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In Tunisia, soil and water conservation interventions are among the most practicable strategies to prevent and mitigate rainwater losses through surface runoff and consequential erosion of fertile soils. In this study, a small and terraced agricultural catchment (Sbaihia) was used as an experimental site to analyze and parameterize the effects of bench terraces on water and sediment yield using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Model calibration and validation was performed, taking advantage from high-quality daily runoff data from 1994 to 2000 and a high-resolution bathymetric survey of the hill lake at the watershed outlet. Soil and Water Assessment Tool indicated that the local terraces, established on approximately 50% of the watershed area, reduced surface runoff by around 19% and sediment yield by around 22%, decelerating the siltation of the hill lake. Targeted model calibration delivered concise parameter set describing bench terrace impacts on runoff (Soil Conservation Service curve number method) and sediment yield (Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation) crucial for outscaling of soil and water conservation impacts and suitable watershed management. (C) 2016 The Authors. Land Degradation & Development Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.