SWAT+
Introducing SWAT+, a completely revised version of the SWAT model. SWAT+ provides a more flexible spatial representation of interactions and processes within a watershed.
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21-24 Jan 2025 / Online
Over the past 20 years, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has become widely used across the globe. The large numbers of applications across the globe have also revealed limitations and identified model development needs. Numerous additions and modifications of the model and its individual components have made the code increasingly difficult to manage and maintain. In order to face present and future challenges in water resources modeling SWAT code has undergone major modifications over the past few years, resulting in SWAT+, a completely revised version of the model.
Even though the basic algorithms used to calculate the processes in the model have not changed, the structure and organization of both the code (object based) and the input files (relational based) have undergone considerable modification. This is expected to facilitate model maintenance, future code modifications, and foster collaboration with other researchers to integrate new science into SWAT modules. SWAT+ provides a more flexible spatial representation of interactions and processes within a watershed.
Getting Started
The SWAT+ model is a command-line executable file that runs text file inputs. While you can set up these inputs yourself, we provide interfaces to make it easier. There are two pieces to the interface:
- QSWAT+, a QGIS interface for setting up your watershed
- SWAT+ Editor, a user interface for modifying SWAT+ inputs and running the model
- SWAT+ Toolbox, for sensitivity analysis, model calibration, evaluation, and validation
Please refer to the following guides to start using SWAT+:
- Interface Documentation
- Input/Output and Theoretical Documentation
- Video series for installing software and setting up a model in QSWAT+
Need Help?
Please identify which area of SWAT+ you are having difficulty with and choose the appropriate group:
- QSWAT+ user group
For issues defining your watershed in QGIS and using the QSWAT+ plugin. - SWAT+ Editor user group
For issues related to the editor interface. - SWAT+ model user group
For questions and discussion related to the model itself, not the editor or GIS interfaces. - SWAT+ Toolbox user group
For discussions about SWAT+ sensitivity analysis calibration, validation, etc.
SWAT+ Community Tools
MapSWAT is an open-source QGIS plugin integrated with Google Earth Engine (GEE) that obtains and prepares SWAT+ input maps. It aims to help new or advanced users streamline the setup of their SWAT+ models. MapSWAT makes the preparation of SWAT+ input maps less error-prone, time-consuming and resource-intensive and facilitates model application in any study area worldwide. Additional information and the MapSWAT user manual and executable are available online. View reference paper.
Free, open source, graphical user interface for SWAT/SWAT+ calibration, parameter sensitivity/uncertainty analysis. For help see the user group and tutorial videos.
pySWATPlus is a Python library tailored for seamless interaction with Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+). Empowering users to efficiently manage input and output files within Python environments, pySWATPlus streamlines data manipulation and calibration processes using pymoo.
SWAT+ Toolbox is designed to work with the SWAT+ model. You can use it for sensitivity analysis, model calibration, evaluation, and validation. The software is currently only available on Windows. There are built-in updates through which more features, functionalities and bug fixes will be delivered. Check for updates as soon as you install. Check the user documentation here. Older versions may be downloaded here.
The gwflow module for SWAT+ is a physically based spatially distributed method for simulating groundwater storage, groundwater head, groundwater flow, and groundwater inflows/outflows (groundwater-stream exchange, groundwater-tile exchange, groundwater-lake exchange, groundwater-soil exchange, groundwater pumping). When in use, this module replaces the original groundwater module of SWAT+.
Integrate SWAT+ and SWAT2012 models in modeling workflows in R
SWATdoctR is a collection of functions and routines for SWAT+ model diagnostics and calibration in R. The R package includes routines for a guided model calibration, functions for the evaluation of the model performance, as well as functions for the visualization and diagnosis of simulation outputs. For reference see the original publication.
Calibration Uncertainty Program for SWAT or SWAT+. License purchase required.
Get weather, grid, landuse and soil map data for your SWAT models from our global data page.
IPEAT+ is a FORTRAN-based, built-in, and open source optimization and automatic calibration tool of SWAT+ rev. 59.2.
