Abstract:

The data provided is comprised of essential inputs utilized for constructing and executing the soil water assessment tool (SWAT) model. The SWAT model was constructed for the Baffin Bay watershed. Both temporal and spatial data are included in the form of text/excel files, shapefiles, and raster images. The excel/text files encompass the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) precipitation data for 116 stations, along with data from eighteen National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) temperature stations (minimum and maximum temperature). The locations of these stations are provided in a separate Excel file. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a 7-meter spatial resolution was incorporated as a raster file (.tif). Additionally, the land-use land-cover map from the National Land Cover Database (U.S. Geological Survey) of the watershed was included as a raster file. The soil data for the watershed were sourced from two different databases: 1) the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), and 2) The Digital General Soil Map of the United States (STATSGO2). These soil data are available in raster and shapefile formats respectively. For model calibration, three flow gauges from the USGS and two sub-basins outputs from the Texas Water Development Board model were utilized. These calibration data are provided as excel files. Nutrient data were acquired from the TCEQ database. Model output is available in related datasets HI.x847.000:0017 (doi: 10.7266/fmz6065v, entire watershed) and HI.x847.000:0018 (doi: 10.7266/vwry1w58, sub-basins of the watershed).

Suggested Citation:

Ahmed, Mohamed. 2023. Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model input dataset for the Baffin Bay watershed, Texas, 1998-01-01 - 2020-12-31. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/zzfm44t2

Purpose:

The objective of this study was to develop a Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for the Baffin Bay watershed in Texas. This model was then used to quantify surface runoff, evapotranspiration, nutrient content, and sediment yield loadings to Baffin Bay during the shorter period 2001 to 2020.

Data Parameters and Units:

Precipitation [mm], temperature [°C], Streamflow [m^3/second], point-source [m^3/second], nutrients (total nitrate, organic nitrate, organic phosphate) [kg/ d], elevation [m]. The precipitation data from individual stations have units of mm, with a time step of one days starting 1998-01-01. The temperature records from individual stations have minimum and maximum daily temperatures [degrees C] with a time of step of one day starting from 1998-01-01.

Methods:

SWAT input data were collected from online sources like USGS, NOAA, TCEQ, NASA, and TWDB. 1) USGS National Water Dashboard: https://dashboard.waterdata.usgs.gov/app/nwd/en/?aoi=usgs-0821190 (accessed 8.25.21) 2) Web Soil Survey: https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/ (accessed 8.25.21) 3) Science Base: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5ead02a282cefae35a252c95 (accessed 8.25.21) 4) NOAA Daily Observational Data: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/daily/ (accessed 10.18.21) 5) NOAA Daily Summaries Corpus Christ International Airport Station Details, National Climatic Data Center (NCDC): https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datasets/GHCND/stations/GHCND:USW00012924/detail (accessed 10.18.21) 6) TCEQ Surface Water Quality Web Reporting Tool: https://www80.tceq.texas.gov/SwqmisPublic/index.htm (accessed 9.20.22) 7) NASA: ftp://arthurhou.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/gpmdata/ (accessed 9.20.21) 8) Texas Water Development Board, some data was requested, remaining data downloaded from: http://www.twdb.texas.gov/surfacewater/bays/coastal_hydrology/index.asp (accessed 8.20.22)

Individual Files: