How It Works | SWATGenX

From selection to insight in three steps

SWATGenX is designed around a simple workflow: select a watershed, run analysis, and get results and a report. Everything happens in the browser — no local software, no manual data prep.

Step 1 — Select a watershed

Open the Watershed Explorer and pick a USGS streamflow station or a HUC8 basin directly on the map. The platform covers 16,000+ stations across the continental United States.

• Search by station number, name, or address
• Filter by drainage area, flood status, or precipitation intensity
• Click any station marker or HUC8 polygon to select it

Step 2 — Run analysis

Once a watershed is selected, choose the analyses you need. Results appear as interactive map layers and downloadable data.

• Flood risk — real-time streamflow classified against return-period thresholds (Q2 through Q500)
• Floodplain mapping — DEM-based elevation/slope classification into high, moderate, and low risk zones
• Population exposure — governmental boundaries clipped to the watershed with density classes
• Cropland & streams — CDL land-use breakdown, NHDPlus stream segments with EROM flow estimates
• 24h precipitation — NOAA MRMS rainfall vs. PRISM historical percentiles

For HUC8-level analyses, the same workflows apply at the basin scale with aggregated results and broader coverage.

Step 3 — Get results & report

Results appear as interactive map layers in real time. When you need a deliverable, export a comprehensive PDF report ready for clients, submittals, and stakeholder handoffs.

What you receive:

• Flood classification — station status vs. return-period thresholds, precipitation intensity context
• Floodplain zone maps — high, moderate, and low risk areas with zone acreages
• Population exposure — governmental boundaries, density classes, and demographic counts within the watershed
• Cropland and stream summary — CDL-based land-use breakdown, stream segments with flow estimates
• Downloadable PDF — all of the above in a single document

With Advanced Modeling enabled: add water balance outputs (runoff, recharge, soil moisture), water quality metrics (N, P, sediment), and agricultural production — all from calibrated SWAT+ simulations.