The purpose of winSEADS (Soil Erosion and Deposition Simulation - Windows) is to simulate multi-size class erosion, transport and deposition in upper catchments. In addition, the program contains a module for generating the required hydrologic input and a module for calculating nutrient enrichment ratios.

Intended users include those interested in sediment and pollutant generation models, sediment sorting algorithms, and sediment and nutrient delivery to streams.

winSEADS is based on kinematic wave approximation for rainfall-runoff modelling and mass balance for individual size classes for sediment generation, transport and deposition. Core calculations include the standard implicit solution of the kinematic wave equation, and solutions of coupled linear systems of ordinary differential equations. winSEADS has a user-friendly interface to facilitate data input and graphical presentation of the simulation results.

WRAM has been tested using experimental data for concave slope and abrupt slope changes leading to significant sediment deposition.

Established erosion prediction technologies include RUSLE and WEPP. RUSLE is limited to mean annual soil loss prediction, while use and adoption of WEPP in Australia have only met limited success. winSEADS represents and synthesises erosion research undertaken at Griffith University over the past quarter of a century, led by Prof Calvin Rose. Unique to winSEADS is an explicit representation of individual size classes for sediments and how erosive forces are partitioned among different size classes. Advantages in using winSEADS over RUSLE and WEPP lie in the following areas:

• Converging and diverging hillslope and flow pathways instead of unit slope profiles
• Natural rainfall events instead of simplified storm pattern or erosivity indices
• Arbitrary number of sediment classes for accurate representation of the sedimentation processes
• No limits to the number of size classes or the number of nutrients/pollutants to be simulated

winSEADS has the following features:

• Convergent and divergent slope profile
• Convergent and divergent flow pathways
• Spatially explict variation in model parameters governing infiltration and flow hydraulics
• Multi-class sediment sorting algorithms
• Sediment delivery ratios
• Nutrient enrichment ratio
• Particle size distribution of eroded sediments