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IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
PAPER • OPEN ACCESS
Construction of a model of nutrient export from the catchment using GIS-
technologies for a transboundary river in Russia and Finland
To cite this article: K D Korobchenkova and A A Ershova 2021 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 834 012043
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Modern problems of reservoirs and their catchments – 8
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 834 (2021) 012043
IOP Publishing
doi:10.1088/1755-1315/834/1/012043
1
Construction of a model of nutrient export from the
catchment using GIS-technologies for a transboundary river
in Russia and Finland
K D Korobchenkova1 and A A Ershova2
1 Institute of Limnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
2 Russian State Hydrometeorological University, St. Petersburg, Russia
korobchenkova14@mail.ru*, ershova@rshu.ru
Abstract. GIS model SWAT to assess the nutrient load on the catchment area of the Gulf of
Finland from the transboundary Seleznevka River (Rakkolanjoki) was applied. All stages of
the model setup are considered: preparation of initial data, building the SWAT-model, its
calibration and scenario calculations. We consider the possibility of using the SWAT-model
for managing the quality of water bodies in Russia and the difficulties that arise while building
a model for this catchment area.
1. Introduction
To solve one of the main environmental problems of the Baltic Sea and, in particular, of the Gulf of
Finland – eutrophication, Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) adopted in 2007 the Baltic Sea Action Plan,
according to which one of the primary goals of the countries located in the catchment area of the Baltic
Sea is the development of measures to reduce the supply of nutrients to the marine ecosystem, which
accelerate the processes of eutrophication. The availability of reliable information on the amounts of
nutrients coming from the catchment areas of rivers is a key element for achieving this goal [1-4].
To assess the nutrient load from the catchment area of the Gulf of Finland, regular monitoring data
are required. However, with an insufficient number of regular measuring stations on the rivers of the
Leningrad Region and limited data series, it is promising to use mathematical modeling methods,
including the use of GIS technologies [5].
One of the most widely used models in Russia for calculating nutrient removal based on
mathematical modeling is the ILLM nutrient load model developed by the Institute of Limnology of
the Russian Academy of Sciences. The model is a simple tool used to assess the external load from
point and diffuse sources in conditions of scarce monitoring data and accounts for retention of
nutrients by the catchment and water body; it allows to predict the nutrient load transformation due to
anthropogenic and climatic changes [5-7].
The ILLM model was also used to scientifically support the implementation of the
recommendations of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan for Russia. The model was used to
calculate the nutrient load of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from different parts of the Russian
catchment area of the Gulf of Finland (catchments of the Neva and Narva rivers, catchments of the
Ladoga, Onega, Ilmen and Peipsi lakes). The model is also applicable for calculating the removal of
some dissolved metals from river catchments. The calculation step is a year. The advantages of the
model, besides its low requirements to resolution of the input data, include its easy-to-use mode and
Modern problems of reservoirs and their catchments – 8
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 834 (2021) 012043
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doi:10.1088/1755-1315/834/1/012043
2
open access. To obtain the most accurate modeling results, it is recommended to make calculations for
relatively large catchments [5-7].
An example of the application of geographic information systems (GIS) for mathematical modeling
of nutrient load on the catchment is the dynamic model FyrisNP, developed by the Swedish University
of Agricultural Sciences [8]. This model determines the load of total nitrogen and total phosphorus on
the catchment of water bodies from natural and anthropogenic sources and the amount of removal of
nutrients from the catchment into the receiving water body, including the retention capacity of the
drainage basin.
The FyrisNP model was originally developed to calculate the distribution of nitrogen and
phosphorus transport sources in the catchment of the Fyris River in central Sweden [8]. The model
was also used to calculate the values of nutrient load from the drainage basin of the transboundary
Pregolya River in the Kaliningrad Region, in the South-West Baltic (river flows through the territory
of Poland and Russia into the Baltic Sea) and to identify priority sources of nutrients [9]. This model
has higher resolution as compared to ILLM model: the time step of the model is one month. A
relatively small amount of input data is required to run the FyrisNP model. The model is used for
reservoirs up to 50,000 km2 [8].
