Comparison of daily water table depth prediction by four simulation models

The Agricultural Drainage And Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model was compared to the water management simulation models DRAINMOD, SWATREN, and PREFLO. SWATREN and PREFLO are one-dimensional finite-difference models while ADAPT and DRAINMOD are one-dimensional mass balance models. ADAPT, an extension of the computer model GLEAMS, also provides chemical transport information. All four models were tested against field data from Aurora, North Carolina. Observed water table depth data were collected during 1973 through 1977 from a water table management field experiment with three subsurface drain spacing treatments of 7.5, 15, and 30 m. Both the standard error of estimate and the average absolute deviation were computed between measured and predicted midpoint water table depth. For the five-year period ADAPT, DRAINMOD, SWATREN, and PREFLO had standard errors of estimated water table depth of 0.18, 0.19, 0.19, and 0.18 m and absolute deviations of 0.14, 0.14, 0.14, and 0.14 m, respectively. The results show good agreement between the models for this experimental site and encourage the further adoption of ADAPT to predict chemical transport.