Effective modeling of agricultural practices within large-scale hydrologic and water quality simulations

The previously developed watershed hydrological and water quality model for St. Louis Bay watershed by Kieffer (2002) was refined and calibrated. The aspects of model development refinement included development of fertilization-related nutrient input parameters, evaluation of nutrient input methods, development of plant uptake-related nutrient input parameters, non-cropland simulation using PQUAL module, and recalibration of hydrology in Jourdan River. The related information of typical cropland management practice based on consultation from Mississippi State University Extension Service (MSU-ES) personnel was integrated into the watershed model. In addition, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) observed water quality data were analyzed to evaluate the appropriateness of current watershed delineation and assess the health of the stream based on the MDEQ proposed numerical water quality target. The refined watershed model was calibrated in Wolf and Jourdan Rivers using both United States Geological Survey (USGS) and MDEQ observed water quality data. The concentrations of water quality constituents calculated from the developed watershed model will be provided as boundary conditions for the developed Bay hydrodynamic and water quality model for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies.