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Welcome to the Watershed Assessment Model

Welcome to the Watershed Assessment Model (WAM) documentation. This documentation initially provides an overview of WAM and then goes deeper into the model from a user and developer prospective. The User Manual and the Tutorial are designed to function as a guide, stepping through the tasks required to set up a watershed, running the model, and reviewing the output results. The physical watershed processes handled by the model and their mathematical representation are discussed in the Technical Manual. The structure and coding of WAM are discussed in the Developer Manual.

WAM is a tool that is used to help understand watershed dynamics as they relate to watershed hydrologic and pollutant transport. It is a Geographical Information System (GIS) based model that assesses the water quantity and quality responses to different management practices within watersheds. WAM was developed to allow users to assess the water quantity and quality of both surface water and groundwater based on the detailed physical properties of the watershed and the underlying hydrogeological system. The model simulates the primary physical processes important for watershed hydrologic and pollutant transport that originates on individual fields or land uses and then dynamically routes the flows and nutrient loads to and through the stream system to its discharge locations. WAM was developed to allow engineers and planners to assess the water quality of a watershed by quantifying the flows and loads originating on parcels of land and to evaluate the effectiveness of different management practice changes.

As indicated, the documentation is comprised of overview section, three separate manuals, a tutorial and a reference section, as outlined below:

  • Overview – Brief introduction to the WAM modeling concepts and the Graphical User Interface (GUI). The input data requirements are discussed and the various model outputs are listed.

  • User Manual - Exposes the GUI in detail and how it is used to setup a scenario, execute the model, and review output.

  • Technical Manual – Detailed descriptions of the model processes and algorithms used to represent the natural processes simulated by WAM.

  • Developer Manual – Advanced users have been provided with a Developer Manual which includes information necessary to customize and extend WAM. This includes sections on the model code, default parameter values, data flow diagrams, folder and file structures, and model input/output files.

  • Tutorial –Provides step by step examples of the various functions of WAM including setting up a new watershed, changing model inputs for scenario testing, and evaluating simulation results through the output reporting tools.

  • Reference – Glossary and bibliography.

WAM is developed and maintained by Soil and Water Engineering Technology, Inc.