Applying HSPF to assess spatial variation of pollution potential in the yuanshanyan watershed

This study applies the Hydrological Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF) model to predict non-point source pollution exports from 25 subbasins of the Yuanshanyan watershed. The spatial variability of the pollution potential in each space is a useful reference for relevant watershed environmental protection agencies as it can be used to improve land-use management strategies. The results show that the prediction effectiveness of non-point source pollution is satisfied by the HSPF model. The pollution potential in downstream subbasins are higher than in upstream subbasins. The pollution potential in Subbasin 1 is the highest among all the subbasins; thus, land-use restrictions should be stricter in Subbasin 1 than in the other 24 subbasins considered. Besides land-use management strategies, structural best management practices can also be implemented in Subbasin 1 to reduce its impact on watershed environment.