Abstract
This paper aims to examine the sensitivity of streamflow prediction of SWAT model to the spatial resolution of land use data. The land use quality impact was studied with a low-resolution global dataset (ESA-CCI with a 300-m resolution) and a refined dataset classified based on Sentinel-2 satellite images (20-m resolution). Two models were successfully built under ArcSWAT, and SWAT-CUP software, which were calibrated and validated after sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. The measured precipitation in the Bine El Ouidane dam watershed was used for model calibration and validation. Snowmelt parameters were first calibrated before analyzing the sensitivity of flow parameters and calibrating the most sensitive ones. The performance of the calibration and validation was very satisfactory for both models based on statistical coefficients and graphical evaluation in addition to parameter uncertainty of the 95 PPU band. The results revealed slightly higher Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, root mean square error and R2 values for the SWAT-CCI model than those for the SWAT-Sentinel-2 model (in calibration, NSE was approximately 0.85 for the first model and 0.76 for the second model, whereas in validation, NSE was 0.70 and 0.61, respectively). This study demonstrated that the streamflow assessment accuracy obtained with the SWAT model was not enhanced when applying finer-spatial resolution land use data and that the accuracy was not directly related to the increase in the number of delineated hydrological response units (HRUs).
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Data Availability
The datasets generated and/or analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dr. Yassine BOUSLIHIM (Faculty of Science and Technology, Hassan First University, Settat, Morocco) for the valuable comments on this research.
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All authors contributed to study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Wafae El Harraki and Driss Hasnaoui. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Wafae El Harraki and verified by Imad El Harraki. Supervision and comments on the analysis results were provided by Driss Ouazar and Ahmed Bouziane. Finally, all authors commented and suggested different modifications on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
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Highlights
•Two SWAT models were developed to assess the effect of the land use resolution.
•The SWAT-CCI model was slightly better than the SWAT-Sentinel-2 refined model.
•The increase in the number of HRUs did not improve the streamflow prediction accuracy.
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El Harraki, W., Ouazar, D., Bouziane, A. et al. Streamflow Prediction Upstream of a Dam Using SWAT and Assessment of the Impact of Land Use Spatial Resolution on Model Performance. Environ. Process. 8, 1165–1186 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-021-00532-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-021-00532-0