Estimating skaneateles lake nutrient and sediment loading using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool

Watershed studies in the United States have shown water quality and sediment loads are often related to crop acreage and type. Such loads impact Skaneateles Lake watershed in central New York. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to agricultural and forested watersheds draining into Skaneateles Lake. The SWAT streamflow predictions closely matched observed averages and standard deviations after calibration. Sediment and total phosphorus predictions also compared well, though the variance of these predictions was smaller than observed values. Predictions using the coarser National Landcover Dataset (NLCD) were compared to finer resolution county land use data to better understand the impact of employing the NLCD. The Skaneateles Lake watershed was modeled using the NLCD, and an analysis of the impact of potential land cover changes was performed. Increasing forest gave similar predictions to the current conditions, while increased agriculture showed greater sediment and phosphorus loads to the lake.;Keywords: Skaneateles Lake watershed, SWAT, NLCD, land use, sediment, total phosphorus...