Application of the SWAT model to an AMD-affected river (Meca River, SW Spain). Estimation of transported pollutant load

Summary: The Meca River is highly contaminated by acid mine drainage coming from the Tharsis mining district, belonging to the Iberian Pyrite Belt. This river is regulated by the Sancho reservoir (58hm3), with a pH close to 4.2. In this work, the load transported by the Meca River to the Sancho reservoir has been assessed. Due to the lack of streamflow data, the hydrological behaviour of the Meca River basin has been simulated using the SWAT model. The model has been calibrated against registered daily inflows of the Sancho reservoir (1982–2000), excluding the hydrological years 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 that were kept for the validation. The results were satisfactory; the evaluation coefficients for monthly calibration were: r =0.85 (Pearson’s correlation coefficient), NSE=0.83 (Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient) and DV=1.08 (runoff volume deviation). The main uncertainty was the calibration during low water because of the poor accuracy in the measurement of the inputs to the reservoir in these conditions. Discharge and dissolved concentration relationships for different elements were obtained from hydrochemical samplings, which allowed us to estimate the element pollutant load transported to the reservoir: 418ton/year of Al, 8024ton/year of SO4, 121ton/year of Zn, etc. Based on these loads, concentrations in the reservoir were calculated for some elements. Apart from Mn and Sr, good adjustment between calculated and measured values was observed (±20% for Ca, Co, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Zn and SO4). Capsule: Hydrological model combined with water quality data show how pollution by AMD can generate huge loads of contaminants acidifying streams and reservoirs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]