Abstract
This study aimed at quantitative analysis of morphometric parameters of Agula watershed and its sub-watersheds using remote sensing data, geographic information system, and statistical methods. Morphometric parameters were evaluated from four perspectives: drainage network, watershed geometry, drainage texture, and relief characteristics. A sixth-order river drains Agula watershed and the drainage network is mainly dendritic type. The mean bifurcation ratio (Rb) was 4.46 and at sub-watershed scale, high Rb values (Rb > 5) were observed which might be expected in regions of steeply sloping terrain. The longest flow path of Agula watershed is 48.5 km, with knickpoints along the main river which could be attributed to change of lithology and major faults which are common along the rift escarpments. The watershed has elongated shape suggesting low peak flows for longer duration and hence easier flood management. The drainage texture analysis revealed fine drainage which implies the dominance of impermeable soft rock with low resistance against erosion. High relief and steep slopes dominates, by which rough landforms (hills, breaks, and low mountains) make up 76% of the watershed. The S-shaped hypsometric curve with hypsometric integral of 0.4 suggests that Agula watershed is in equilibrium or mature stage of geomorphic evolution. At sub-watershed scale, the derived morphometric parameters were grouped into three clusters (low, moderate, and high) and considerable spatial variability was observed. The results of this study provide information on drainage morphometry that can help better understand the watershed characteristics and serve as a basis for improved planning, management, and decision making to ensure sustainable use of watershed resources.
Highlights
Morphometric analysis is an important aspect of characterization of watersheds
The various morphometric parameters and their implications are discussed for the entire watershed and the sub-watersheds based on the derived cluster groups (Fig. 3)
According to Harlin (1978), the high value of SK for Agula watershed showed headward development of the main stream and its tributaries as these streams encroached the upper reaches of the watershed
Summary
Morphometric analysis is an important aspect of characterization of watersheds. It involves computation of quantitative attributes of the landscape related to linear, aerial and relief aspects from elevation surface and drainage networks within a watershed. Over the past several decades, morphometric analysis to evaluate watersheds and to describe the characteristics of surface drainage networks with reference to land and water management has been a major emphasis in geomorphology. Recent studies demonstrated that quantitative morphometric analysis has several practical applications that include land surface form characterization (Reddy et al 2004; Thomas et al 2012; Magesh et al 2013; Kaliraj et al 2014; Banerjee et al 2015), watershed prioritization for soil and water conservation (Gajbhiye et al 2014; Meshram and Sharma 2015), environmental assessment (Magesh et al 2011; Al-Rowaily et al 2012; Rai et al 2014; Babu et al 2016), and evaluation and management of watershed resources (Pandey et al 2004). Morphometric analysis is an important procedure for quantitative description of the drainage system; enabling improved understanding and better characterization of watersheds
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