Morphometric assessment and prioritization of the South India Moyar river basin sub-watersheds using a geo-computational approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study analyzed the river morphometric characteristics of the Moyar river basin, which consists of seven sub-watersheds (SWS), located in the upper Bhavani River basin in South India. The morphometric appraisal was carried out based upon the digital elevation model using the geographical information system (GIS). The study area comprises the seven SWS. River morphometric parameters have been classified based upon the characteristics i.e., linear, areal, and relief aspects. The drainage patterns clearly exposed effective regional tectonics, and the stream orders of the basin are primarily controlled by physiographic and tectonic structure in the study area. The bifurcation ratio was recorded from 3.8 to 6.2, and the higher values of the mean bifurcation of the all stream orders revealed that the geological and tectonic control of the river basin i.e., SW1, SW2, and SW3. Likewise, the result exhibited that the priorities level of each and every SWS will assist the priority rank such as highest priority was given to SW3 (with a compound value of 2.40), and SW4 (compound value of 5.60) is the lowest priority in the Moyar river basin. Furthermore, the novelty of the study revealed that the three SWS (SWS3, SWS7, and SWS6) are highly susceptible and it requires appropriate sustainable soil and water conservation.