Publications
| 2024 | |
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Combined impacts of climate and land-use change on future water resources in Africa
Celray James Chawanda, Albert Nkwasa, Wim Thiery, Ann van Griensven. "Combined impacts of climate and land-use change on future water resources in Africa." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-117-2024 |
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| 2023 | |
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Field scale SWAT+ modeling of corn and soybean yields for the contiguous United States: National Agroecosystem Model Development
Natalja Čerkasova, Michael White, Jeffrey Arnold, Katrin Bieger, Peter Allen, Jungang Gao, Marilyn Gambone, Manyowa Meki, James Kiniry, Philip W. Gassman. "Field scale SWAT+ modeling of corn and soybean yields for the contiguous United States: National Agroecosystem Model Development". Agricultural Systems, 2023, 103695, doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103695. |
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| 2020 | |
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Development of Reservoir Operation Functions in SWAT+ for National Environmental Assessment
Wu, J., H. Yen (corresponding author), J. G. Arnold, Y. E. Yang, X. Cai, M. J. White, S. Chinnasamy, C. Miao, R. Srinivasan (2020) “Development of Reservoir Operation Functions in SWAT+ for National Environmental Assessment.” Journal of Hydrology, 583, 124556. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124556 |
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| 2019 | |
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Representing the Connectivity of Upland Areas to Floodplains and Streams in SWAT+
Bieger, K., Arnold, J.G., Rathjens, H., White, M.J., Bosch, D.D., and Allen, P.M.. 2019. “ Representing the Connectivity of Upland Areas to Floodplains and Streams in SWAT+.” Journal of the American Water Resources Association 55 ( 3): 578– 590. doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12728. |
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IPEAT+: A Built-in Optimization and Automatic Calibration Tool of SWAT+.
Yen, H., S. Park, J. G. Arnold, R. Srinivasan, C. J. Chawanda, R. Wang, Q. Feng, J. Wu, C. Miao, K. Bieger, P. Daggupati, A. Griensven, L. Kalin, S. Lee, A. Y. Sheshukov, M. J. White, Y. Yuan, I. Yeo, M. Zhang, X. Zhang (2019) “IPEAT+: A Built-in Optimization and Automatic Calibration Tool of SWAT+.” Water, 11(8), 1681, pp. 1-17. doi.org/10.3390/w11081681 |
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| 2018 | |
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Use of decision tables to simluate management in SWAT+
Arnold, J.G.; Bieger, K.; White, M.J.; Srinivasan, R.; Dunbar, J.A.; Allen, P.M. Use of Decision Tables to Simulate Management in SWAT+. Water 2018, 10, 713. doi.org/10.3390/w10060713 |
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| 2017 | |
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Introduction to SWAT+, a completely restructured version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool
Bieger, Katrin, Arnold, Jeffrey G., Rathjens, Hendrik, White, Michael J., Bosch, David D., Allen, Peter M., Volk, Martin, and Srinivasan, Raghavan, 2017. Introduction to SWAT+, a Completely Restructured Version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 53( 1): 115– 130. doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12482 |
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Enhancing the SWAT Model for Simulating Denitrification in Riparian Zones at the River Basin Scale
Hoang, L., A. van Griensven, and A. Mynett. 2017. “Enhancing the SWAT Model for Simulating Denitrification in Riparian Zones at the River Basin Scale.” Environmental Modelling & Software 93: 163–79. doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2017.03.017. |
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Featured Series Conclusion: SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges
Merwade, Venkatesh, Baffaut, Claire, Bieger, Katrin, Boithias, Laurie, and Rathjens, Hendrik, 2017. Featured Series Conclusion: SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 53( 6): 1390‐ 1392. doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12601 |
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Development of a Hydrologic Connectivity Dataset for SWAT Assessments in the US
White, M.J.; Beiger, K.; Gambone, M.; Haney, E.; Arnold, J.; Gao, J. Development of a Hydrologic Connectivity Dataset for SWAT Assessments in the US. Water 2017, 9, 892. doi.org/10.3390/w9110892 |
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