This paper discusses the possibility of using the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model
to assess the nutrient load for the conditions of the coastal zone of the Gulf of Finland. The model is
the most developed and tested geographic information system for complex predictive modeling of
nutrient flows in the river's catchment area in the world [10]. For the successful implementation of the
model, a large amount of high—resolution and high-quality input data is required, which allows the
model to be used to solve a number of problems, and that is one and only disadvantage of this
powerful tool, restricting its application in the Russian Federation. Depending on the given input
variables, using the model, it is possible to predict the consequences of anthropogenic activities and
agriculture on landscape components, bottom sediments, pesticide migration, yield and
bioproductivity [11]. The main advantages of the SWAT model are: its open access; it solves a wide
range of assessment tasks; effective modeling for long forecast periods; visual presentation of
simulation results in the form of graphs and animated drawings, the time step of the model is 24 hours
[10].
Successful implementation of the SWAT model with correctly specified initial data makes it
possible to obtain model estimates of the load of all forms of nutrients coming from the catchment
(including organic and inorganic forms), to determine the sources of excess nutrients, and is a
powerful tool for predicting the impact of economic activities on the catchment, including the impact
of climatic changes.
2. Materials and methods
The SWAT model was developed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service to quantify the impact
of land management practices in large and complex watersheds. The model is widely used to study the
impact of land use change and weather conditions within the studied model basins [10-13].
In this study, the SWAT model was used on the free Quantum GIS platform. The time step of the
model is one day.
The object of research is the transboundary Seleznevka River (Rakkolanjoki), which originates in
Finland and flows into the Vyborg Bay of the Gulf of Finland on the territory of Russia. This is a
relatively small river 33 km long, has a catchment area of 215 km2, the territory of which is mainly
covered with forests, to a lesser extent agricultural land, urbanized areas, water bodies and swamps.
The following types of soils are characteristic for the territory of this catchment: rocks, moraines,
coarse soils, clays, peat soils. The largest point source of pollution of the river is the Finnish city of
Lappeenranta with a population of 72 thousand people.
Since November 2018, regular hydrological and hydrochemical observations have been carried out
on the Seleznevka River as part of the Russia-South-East Finland 2014-2020 Cross-Border
Cooperation Program. At two monitoring stations, once a month, water samples are taken to determine
Modern problems of reservoirs and their catchments – 8
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 834 (2021) 012043
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doi:10.1088/1755-1315/834/1/012043
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the physical properties, main ions, gas composition, organic and pollutants, nutrients and pollutants of
inorganic origin.
Table 1. The initial data for SWAT model.
The initial data
Format
Digital elevation map (DEM)
Raster file (.adf, .tiff)
Soil and landuse maps
Raster files (.adf, .tiff)
Stream network
Shapefile (.shp)
Wastewater discharge source
Shapefile (.shp)
Lookup tables for soil and landuse maps
.csv
Station information
.txt
Daily climatic data:
⎯ Temperature (min and max value) [oC]
⎯ Precipitation [mm]
⎯ Solar radiation [MJ/m2/day]
⎯ Relative humidity [%]
⎯ Wind speed [m/s]
.txt
The monitoring data made it possible to prepare the necessary baseline data, which, with a high
degree of detail, describe the various characteristics of the system within the catchment. These data
made it possible to identify the corresponding sub-basins, and then - elementary hydrological units
(HRUs), each of which is homogeneous in terms of soil cover, relief element, type of land use or
vegetation cover. The initial data (table 1) in the form of maps with a high degree of detail made it
possible to identify each elementary hydrological unit, and then calculate the nutrient load for each
HRU, taking into account the volume of fertilization, surface runoff, growing crops, weather
conditions and other factors. At the next stage, the model includes a database of weather conditions,
created on the basis of daily data from hydrometeorological monitoring. Ultimately, the simulation
results were visualized.
Figure 1. Catchment of the Seleznevka (Rakkolanjoki) River with delineated 11 sub-basins.
