This is an article from the Summer 2015 VPS. For more VPS articles, click here
Delineated watershed and sub-basins and defined land cover of Arenal-Tempisque Watershed derived from processing in SWAT model. Image Credit: Costa Rica Water Resources II Team
Category:åÊAssessing Drought and Water Availability
Project Team: Costa Rica Water Resources II
Team Location: University of Georgia – Athens, Georgia
Authors:
Veronica Fay
Steve Padgett-Vasquez
Caren Remillard
Eduardo Rendon
Kamala Kanta Sahoo
Xuan Zhang
Mentors/Advisors:
Javier Arti̱ano GuzmÌÁn (SENARA ÛÒ Costa Rica’s National Service of Underground Water, Irrigation, and Drainage)
Dr. Marguerite Madden (University of Georgia)
Dr. Quint Newcomer (University of Georgia Costa Rica)
Dr. Adam Milewski (University of Georgia)
Dr. Kenton Ross (NASA DEVELOP National Program)
Abstract:
For the past three years, the Arenal-Tempisque Watershed has experienced drought conditions complicating water management and agricultural production. To facilitate a responsive water management decision-making process, the Costa Rica Water Resources team collaborated with Servicio Nacional de Aguas SubterrÌÁneas Riego y Avenamiento (SENARA), UGA Costa Rica, and the Costa Rican Embassy. The team created a model in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling software for the Arenal-Tempisque Watershed using NASA Earth observations, ancillary data sources, and in-situ data. The model’s results were calibrated and validated through the use of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool-Calibration and Uncertainty Procedures software (SWAT-CUP). The evapotranspiration data (MOD16) from Terra’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor were used to offer another source of continuous data to supplement the SWAT model’s outputs. Additionally, the project partners were provided with a tutorial that will enable the SWAT model’s hydrological outputs to be calibrated and validated for different future scenarios. The results obtained from the SWAT model and the MOD16 data provided greater insight into the region’s hydrologic processes, which allowed for the development of a water resource inventory for the study area. Upon receiving the hydrological data and tools, SENARA will be able to replicate the project’s methods to continuously update its water budget; this will allow the agency to make a more efficient water management plan, benefitting local inhabitants and stakeholders.