Workshop 3: Sunday February 21, 2010 (8:00 am-5:00 pm)

Application of Integrated Environmental and Economic Simulation Models Using CEEOT-SWAPP to Evaluate BMPs at the Field and Watershed Levels

Environmental models are used to assess and evaluate the impacts of various best management practices (BMPs) related to point and nonpoint sources at the field- (e.g., Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender, APEX) and watershed- (e.g., Soil and Water Assessment Tool, SWAT) levels.  However, models such as SWAT and APEX are only capable of simulating a limited number of BMP scenarios individually. Furthermore, most computer model applications do not include economic assessments of BMPs, which are critical for optimal practice implementation. A Comprehensive environmental and economic optimization tool –SWAPP (CEEOT-SWAPP) program was developed to: 1) simulate SWAT and APEX simultaneously, taking advantage of the strengths of both models for evaluating a greater number of BMPs for different land uses, including urban, agriculture, and forested lands, at the field- and watershed-levels; and 2) evaluate the economic impacts of selected BMPs using the Farm Economic Model (FEM) at the field- and watershed-levels.  In this workshop the CEEOT-SWAPP program and its nested models, including APEX, SWAT and FEM, will be introduced and distributed to the attendees. The application of CEEOT-SWAPP for the Upper North Bosque River watershed in Central Texas will be demonstrated. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop (with MS Windows) for a hands-on demonstration, but can still view the demonstration if a laptop is not available.   The model will be loaded on each participant’s laptop.  Participants will also receive an instruction manual and a CD containing these materials.  Familiarity with the APEX, SWAT and FEM models is desirable but not required.