Assessing the Hydrologic Performance of the Nonpoint Source Water Quality Assessment Decision Support Tool Using HSPF in Feitsui Reservoir Watershed

Abstract

The accuracy of rainfall predictions in the EPA's BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources) decision support tool is affected by the sparse meteorological data contained in BASINS. The objectives of this study were improvement of using the entropy theory to supplement the precipitation data are significant when the watershed's meteorological station is either far away or not in a similar climatic region. When the station is nearby, using entropy theory to supplement the precipitation data produces similar results. And this study assessed the improvement of stream flow prediction of the Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) model contained within BASINS using the hourly precipitation estimates in Feitsui reservoir watershed. Our results demonstrated consistent improvements of daily stream flow predictions in Feitsui reservoir watershed when precipitation data was incorporated into BASINS. Our analyses also showed that the stream flow improvements were mainly contributed by entropy theory to supplement precipitation data; partially due to the constraints of current BASINS-HSPF settings. However, entropy theory to supplement precipitation data did improve the base flow prediction. The entropy theory method showed 10.17 to 25.51 percent less error than the Thiessen polygon method and Arithmetic to supplement the rainfall data. And used entropy theory supplement the rainfall data to simulate stream flow that RMSE values between 58 and 182. This study demonstrates entropy theory to supplement precipitation has the potential to improve stream flow predictions, thus aid the water quality assessment in the nonpoint water quality assessment decision tool.