# A methodological framework for assessing sea level rise impacts on nitrate loading in coastal agricultural watersheds using SWAT+: A case study of the Tar-Pamlico River basin, North Carolina, USA

*PRI Rank #19 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/hydrology-and-watershed-management-studies/2026/rank-19*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #19 |
| 18m citations | 71 |
| Journal | The Science of The Total Environment |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175523 |
| Corresponding authors | Mahesh R Tapas |
| Institution | East Carolina University, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/hydrology-and-watershed-management-studies/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175523](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175523)

## Topics

SWAT+ model · sea level rise · nitrate loading · coastal agricultural watersheds · Tar-Pamlico River basin · saltwater intrusion · hydrological response units · denitrification · Plant water uptake · Nitrogen cycling · Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency · land use reclassification · SLR-influenced crop database · estuary nutrient delivery · seasonal nitrate dynamics · climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/hydrology-and-watershed-management-studies/2026. Accessed 2026-07-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```