| Information Resource Long Title |
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Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment |
| Information Resource Short Title |
|
AGWA |
| Acronym |
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AGWA |
| Short Description |
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The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool is a GIS interface designed
to help manage and analyze watershed water quantity and quality for novice to expert
GIS users.
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| Long Description |
|
The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool is a Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) interface jointly developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, and University
of Arizona to automate the parameterization and execution of the Soil and Water Assessment
Tool (SWAT) and KINematic Runoff and EROSion (KINEROS2) hydrologic models. The application
of these two models allows AGWA to conduct hydrologic modeling and watershed assessments
at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Current outputs are runoff (volumes and peaks)
and sediment yield, plus nitrogen and phosphorous with the SWAT model. AGWA uses commonly
available GIS data layers to fully parameterize, execute, and spatially visualize
results from both SWAT and KINEROS2. Through an intuitive interface, users select
an outlet from which AGWA delineates and discretizes the watershed using a Digital
Elevation Model (DEM). The watershed model elements are then intersected with soils
and land cover data layers to derive initial estimates of requisite model input parameters.
AGWA can currently use STATSGO, SSURGO and FAO soils and nationally available land-cover/use
data such as the National Land Cover Data (NLCD) datasets. Users are also provided
the functionality to easily customize AGWA for use with any classified land-cover/use
data. The chosen hydrologic model is then executed, and the results are imported back
into AGWA for visual display on the spatially distributed model elements. This allows
decision-makers to identify potential problem areas where additional monitoring can
be undertaken or mitigation activities can be focused. AGWA can difference results
from multiple simulations to examine and compare changes predicted for each alternative
input scenario (e.g., climate/weather change, land-cover change, present conditions,
and alternative futures). In addition, a variety of new capabilities have been incorporated
into AGWA, including pre- and post-fire watershed assessment, watershed group simulations
to cover all watersheds within a political or management boundary, implementation
of stream buffer zones, and installation of retention and detention structures. A
land-cover modification tool is provided for the development of prescribed land-cover
change scenarios, with a number of options for uniform, spatially random, and patchy
change to single or multiple land-cover classes. There are currently three versions
of AGWA available: AGWA 1.5 for users with Environmental Systems Research Institute
(ESRI) ArcView 3.x GIS software (ESRI, 2002), AGWA 2.0 for users with ESRI ArcGIS
9.x (ESRI, 2009), and AGWA 3.x for users with ESRI ArcGIS 10.x (ESRI, 2014). AGWA
3.x utilizes new features in ArcGIS 10.x that are not available in ArcView 3.x to
make the tool more powerful, flexible, and easier to use than AGWA 1.5. However, all
AGWA versions have been retained to reach the widest available audience.
|
| Ownership Type |
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Resource shared by EPA and other organizations |
| Information Resource Type |
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System or Application |
| Does the system/application store or manage tribal information in the form of: |
| Names or Acronyms (e.g., Navajo Nation or NN) |
|
| Codes (e.g., Bureau of Indian Affairs Codes or Other Codes) |
|
| Y/N indicator/flag signifying tribal ownership, tribal land, or tribal affiliation |
|
| Other (if yes, describe) |
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| Current Version Number |
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| Current Version Operational Start Date |
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| Alternate Names |
|
There are no alternate names specified for this information resource.
|
| Created Date |
|
2011-09-06 03:35 PM |