Arc Hydro Tools Research Articles

Analysis of the Morphometric Characteristics of Wadi Rajil in the Azraq Basin using Geographic Information Systems

The study aimed to Analyse the Hydrometric Characteristics of Wadi Rajil basin and assess the flood hazards in the basin using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Techniques. The study used Models of Digital Visualizations of the basin and processed them using ARC GIS 10.5 and ARC HYDRO TOOLS. The result was that the Hypsometric Coefficient reached (21.4%) of the valley area that was exposed to erosion and (78.6%) of it is still waiting for its turn to erosion, indicating that the valley has reached the stage of youth. The analysis of Hot Spots in the GIS program resulted in negative values for internal Drainage Basins greater than -0.5 extending to the northern and northwestern parts of the basin. It also showed that the flow coefficient exceeds the internal Drainage Coefficient or Leakage. As for the positive values, they are distributed in the southern and southeastern parts, where the (Hot) values prevail and where the leakage coefficient exceeds the Flow Coefficient. We find that the Hot Spots are concentrated in the southeastern parts, which are mostly extended. The Rift and thus the most suitable areas for Groundwater Charging through it.

Remote sensing applications to identify devastated lagoons of the Indus Delta Pakistan

A reduction in river flows is a major cause of the shrinking of river deltas. The Ramsar protected Indus Delta is one such example. Due to a consistent reduction in the flows of the Indus River, 15 out of 17 allied creeks facing back flows from the sea, while the remaining two are flowing during flooding years only. The connected wetlands and lagoons of these creeks have turned brackish, resulting in the devastation of associated habitats and ecosystems. This situation also increased seawater intrusion and coastal erosion. This study spatially detect the devastated lagoons, employing the Arc-Hydro tools in ArcGIS, conduct community meetings and draft evidence-based recommendations to revive the abandoned wetlands. The study identified 130 waterbodies using maximum likelihood and supervised classification methods on Landsat imagery. Through ground trothing 20 abandoned waterbodies have been visited and verified with community engagement. The revival of wetlands will improve biodiversity and coastal habitat, along with the re-plantation of mangrove, which provides a shield against tsunamis and cyclones and is also home to hundreds of species of shrimp. The sustainable wetlands may also provide immediate drinking and agricultural needs for the local population, as well as repel seawater from intruding inland.

Flooding Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Using Remote Sensing Data and Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study from Mekkah Province, Saudi Arabia

Flash floods are catastrophic phenomena that pose a serious risk to coastal infrastructures, towns, villages, and cities. This study assesses the risk of flash floods in the ungauged Mekkah province region based on specific and effective morphometric and topographic features characterizing the study region. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data were employed to construct a digital elevation model (DEM) for a detailed analysis, and the geographical information systems software 10.4 (GIS) was utilized to assess the linear, area, and relief aspects of the morphometric parameters. The ArcHydro tool was used to prepare the primary parameters, including the watershed border, flow accumulation, flow direction, flow length, and stream ordering. The study region’s flash flood hazard degrees were assessed using several morphometric characteristics that were measured, computed, and connected. Two different and effective methods were used to independently develop two models of flood vulnerability behaviors. The integrated method analysis revealed that most of the eastern and western parts of the studied province provide high levels of flood vulnerability. Due to it being one of the most helpful topographic indices, the integrated flood vulnerability final map was overlayed with the topographic position index (TPI). The integrated results aided in understanding the link between the general basins’ morphometric characteristics and their topographical features for mapping the different flood susceptibility locations over the entire studied province. Thus, this can be applied to investigate a surface-specific reduction plan against the impacts of flood hazards in the studied landscape.

Pre-modeling by Arc Hydro Tools

Pre-modeling by Arc Hydro Tools

HYDROLOGICAL MODELING AND WATERSHED ANALYSIS OF SWAT RIVER BASIN BY USING HBV LIGHT MODEL AND ARC GIS

Climate change is a pivotal global phenomenon, particularly impactful in nations like Pakistan. This study delves into the myriad factors driving climate change, specifically focusing on its profound effects on economically vulnerable countries heavily reliant on natural resources for water. Utilizing historical climatic and discharge data from the Swat River, located within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the research employs temperature, precipitation, and discharge data to scrutinize changes in the KALAM basin at a regional level. Situated between 34° and 36° N latitude and 71° to 72° E longitude, the Swat River Basin relies heavily on glacier snowmelt. The HBV model and GIS techniques are harnessed to dissect climate variations within the KALAM Basin. GIS aids in mapping the study area and visualizing temperature fluctuations in the basin. The basic HBV rainfall-runoff model undergoes automatic calibration using a straightforward yet effective method, providing satisfactory results during the 1981-2000 calibration and 2001-2010 validation periods. Noteworthy findings include the HBV-light model's adeptness at simulating stream flow and snowmelt in the snow-fed basin. However, the study emphasizes the substantial impact of parameter set values on the model's performance, highlighting the challenge of selecting an ideal parameter configuration. Sensitivity tests underscore the significant influence of climate change, specifically temperature increases, on stream flow across yearly, seasonal, and snowmelt contributions. Employing geographic information systems (GIS) alongside a digital elevation model proves instrumental in managing and analyzing water resources, aiding in watershed delineation—a crucial step in hydrological modeling. GIS, particularly the Arc Hydro tool, is valuable for determining grid directions in catchment areas, drainage lines, and flow accumulation. The research underscores the need for comprehensive scientific exploration to address knowledge gaps and enhance understanding of the applications of the HBV light model in the context of climate variations, particularly concerning water resources.

