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Input reference

This section documents every SWAT+ input file. Each page lists:

  • the file's purpose
  • the Fortran reader and the derived type it populates
  • the column layout, units, defaults
  • a real example from the reference datasets
  • known bugs or quirks in an Important section at the bottom

Every page is verified against the SWAT+ source at a specific commit, recorded in the page frontmatter as verified_at_commit. The source code is the only authoritative reference; example datasets are downstream and can drift.

Simulation control

  • file.cio. Master index. Names every other input file.
  • time.sim. Simulation period and time step.
  • print.prt. Output selection and aggregation.
  • object.cnt. Basin name, areas, spatial object counts.

Basin parameters

Spatial objects and connectivity

  • *.con. Connectivity files (hru.con, chandeg.con, aquifer.con, reservoir.con, ...).
  • hru-data.hru. Per-HRU pointer table.

Climate

  • *.cli. Index files: weather-sta.cli, weather-wgn.cli, pcp.cli, tmp.cli, slr.cli, hmd.cli, wnd.cli, pet.cli, atmodep.cli.
  • *.pcp. Precipitation data files.
  • *.tmp. Temperature data files.
  • *.tem. Legacy temperature file extension.
  • snow.sno. Snow parameter database.

Soils and land use

Channels, aquifers, reservoirs, wetlands

  • *.cha. Legacy channel files.
  • sd_channel. SWAT+ routing channel inputs (hydrology.cha, sediment.cha, nutrients.cha).
  • *.aqu. Aquifer files (aquifer.aqu, initial.aqu).
  • *.res. Reservoir files.
  • *.wet. Wetland files.

Operation and management databases

Verification procedure

The procedure for verifying a new or updated page is in SOURCE-OF-TRUTH.md in the docs working folder.