The basin models for predicting runoff and erosion provide valuable information to solve a wide range of problems involving the planning of erosion control and for programs of water resources and water quality. They can also be used as a basis to study alternative management practices to combine social requeriments and natural resources use. With the aim of selecting a basin model to predict runoff and erosion, a synthesis of the potentialities of some deterministic models currently used is presented. This paper also describes the general conceps of a recently developed model of distributed parameters. Its capabilities, advantages and limitations are also commented.Peer reviewed