respectively.Second,at the sub-basin scale,surface runoffand water yield increased by 14.26%-36.15%and 5.13%-15.55%,respectively,mainly due to settlement increases.Last,partial least squares regression indicated that urbanization was the most significant contributor to runoffchange,and evapotranspiration change was mainly driven by forest expansion.These conclusions are significant for understanding the relationship between LUCC and water balance,which can provide meaningful information for managing water resources and the long-term sustainability of such watersheds.

APPLICATION OF SWAT MODEL IN THE UPSTREAM WATERSHED OF THE LUOHE RIVER

In the Huanghe (Yellow) River basin,soil erosion is a serious problem,while runoff and sediment yield simulation has not been extensively studied on the basis of GIS (Geographic Information System) and distributed hydrological model. GIS-based SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was used to simulate runoff and sediment in the Huanghe River basin. The objective of this paper is to examine the applicability of SWAT model in a large river basin with high sediment runoff modulus,which could reach 770t/(km2·a). A two-stage "Brute Force" optimization procedure was used to calibrate the parameters with the observed monthly flow and sediment data from 1992 to 1997,and with input parameters set during the calibration process without any change the model was validated with 1998-1999’s observed data. Coefficient of examination (R2) and Nash-Suttcliffe simulation efficiency (Ens) were used to evaluate model prediction. The evaluation coefficients for simulated flow and sediment,and observed flow and sediment were all above 0.7,which shows that SWAT model could be a useful tool for water resources and soil conservation planning in the Huanghe River basin.

Application of SWAT Model to the Olifants Basin: Calibration, Validation and Uncertainty Analysis

The application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to the Olifants Basin in South Africa was the focus of our study with emphasis on calibration, validation and uncertainty analysis. The Basin was discretized into 23 sub-basins and 226 Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs) using 3 arc second (90 m × 90 m) pixel resolution SRTM DEM with stream gauge B7H015 as the Basin outlet. Observed stream flow data at B7H015 were used for model calibration (1988-2001) and validation (2002-2013) using the split sample approach. Relative global sensitivity analysis using SUFI-2 algorithm was used to determine sensitive parameters to stream flow for calibration of the model. Performance efficiency of the Olifants SWAT model was assessed using Nash-Sutcliffe (NSE), coefficient of determination (R2), Percent Bias (PBIAS) and Root Mean Square Error-Observation Standard deviation Ratio (RSR). Sensitivity analysis revealed in decreasing order of significance, runoff curve number (CN2), alpha bank factor (ALPHA_BNK), soil evaporation compensation factor (ESCO), soil available water capacity (SOIL_AWC, mm H2O/mm soil), groundwater delay (GW_ DELAY, days) and groundwater “revap” coefficient (GW_REVAP) to be the most sensitive parameters to stream flow. Analysis of the model during the calibration period gave the following statistics;NSE = 0.88;R2 = 0.89;PBIAS = -11.49%;RSR = 0.34. On the other hand, statistics during the validation period were NSE = 0.67;R2 = 0.79;PBIAS = -20.69%;RSR = 0.57. The observed statistics indicate the applicability of the SWAT model in simulating the hydrology of the Olifants Basin and therefore can be used as a Decision Support Tool (DST) by water managers and other relevant decisions making bodies to influence policy directions on the management of watershed processes especially water resources.

Hydrologic Response of the Climatic Change Based on SWAT Model in Beijiang River Basin

[ Objective] The research aimed to establish SWAT distributed hydrologic model and analyze influence of the climatic change on runoff in Beijiang River basin. [ Method] Beijiang River basin as research object, SWAT model was used to simulate runoff in basin. Monthly water flow in Shijiao station from 1961 to 1980 was used to determine model parameter, while monthly water flow from 1981 to 1990 was used to verify. Setting 15 kinds of climate change scenarios, SWAT model was used to simulate influence of the future climatic change on runoff in Beijiang River basin. [Result] Simulated accuracy of the SWAT model was high, and it could be used to simulate runoff in Beijiang River basin. Under the situation of in- variable rainfall, temperature rise made that evaporation capacity increased, and runoff depth decreased. When temperature unchanged, rainfall increase made that evaporation capacity and runoff depth increased somewhat. [ Conclusion] The research could provide reference basis for water re- source management in Beijiang River basin.

