Spatial Delimitation of Small Headwater Catchments and Their Classification in Terms of Runoff Risks

Petr Kavka

doi:10.3390/w13233458

Abstract

The hydrological similarity of catchments forms a basis for generalizing their hydrological response. This similarity of the hydrological response enables catchments to be classified from numerous perspectives, e.g., hydrological extremes or ecological aspects of catchments. A specific group is formed by so-called “first-order catchments”. This article describes the derivation process of small headwater catchments up to 5 km2 in size on the territory of the Czech Republic. The delimitation is based on the digital terrain model, the stream network, and the water reservoirs. The catchments derived in this way cover 80% of the country. Five mutually independent and sufficiently representative parameters were selected with Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and were used for the cluster analysis performed on two to eight clusters. Clustering Validity Indices (CVI) was used to determine the optimal number of clusters. Subsequently, each generated cluster was assessed for the potential risk of the occurrence of direct runoff, in five classes, on a scale from a moderate degree of risk to a high degree of risk. Six clusters were generated, which is the optimal number in terms of the CVI and their hydrological properties. In this case, 17% of the Czech Republic territory is assessed as lying within a high-risk area, 39% as lying within a medium-risk area, and 24% as lying within a below-average risk area in terms of the occurrence of direct runoff.

Highlights

The mutual hydrological similarity of catchments, derived from the similarity of their response to a precipitation event, forms a basis for generalizing their hydrological links, and enables findings to be transferred between catchments
The Czech Republic is an example of a country where headwater catchments form a significant part of the territory
In the case of Set of the Largest Catchments” (SoLC), 80% of the Czech Republic is covered in this category

Summary

Introduction

The mutual hydrological similarity of catchments, derived from the similarity of their response to a precipitation event, forms a basis for generalizing their hydrological links, and enables findings to be transferred between catchments. This approach enables catchments to be classified both in terms of their potential impacts on the environment and in terms of their vulnerability to hydrological extremes. A similar principle for the defining, classifying, and sharing the attributes of catchments has been adopted within the CAMELS data set [2,3]. The data sets are created for individual catchments to describe six main classes of attributes at catchment scale: topography, climate, streamflow, land cover, soil, and geology

Results

Discussion

Conclusion