Comparative evaluation of SCS-CN-inspired models in applications to classified datasets

One of the popular methods for estimating the depth of surface runoff for a given rainfall event is the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. Of late, several inconsistencies in its soil moisture accounting procedure have been pointed out by Michel et al. (2005), and a more rational procedure suggested. Recently, a modification incorporating an expression for estimation of initial soil moisture store level, a crucial parameter, was suggested by Sahu et al. (2007). The present study compares this modification with the original SCS-CN model and the other available variants on a large set of data of 76 small agricultural watersheds of the United States and finally suggests an improved model. The comprehensive comparison between these models reveals the proposed improvement to perform better than all other versions in all classified applications based on land use, soil type, combinations of land use and soil type, and precipitation regimes. A simplified version of the model is further suggested for practical applications.