WEPP ACTIVITIES: 1995 TO PRESENTAfter delivery of the WEPP model in 1995, the USDA‐ARS NSERL assumed responsibility for WEPP model testing, implementation, and maintenance. J. M. Laflen continued as WEPP Project Leader and worked on model testing and technology transfer activities. Many of the other WEPP project participants soon shifted their attention to other activities after 1995. M. A. Nearing and D. C. Flanagan redirected their focus from WEPP model development to laboratory and field soil erosion research, as well as modeling applications.Following model delivery in 1995, the WEPP computer program was to be tested, revised, and implemented by representatives of the user agencies. A team of NRCS employees conducted WEPP model tests in late 1995 and early 1996. After these tests, it was recommended that graphical Windows‐based interfaces be developed for WEPP. Model tests at selected FS sites also indicated that improved interfaces would be needed before their staff could fully implement the WEPP model.In response to suggestions made by the user agencies, ARS began efforts in 1996 to create better WEPP user interfaces, and D. C. Flanagan assumed responsibility for model interface development. He recruited Windows programmers and supervised development of a graphical Windows interface (Flanagan et al., 1998). Initial interface work was completed in 1999 and resulted in a user‐friendly software program still widely used today. NSERL staff involved in interface development included J. R. Frankenberger, H. Fu, S. J. Livingston, C. R. Meyer, R. C. Vining and G. A. Weesies. D. C. Flanagan (fig. 1), Agricultural Engineer, West Lafayette, Indiana, was appointed WEPP Project Leader in April 1999.The WEPP Windows interface graphically depicts a side view of a hillslope profile (fig. 4) or a plan view of a small watershed. The default set of projects contains agricultural, rangeland, and forest management inputs for a wide range of conditions. Soil input information can be obtained for thousands of soils in the NRCS Soils‐5 and NASIS databases. Information from over 2600 climate stations can be used with the CLIGEN (Nicks et al., 1995) weather generator to produce a time series of synthetic climate inputs for erosion simulations throughout the U.S. Complex slope shapes with multiple soils, cropping, and management conditions can be simulated.Model outputs are numerous and can be viewed either graphically or in text format. The basic output information on average annual rainfall, runoff, soil loss, and sediment yield is shown in a table at the top right of the screen (fig. 4). Spatial soil loss can be displayed graphically, in a pop‐up window, and is also shown in color (to distinguish soil detachment and sediment deposition) in the center slope profile layer (fig. 4). Results of return period analyses can be computed and displayed, indicating the likelihood of runoff or sediment yield to exceed a certain level at the location of interest.
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