Application of SWAT Model to Non-point Source Pollution in Xincai River Basin

[Objective]The study aimed to simulate the production and transportation process of surface runoff,sediment and non-point source pollution in Xincai River basin based on SWAT model.[Method]On the basis of analyzing the principles of SWAT model,the correlative parameters of runoff,sediment and water quality were calibrated,then the spatial and temporal distribution of runoff,sediment and non-point source pollutants in Xincai River basin were studied by using SWAT model.[Result]The results of calibration and validation showed that SWAT model was reasonable and available,and it can be used to simulate the non-point source pollution of Xincai River basin.The simulation results revealed that the load of sediment and various pollutants was the highest in the rainy year,followed by the normal year,while it was the minimum in the dry year,indicating that the production of sediment and non-point source pollutants was closely related to annual runoff.[Conclusion]The research could provide scientific references for the prevention of non-point source pollution in a basin.

Runoff Simulation of Shitoukoumen Reservoir Basin Based on SWAT Model

[Objective] The study aimed to simulate the runoff of Shitoukoumen Reservoir basin by using SWAT model. [Method] Based on DEM elevation, land use type, soil type and hydrometeorological data, SWAT model, a distributed hydrological model was established to simulate the monthly runoff of Shitoukoumen Reservoir basin, and the years 2006 and 2010 were chosen as the calibration and validation period respectively. [Result] The simulation results indicated that SWAT model could be used to simulate the runoff of Shitoukoumen Reservoir basin, and the simulation effect was good. However, the response of the model to local rainstorm was not obvious, so that the actual runoff in June and July of 2010 was abnormally higher than the simulation value. [Conclusion] The research could provide theoretical references for the plan and management of water resources in Shitoukoumen Reservoir basin in future.

The Evaluation of Land Use Changes on Stream Discharge by SWAT Model and Remote Sensing in Agro-Forestry Watershed： A Case Study in Nghinh Tuong Subwatershed, Northern Vietnam

The purpose of this paper was to implement ＂Soil and Water Assessment Tool （SWAT）＂ model and Geographic Information System （GIS） to evaluate the impact of land use changes on stream discharge in Nghinh Tuong watershed （a brand of Cau River） in Northern Vietnam. The watershed was coverd by 56% forestry land, 30% agricultural land and the remain 14% for others. Stream discharge observed data from 2002 to 2007 were used for calibration period and from 2008 to 2012 for validation period. The result showed that two coefficients （NSE and PBIAS） to evaluate model performance were 0.76 and 6.54% for calibration period and 0.87 and 4.74% for validation period, respectively. Stream discharge strongly depends not only on quantity of precipitation but also on land use change. Through the scenario 1, agricultural land （corn, orchard and tea） increases 9,782.67 ha （2.45%）, meanwhile forest （forest-mixed） decreases 1,091.77 ha （2.75%） as compared to baseline scenario. Additionally, precipitation increases 3.74% in mean wet season, but decreases 0.5% in mean dry season with respect to baseline period. SWAT model was able to simulate stream discharge and sediment yield for Nghinh Tuong watershed successfully not only for baseline scenario but also for scenario 1. In brief, SWAT proves its ability in simulation stream discharge in subwatershed level. It is a useful tool to assist water quantity and quality management process in Nghinh Tuong watershed. This work one more time indicated that SWAT is useful tool for resources and environment management.

Assessment of Runoff, Sediment Yields and Nutrient Loss Using the Swat Model in Upper Indus Basin of Pakistan

The main objective of this study is to understand the runoff, sediment yield and water quality of the Upper Indus River Basin of Pakistan. To achieve this goal, specific objectives have been met which include, setup of a hydrological model using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) then calibration and validation of the hydrological model using river discharges and in the end investigating the performance of the hydrological model by SWAT. This research will have great impacts on socio-economic conditions of Pakistan because study of upper Indus River basin is imperative to provide data needed for its management, and to warrant that it is sustainable to support the increasing population and conservational flows. A set of programmable mapping components MapWindow Geographic Information System (GIS) was used which is an open source GIS based mapping application. It is SWAT used spatially distributed information on elevation, land use, slope and soil. The program Sequential Uncertainty Fitting ver.2 (SUFI-2) in a combination of uncertainty analysis and calibration of outputs was used in SWAT-CUP. SWAT model used input data, which have climate information to obtain results. The observed climate data of temperature gauges and rain gauge were used as input in the SWAT model;the calibration results for three discharge stations were produced. The initial P-factor value was satisfactory but more iteration to attempt narrow uncertainty band with improving goal function, resulted in small percentage of observed data within uncertainty band. A warm up period of three years (1979-1982) was used for simulation of SWAT model. The model was calibrated for selected three catchments for the period 1982-2000 and validated for period 2001-2010. Results are quite comparable with the observed flows.

Hydrological Evaluation with SWAT Model and Numerical Weather Prediction for Flash Flood Warning System in Thailand

Flash floods are a natural disaster that occurs annually, especially in the mountainous terrain and steep slopes of northern Thailand. The current flood forecasting systems and tools are available but have low accuracy and efficiency. The numbers of rainfall and runoff stations are less, because the access to the station area is difficult. Additionally, the operation and maintenance costs are high. Hydrological modeling of a SWAT （Soil and Water Assessment Tool） was used in this study with the application of three days weather forecast from the NWP （numerical weather prediction）, which provided temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, sunshine and wind speed. The data from NWP and SWAT were used to simulate the runoff from the Nan River in the last 10 years （2000-2010）. It was found that the simulated flow rate for the main streams using data from NWP were higher than the observations. At the N64 and Nl stations, the ratios of the maximum simulated flow rate to the observations were equal to 108% and 118%, respectively. However, for the tributaries, it was found that the simulated flow rate using NWP data was lower than the observations, but, it was still within the acceptable range of not greater than 20%,6. At N65, D090201 and D090203 stations, the ratio of the maximum simulated flow rate were 90.0%, 83.0% and 86.0%, respectively. This was due to the rainfall from the NWP model being greater than the measured rainfall. The NWP rainfall was distributed all over the area while the rainfall data from the measurements were obtained from specific points. Therefore, the rain from the NWP model is very useful especially for the watershed areas without rain gauge stations. In summary, the data from the NWP can be used with the SWAT model and provides relatively sound results despite the value for the main river being slightly higher than the observed data. Consequently, the output can be used to create a flood map for flash flood warning in the area.

Hydrological Modeling in a Semi-Arid Catchment Using SWAT Model

In the field of the water resources, hydrologic models have been used to assess water quality performance of complex watersheds and river basins. Hydrologic models can provide essential information for making decisions on sustainable management system of water resources within watersheds. The main objective of this study was to validate the performance of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool （SWAT） and the feasibility of using this model as a simulator of runoff at a catchment scale in semi-arid area in Northwestern Tunisia. Calibration and validation of the model output were performed by comparing predicted runoff with corresponding measurements from the Sarrath outlet for the periods 1990-1995 for calibration and 2000-2005 for validation. The time series for the years 1996-1999 showed discrepancies between the measured rainfall and the observed runoff indicating errors due to either the observations or to a dysfunction in the equipments. Sensitivity analysis shows that sensitive parameters for the simulation of discharge include curve number, soil evaporation compensation factor, depth of water in shallow aquifer and slope of subbasin. Statistical comparisons between monthly simulated results and observed data for the calibration period gave a reasonable agreement with a coefficient of determination （R2） greater than 0.75 and Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient （NSE） equal to 0.72. These values were respectively 0.70 and 0.64 for validation period. Overall, the SWAT model has the capability to predict runoff within a complex semi-arid catchment.

Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Water Resources of Lesser Zab, Kurdistan, Iraq Using SWAT Model

Kurdistan in northern Iraq, a semi-arid region, predominantly a pastureland, is nourished by Lesser Zab, which is the second major tributary of Tigris River. The discharge in the tributary, in recent times, has been experiencing increasing variability contributing to more severe droughts and floods supposedly due to climate change. For a proper appreciation, SWAT model has been used to assess the impact of climate change on its hydrological components for a half-centennial lead time to 2046-2064 and a centennial lead time to 2080-2100. The suitability of the model was first evaluated, and then, outputs from six GCMs were incorporated to evaluate the impacts of climate change on water resources under three emission scenarios: A1B, A2 and B1. The results showed worsening water resources regime.

Evaluation of SWAT Model performance on glaciated and non-glaciated subbasins of Nam Co Lake, Southern Tibetan Plateau, China

This paper presents an assessment of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) on a glaciated(Qugaqie) and a non-glaciated(Niyaqu) subbasin of the Nam Co Lake. The Nam Co Lake is located in the southern Tibetan Plateau, two subbasins having catchment areas of 59 km^2 and 388 km^2, respectively. The scores of examined evaluation indices(i.e., R^2, NSE, and PBIAS) established that the performance of the SWAT model was better on the monthly scale compared to the daily scale. The respective monthly values of R^2, NSE, and PBIAS were 0.94, 0.97, and 0.50 for the calibration period while 0.92, 0.88, and -8.80 for the validation period. Glacier melt contribution in the study domain was simulated by using the SWAT model in conjunction with the Degree Day Melt(DDM) approach. The conjunction of DDM with the SWAT Model ensued improved results during both calibration(R^2=0.96, NSE=0.95, and PBIAS=-13.49) and validation (R^2=0.97, NSE=0.96, and PBIAS=-2.87) periods on the monthly time scale. Average contribution(in percentage) of water balance components to the total streamflow of Niyaqu and Qugaqie subbasins was evaluated. We found that the major portion(99.45%) of the streamflow in the Niyaqu subbasin was generated by snowmelt or rainfall surface runoff(SURF_Q), followed by groundwater(GW_Q, 0.47%), and lateral(LAT_Q, 0.06%) flows. Conversely, in the Qugaqie subbasin, major contributor to the streamflow(79.63%) was glacier melt(GLC_Q), followed by SURF_Q(20.14%), GW_Q(0.13%), and LAT_Q(0.089%). The contribution of GLC_Q was the highest(86.79%) in July and lowest(69.95%) in September. This study concludes that the performance of the SWAT model in glaciated catchment is weak without considering glacier component in modeling; however, it performs reasonably well in non-glaciated catchment. Furthermore, the temperature index approach with elevation bands is viable in those catchments where streamflows are driven by snowmelt. Therefore, it is recommended to use the SWAT Model in conjunction with DDM or energy base model to simulate the glacier melt contribution to the total streamflow. This study might be helpful in quantification and better management of water resources in data scarce glaciated regions.

Calibration and Validation of the SWAT Model on the Watershed of Bafing River, Main Upstream Tributary of Senegal River: Checking for the Influence of the Period of Study

