Access & allocations
SWATGenX is research infrastructure: public agency measurements harmonized into national inventories you can explore on the map, model generation free with an account under fair-use allocations, and larger allocations granted on request.
At a glance
| Public | Account (free) | Extended (by request, free) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer, national inventories, example models, methods & benchmarks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SWAT+ models — any watershed size (USGS gage / HUC12 outlet / HUC8 basin) | — | ✓ (fair-use allocation) | ✓ |
| Watershed PDF reports & analyses | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Model storage · retention | — | 2 GB · models kept 30 days | More storage · no scheduled cleanup |
| Concurrent builds (extra orders queue automatically) | — | 1 | Up to 3 |
| Coupled SWAT+MODFLOW-6 orders | — | — | ✓ |
| HUC14 site-scale models (single-catchment, 30 m) | — | ✓ (within your storage allocation) | ✓ |
| Cloud calibration & validation | — | — | by request (AWS compute at cost — pay-as-you-go, no platform fee) |
| Programmatic API & MCP server | — | ✓ (free API key; same quotas as the app) | ✓ |
Free accounts are bounded by resources you can see and manage — storage, retention, and one build at a time — never by watershed size. Order any basin; when the 2 GB model storage fills, free space from your dashboard or request extended access. Live usage for your account is always shown in the app. National map layers use a small anonymous preview per view; a free account shows the full harmonized inventory.
The three levels
Public
No account required to explore. Underlying measurements are public agency records; SWATGenX harmonizes them into national inventories with live map access (anonymous preview; free account shows all).
- CONUS Watershed Explorer with streamflow classification and overlays
- National groundwater lithology inventory (live counts, CC BY, citable)
- National PFAS data moat — 94,100+ grab-sample stations across water, groundwater, soil, tissue, and sediment; 30,972 depth-resolved soil records; 196,710+ potential-source facilities (screening layer, not confirmed contamination); litigation case reports — harmonized from agency sources
- All example models, methods, and benchmark pages
Research account
Free. For generating your own models and reports at exploratory scale.
- SWAT+ builds for any watershed — USGS gage, HUC12 outlet, or whole HUC8 basin
- 2 GB model storage · models kept 30 days · one build at a time (extra orders queue)
- Watershed PDF reports, floodplain, population, cropland, and stream analyses
- Personal workspace: build queue, downloads, saved results
- Fair-use allocation — live limits shown in the app
Extended access
By request, free, justified — like a compute allocation at a research facility.
- Everything in a research account, plus more storage with no scheduled cleanup and up to three concurrent builds
- Coupled SWAT+MODFLOW-6 model orders (surface–groundwater exchange)
- Cloud calibration & validation — you pay only the AWS compute cost (pass-through, shown before you launch)
- Higher API throughput
Research collaborations — coupled PFAS fate-and-transport studies like the Wurtsmith case study, or opening more public data — are arranged directly.
SWATGenX is a production research platform in controlled release. Nothing on it is sold: allocations exist to keep shared compute predictable while the platform and its peer-reviewed methods mature. Want evidence before requesting anything? Browse real example SWAT+ models from completed runs, or read the research portfolio.
FAQ
What can I use without an account?
The Watershed Explorer, all example models, and every methods and benchmark page are open without signing in. National inventories — groundwater lithology, PFAS monitoring across water/groundwater/soil/tissue/sediment, depth-resolved soil PFAS profiles, and potential-source screening — are built from public agency records that SWATGenX harmonizes into one national product; the map and aggregate summaries are open to read, with a small anonymous preview per view (for example 25 PFAS stations or three lithology intervals on a well log). A free account lifts the preview to the full harmonized inventory. The underlying measurements remain public-record agency data; SWATGenX does not claim ownership of them.
What does a free account add?
Model generation and reporting: SWAT+ builds for any watershed — USGS gage, HUC12 outlet, or a whole HUC8 basin — plus watershed PDF reports, floodplain and population analyses, and a personal workspace where results are saved. Free accounts get 2 GB of model storage, models are kept for 30 days, and builds run one at a time (extra orders queue automatically). Your live usage is always shown in the app.
How do extended allocations work?
By request, free of charge, with a short justification. Email info@swatgenx.com with your affiliation and what you are working on — a thesis watershed, an agency study, a method comparison. Extended allocations add more storage with no 30-day cleanup, up to three concurrent builds, coupled SWAT+MODFLOW-6 orders, higher throughput, and API access. We grant them case by case to keep the shared infrastructure predictable for everyone.
How is cloud calibration handled?
Calibration runs on dedicated per-job AWS compute, and you pay only what AWS charges — pass-through, pay-as-you-go, with no SWATGenX fee on top. The calibration workflow shows you the exact estimated compute cost for your model and settings BEFORE you launch, so there are no surprises; depending on model size, runs, and parallel settings it ranges from a few dollars to a few hundred. Measured wall-time reference points are documented on the SWAT+ Calibration on AWS EC2 page.
Why are there allocations at all?
Because the platform runs on real shared infrastructure and NHDPlus HR hydrography is dense: a watershed that looks small on a map can produce a large model. Fair-use allocations keep queues fast and turnaround predictable for everyone — they are stewardship of a research system, not a paywall. No capability on this platform is sold.
What about teams, institutions, or research collaborations?
Institutional evaluation setups and research collaborations — including coupled PFAS fate-and-transport studies of the kind shown in the Wurtsmith case study — are arranged directly. Email info@swatgenx.com with your affiliation and study goals.
Do limits ever change?
Yes — entitlements follow live app configuration. This page is updated when limits change; the in-app "Your access" view is always the authoritative source for your account.