Modern problems of reservoirs and their catchments – 8
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 834 (2021) 012043
IOP Publishing
doi:10.1088/1755-1315/834/1/012043
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Thus, the SWAT model was tested for the conditions of the Leningrad Region in the catchment of
the Gulf of Finland, and also identified the limitations of using the model and creating files with initial
data that meet the requirements of the model. At the next stage, verification and calibration of the
model and scenario calculations were performed.
3. Results and discussion
As part of the work with the SWAT model for the catchment area of the Seleznevka River, the initial
data with the necessary extensions were prepared, which were used when starting the model. Figure 1
shows the catchment area of the Seleznevka River, divided into 11 sub-basins and 278 HRUs.
One of the advantages of the SWAT model is a good visualization of the results and the ability to
present the obtained values of the parameters calculated by the model in the form of graphs and
animated drawings. Figure 2 shows one of the options for the visual representation of the calculated
parameter values (river runoff values (m3/s), total nitrogen and total phosphorus load (kg)).
Figure 2. Parameter values calculated using the SWAT model for the period 01.01.2011-31.12.2018: a)
river runoff values (m3/s), b) load of total nitrogen (kg) and c) load of total phosphorus (kg).
At the stage of model testing in 2020, and in the absence of a sufficient amount of field data due to
epidemiological constraints, for the calibration of the SWAT model the calculated values of the
characteristics (values of river runoff (m3/s), loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus (kg)) were
compared with values from the Finnish model Vemala, which has been successfully used to estimate
nutrient loading in Finnish river catchments of the same size and characteristics. When calibrating, a
Modern problems of reservoirs and their catchments – 8
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 834 (2021) 012043
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doi:10.1088/1755-1315/834/1/012043
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large number of parameters were enumerated, depending on the load of point sources, the number of
fertilizers applied, the underlying surface, the value of total evaporation, etc.
From table 2 it can be seen that the values of the parameters calculated by the SWAT model are
overestimated, which may be due to insufficient knowledge and debugging mechanisms for
calculating individual characteristics in the model. In this case, you can observe the realistic dynamics
of changes in the calculated parameters. At the next stage, at the end of the field observation period in
2021, the SWAT model will be calibrated based on field data.
Table 2. Average values of parameters calculated by SWAT model after calibration.
Runoff, m3/s
Load of total nitrogen,
kg/ha
Load of total phosphorus,
kg/ha
Model Vemala
1.4
12.6
0.3
Model SWAT
1.4
12.8
1.2
Also, during the study, the first scenario calculations were made: reducing the load from a point
source by half (50%) and in full (100%); the presence of buffer zones; allocation of new wetlands.
These calculations were performed to identify the overall impact of the given parameters on the
nutrient load on the catchment of the Seleznevka River. Implementation of the selected scenarios will
lead to a decrease in the nutrient export from the catchment area.
4. Conclusion
The application of the SWAT model to the conditions of the coastal zone of the Gulf of Finland
revealed some limitations of its application.
Firstly, this is the lack of baseline data due to insufficient coverage of the monitoring network in
Russia, which necessitated additional monitoring studies by the North-West Department on
Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring in 2019.
Secondly, the input data for the model in the form of digital maps requires a high resolution, an
appropriate degree of detail and specification of characteristics in accordance with the encodings of
the SWAT model.
At this stage of the study, the calculation mechanisms on the SWAT model for the catchment area
of the transboundary river Seleznevka are being finalized, and also the SWAT model will be calibrated
based on monitoring data, and scenario calculations will be completed.
After all the necessary modifications, the SWAT model will allow the planning of economic
activities in the transboundary catchment, taking into account various scenarios reflecting changes in
economic activities in the catchment and future climatic changes. Ultimately, the model may be used
as a universal method of planning economic activities in the catchments of the North-West of Russia.
Acknowledgments
The work was carried out in frames of the federal budget project № 0154-2019-0001 (state registration
№ AAAA-A19-119031890106-5) “Comprehensive assessment of the dynamics of ecosystems of Lake
Ladoga and water bodies of its basin under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors”.
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Modern problems of reservoirs and their catchments – 8
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