Management of reservoir water resources requires the knowledge of flow inputs in this reservoir. Hydrological rainfall-runoff model is used for this purpose. There are several types of hydrological model according the description of the hydrological processes: black-box models, conceptual models, deterministic physical based model. SWAT is a semi-distributed hydrological model designed for water quality and quantity. This versatile tool has been used all around the world to assess and manage water resources. The main objective of the paper is to calibrate and validate the SWAT model on the watershed of Bafing located between 10°30' and 12°30' north latitude and between 12°30' and 9°30' west longitude to assess climate change on this river flows. A DEM with a resolution of 12.5 m × 12.5 m, the daily average flows and the daily observed precipitations on the period 1979-1986 (long period) are used as inputs for the calibration, while precipitations for the period 1988-1994 are used for the validation. The sensitivity analysis was done to detect the most determining coefficients during the calibration step. It shows that 19 parameters are required. Then, the effect of the period on the parameters calibration is checked by considering first the whole period of study and then each year of the period of study. The Nash criterion was used to compare the calculated and the observed hygrographs in each case. The results showed that the longer is the period of calibration, the more accurate is the Nash criterion. The calibration per year gave a best Nash criterion except for a single year. During the validation, the parameters calculated on the long period lead to the best Nash criterion. The values of the Nash criterion calibration and validation are very suitable. These results of calibration can be used to study the long-term evolution of flow at Senegal River on Bafing Makana.

SWAT Model Application to Assess the Impact of Intensive Corn-farming on Runoff, Sediments and Phosphorous loss from an Agricultural Watershed in Wisconsin

The potential future increase in corn-based biofuel may be expected to have a negative impact on water quality in streams and lakes of the Midwestern US due to increased agricultural chemicals usage. This study used the SWAT model to assess the impact of continuous-corn farming on sediment and phosphorus loading in Upper Rock River watershed in Wisconsin. It was assumed that farmers in the area where corn was rotated with soybean would progressively skip soybean for continuous corn as corn became more profitable. Simulations using SWAT indicated that conversion of corn-soybean to corn-corn-soybean would cause 11% and 2% increase in sediment yield and TP loss, respectively. The conversion of corn-soybean to continuous corn caused 55% and 35% increase in sediment yield and TP loss, respectively. However, this increase could be mitigated by applying various BMPs and/or conservation practices such as conservation tillage, fertilizer management and vegetative buffer strips. The conversion to continuous corn tilled with conservation tillage reduced sediment yield by 2% and did not change TP loss. Increase in P fertilizer amount was roughly proportional to increase in TP loss and 11% more TP was lost when fertilizer was applied four months before planting. Vegetative buffer strips, 15 to 30 m wide, around corn farms reduced sediment yield by 51 to 70% and TP loss by 41 to 63%.

Comparison of Wheat Yield Simulated Using Three N Cycling Options in the SWAT Model

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been successfully used to predict alterations in streamflow, evapotranspiration and soil water;however, it is not clear how effective or accurate SWAT is at predicting crop growth. Previous research suggests that while the hydrologic balance in each watershed is accurately simulated with SWAT, the SWAT model over or under predicts crop yield relative to fertilizer inputs. The SWAT model now has three alternative N simulation options: 1) SWAT model with an added flush of N (SWAT-flush);2) N routines derived from the CENTURY model (SWAT-C);and 3) a one-pool C and N model (SWAT-One). The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of SWAT-flush, SWAT-C, and SWAT-One as they affect wheat yield prediction. Simulated yields were compared to wheat yields in a 28-year fertilizer/wheat yield study in Lahoma, OK. Simulated yields were correlated with actual 28-year mean yield;however, none of the available N cycling models predicted yearly yields. SWAT-C simulated average yields were closer than other N sub-models to average actual yield. Annually there was a stronger correlation between SWAT-flush and actual yields than the other submodels. However, none of the N-cycling routines were able to accurately predict annual variability in yield at any fertilizer rate. We found that SWAT-C or SWAT-flush are the most viable choices for accurately simulating long-term average wheat yields although annual variations in yield prediction should be taken into consideration. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of SWAT-C and SWAT-flush in determining average and annual yield in various farming regions and with numerous agronomic crops.

