Properly calibrated, single storm event, model simulations can be valuable quantitative tools for evaluating the effectiveness of grassed waterways (GWWs) and identifying a threshold length for an effective GWW. Current specifications for GWW lengths in Iowa are lacking. The key objective of this study is to employ the well-established Water Erosion Prediction Project model (WEPP) for determining an effective (or threshold) GWW length for reducing runoff and sediment yields under a wide range of hydrologic and management conditions in an agricultural Iowa watershed, namely Clear Creek, IA. The advantage of this physically based, distributed-parameter model is its ability to replicate processes at the hillslope scale where GWW performance [...]
