Sustainable provision of raw water based on the management of ecosystem services in small watersheds

Mateus Marques Bueno,Marcos Gervasio Pereira,Felipe Araújo Mateus,Ricardo Valcarcel

doi:10.4136/ambi-agua.2439

Abstract

The differentiated effects of the provision of environmental services in a watershed are due to the capacity of regularization of outflows in its mouth. In impacted areas, this environmental function is affected, and in some situations, it ceases to exist completely. This study characterized the soil and the production of sediments in anthropic watersheds, with the purpose of describing and evaluating the environmental services offered by a watershed undergoing anthropic transformation. The analyses show that the water flow in the remaining watersheds was preferably horizontal in the transmission zone, and these areas represent almost all areas. The values of hydraulic conductivity suggest that the infiltration decreases with soil depth; this fact is corroborated by the values of bulk density. The natural regions of water accumulation, the floodplains or outcrops zones, are small and do not have direct contact with the main floodplain present in the Guandu River Basin, making it impossible to recharge through other areas. Even so, water balance shows that the set of measures implemented ensured that the deficit water demand was supplied during the years of operation, even in times of water deficit. Likewise, the retention of solids in the settling tanks and in the drainage system prevented some 29,000 t of sediment from being carried between the years of 2012 and 2015.

Highlights

The differentiated effects of the pro environmental services in watersheds, because of the hydrologically sensitive effects, can be measured by their ability to regularize the flow of the river basin
The study (Figure 1) was carried out in a Group of Small Watersheds (GMH), which were classified as watersheds for their size, and for their hydrological functions, Sustainable provision of raw water based on
The average annual precipitation is 1,270 mm; the configuration of the relief, given that the GMH are located at the northwest of the geographic mass called Madureira Mendanha, combined with the predominant air currents (Atlantic tropical - mTa), make the average rainfall lower in this area than it is in the BHSG

Summary

Introduction

The differentiated effects of the pro environmental services in watersheds, because of the hydrologically sensitive effects, can be measured by their ability to regularize the flow of the river basin. The watersheds have the capacity to produce water, contributing to the sustainable development of their environment. They control the exchange of water and related chemical flows from the upper catchment area to surface waters like streams and lakes (Hattermann et al, 2006). Water is produced in the flat and high areas of watersheds and stored in outcrop areas or natural reservoirs. These reservoirs may present small individual capacity; when all the contributions are united, the local water regime is created. The diagnosis of the conditions of the small watersheds and the impacts they endure should guide the measures to provide water

Methods

Results

Conclusion