Hydrologic Modeling of the Bouregreg Watershed (Morocco) Using GIS and SWAT Model

The study of water resources at watershed scale is widely adopted as approach to manage, assess and simulate these important natural resources. The development of remote sensing and GIS techniques has allowed the use of spatially and physically based hydrologic models to simulate as simply and realistically as possible the functioning of watershed systems. Indeed, the major constraint that has hindered the expansion use of these tools was the unavailability or scarcity of data especially in the developing countries. In this context, the objective of this study is to model the hydrology in the Bouregreg basin, located at the north-central of Morocco, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in order to understand and determine the different watershed hydrological processes. Thus, it aims to simulate the stream flow, establish the water balance and estimate the monthly volume inflow to SMBA dam situated at the basin outlet. The ArcSWAT interface implemented in the ArcGIS software was used to delineate the basin and its sub-components, combine the data layers and edit the model database. The model parameters were analyzed, ranked and adjusted for hydrologic modeling purposes using daily temporal data series. They were calibrated using an auto-calibration method based on a Shuffled Complex Evolution Algorithm from 1989 to 1997 and validated from 1998 to 2005. Based on statistical indicators, the evaluation indicates that SWAT model had a good performance for both calibration and validation periods in Bouregreg Watershed. In fact, the model showed a good correlation between the observed and simulated monthly average river discharge with R2 and Nash coefficient of about 0.8. The water balance components were correctly estimated and the SMBA dam inflow was successfully reproduced with R2 of 0.9. These results revealed that if properly calibrated, SWAT model can be used efficiently in semi-arid regions to support water management policies.

Modeling Stream Flow Using SWAT Model in the Bina River Basin, India

Understanding watershed runoff processes is critical for planning effective soil and water management practices and efficiently utilize available water resources. The main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate streamflow from the Bina basin in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated on a daily and monthly basis using historical streamflow and weather data from the Bina basin. The Sequential Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) technique in the SWAT? Calibration and Uncertainty Procedures (SWAT-CUP) program was used to assess model uncertainties. The SWAT model performed “satisfactory” and “very good” in simulating streamflow at daily and monthly time steps, respectively. Model calibration results showed that coefficients of determination (R2) values were 0.66 and 0.96;while Nash-Sutcliffe (NSE) values were 0.65 and 0.94 for daily and monthly simulations, respectively. The R2 values of daily and monthly simulations during model validation were 0.65 and 0.72, respectively while the respective NSE values were 0.58 and 0.72. This study demonstrated that the SWAT model could be effectively used to simulate streamflow in the Bina river basin.

Estimation of Pollutant Loads in Ardila Watershed Using the SWAT Model

Abstract： Excess of organic matter and nutrients in water promotes eutrophication process observed in the Ardila River. It was classified as much polluted being critical for Alqueva-Pedrogāo System. The aim of this study was to estimate the transported nutrients loads in a transboundary watershed using the SWAT （soil and water assessment tool） model and to determine the contribution of nutrients load in the entire watershed. Ardila watershed is about 3,711 km^2 extended from Spain （78%） to the eastern part of Portugal （22%）. It was discretized into 32 sub-basins using automated delineation routine, and 174 hydrologic response units. Monthly average meteorological data （from 1947 to 1998） were used to generate daily values through the weather generator Model incorporated in SWAT. Real daily precipitation （from 1931 to 2003） was introduced. The model was calibrated and verified for flow （from 1950 to 2000） and nutrients （from 1981 to 1999）. Model performance was evaluated using statistical parameters, such as NSE （Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency） and root mean square error （R2）. Calibration and verification flow results showed a satisfactory agreement between simulated and measured monthly date from 1962 to 1972 （NSE = 0.8; R^2 = 0.9）. The results showed that the most important diffuse pollution comes from the two the main tributary （Spain）. The estimated nitrogen and phosphorous loads contribution per year was respectively 72% and 59% in Spain and 28% and 41% in Portugal. The SWAT model was revealed to be a useful tool for an integrated water management approach that might be improved taking into count the WFD （water framework directive）.