Effect of Agricultural and Urban Infrastructure on River Basin Delineation and Surface Water Availability: Case of the Culiacan River Basin

Jesús G. Rangel-Peraza,Perla Marysol Uriarte-Aceves,Antonio J. Sanhouse-García,Leonel E. Amábilis-Sosa,Abraham E. Rodríguez-Mata,Sergio A. Rentería-Guevara

doi:10.3390/hydrology6030058

Jesús G. Rangel-Peraza, Perla Marysol Uriarte-Aceves + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology6030058

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Abstract

River basin delineation can be inappropriate to determine surface water availability in a country, even if it is established by its water authority. This is because the effect of agricultural and urban infrastructure in runoff direction is ignored, and the anthropogenic changes in hydrography and topography features distort the runoff. This situation is really important because water rights are granted based on volumes that are not physically accessible. The existence of this problem is demonstrated through a case of study: the Culiacan River Basin in Mexico. To overcome such a situation, this study poses criteria to revise official river basin configurations and to delineate new river basins based on digital elevation models, vector files of agricultural infrastructure, and extensive field verification. Significant differences were noticed in surface water availability calculated under distinct river basin delineations.

Highlights

One objective of this paper is to demonstrate that both official and natural basin delineations are not appropriate to perform a water balance in the study area due to the presence of agricultural infrastructure, and surface water availability is miscalculated
According to the INEGI delineation, the study area has two outlets, marked with red circles located in the downstream part of the Culiacan River Basin (Figure 4)
CONAGUA delineation of the Culiacan River Basin in 2016 included an area identified as Pericos River Basin that does not drain to the Culiacan River

Summary

Introduction

Scientists and decision-makers must deal with the absence of consensual river basin delineation within a country. To overcome this problem, some countries divide their territory by an official delineation of drainage basins, which intends to be a reference for water distribution. Some countries divide their territory by an official delineation of drainage basins, which intends to be a reference for water distribution This official connotation of a river basin is necessary because it is used as an official tool to manage water resources, such as the basins of the National Water Bank (NWB) in Chile [3].

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