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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
12:44
Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
Estimation of pollutant loads considering dam operation in Han River Basin by BASINS/Hydrological Simulation
Kwang-Wook Jung1, Choon-G Yoon, Jae-Ho Jang
1Research Division, Korea Water Environment Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
Summary
The Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) effectively models watershed pollutant loads and nonpoint-source pollution control scenarios in large river basins. This study recommends HSPF for simulating watershed processes and evaluating best management practices (BMPs).
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Hydrology
- Water Resource Management
Background:
- Effective watershed management requires accurate predictions of future impacts for policy decisions.
- The BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Nonpoint Sources) system, including the HSPF (Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN) model, aids in hydrological and water quality modeling.
- Assessing large-scale watershed pollution, including point and nonpoint sources (NPS), necessitates comprehensive estimation methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the applicability of the HSPF model in a large watershed (Han River Basin).
- To simulate watershed pollutant loads, considering dam operations.
- To assess the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) for controlling NPS pollution.
Main Methods:
- Application of the HSPF model within the BASINS toolkit to the 20,271 km(2) Han River Basin.
- Simulation of watershed pollutant loads, incorporating dam operation scenarios.
- Development and application of BMP scenarios for NPS pollution control.
- Model calibration and verification using approximately three years of 8-day monitoring data.
Main Results:
- HSPF model performance was rated as "very good" to "good" based on percent difference during calibration and verification.
- Water quality simulation results were encouraging for the large, complex watershed with dam operations and mixed land uses.
- The HSPF model proved adequate for simulating watershed processes and evaluating BMPs in this context.
Conclusions:
- The HSPF model is a suitable tool for simulating watershed processes and evaluating BMPs in large, complex river basins with dam operations and mixed land uses.
- The study recommends the use of HSPF for watershed management and policy-making related to water quality.
- The findings support the use of HSPF for comprehensive assessment of pollution control strategies.
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