Estimation of morphometric parameters of Talcher, Anugul using earth observation data

Morphometric parameters are the key parameters for drainage basin, watershed planning and analysis. In this current study we emphasized on the morphometric characteristics of Talcher, it is situated at the Anugul province, Odisha. A meticulous case study was conducted, ASTER data and GIS are used for preparing the DEM, assessment of areal, linear and relief aspects of morphometric parameters. ArcGIS-10.8 software is used for the scrutiny of the study, Surface tool is used for the preparation of contour, slope-aspect, hill shade, and ArcHydro tool is used for the watershed border, flow accumulation, flow direction, flow length and stream order. 53 morphometric parameter have been calculated in this study. This research can provide a thorough justification to help with future morphometric research analysis, which is also highly helpful for planning watershed management and rainfall harvesting.

Changes in land use land cover within the Jukskei River basin and its implications on the water availability

South Africa is just slowly emerging from its past turbulent history with some of its population still not able to access some of the basic services such as water. This study was aimed at evaluating changes in land use land cover within the Jukskei River basin and its implications on the water availability. The study used Archydro tools on ArcMap of the ArcGIS program to delineate the Jukskei River catchment, then, used the delineated catchment to clip off the land use land cover (LULC) maps for the periods 1990, 2014 and 2020. The total area of the catchment was determined to be 800 km2, and land use practices were assessed for 1990, 2014 and 2020 LULC maps. The major land use classifications found within the catchment were agriculture, bare-land, forests, grassland, settlements (built-up area), mines, waterbodies, and wetlands. The study showed that settlements accounted for the greatest portion of the Jukskei River catchment, compared to other land use categories. The runoff was determined for the 2, 5, 10 and 20 years return periods. The study showed that runoff increased by 8.33% due to 2020 land uses (70% imperviousness), from those values calculated for 1990 and 2014 land uses which had 60.87 and 61.58% imperviousness respectively. Therefore, the results revealed that a large quantity of water (runoff) is generated in the catchment and then surrendered into the Limpopo River and eventually wasted into the Indian Ocean. The study also showed that an increase in imperviousness due to land use practices resulted in an increase in surface runoff, thus having negative implications on the catchment’s water availability.

Arc Hydro Hillslope and Critical Duration: New tools for hillslope-scale runoff analysis

Hillslopes are a fundamental unit of surface hydrology, mediating the flow of water to fluvial networks through overland flow and subsurface pathways. We present Arc Hydro tools to delineate hillslope outlines, identify hillslope width functions and implement an overland flow model that accounts for hillslope curvature. We apply the new tool to subwatersheds in the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and Las Trampas Creek Watershed to investigate properties of hillslope curvature and impact of curvature on peak flows. We found that, for these two subwatersheds, divergent, convergent, and uniform-width hillslopes account for 43%, 55%, and 2% of subwatershed areas, respectively. This curvature is substantial enough to increase peak flow predictions by up to a factor of 3 on some hillslopes, and can be exaggerated at larger scales as multiple hillslope hydrographs are superimposed. Our findings suggest that hillslope curvature may play an important role in hydrological processes on real landscapes.

Assessment of flood hazard areas and its management using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques: A Case Study of Tigris River - Salah Al-Din Governorate, Iraq

Flood is one of the most widely distributed hazards around the world and its management is an important concern for all decision maker this phenomenon. In Iraq, especially in Salah Al-Din Governorate, during the Spring 2019, the amount of water flowing has been increased into Tigris River, this led to a rise in the river level as a result of rains in close range and snow melting, as well as an increase in the drainage of the Small Zab, which is flowed into Tigris River at Salah Al-Din Governorate. Therefore, the flood hazard mapping and flood shelter analyses have been accomplished through the assessment of damage and determination the optimal location to make flood escape for mitigation the flood hazard processing. The Remote Sensing (R.S) technique and Geographic Information System (GIS) have been utilized to assess the damage by using the NDVI and NDWI indices. Arc Hydro tool in GIS software with the hydraulic model HEC-Ras software have been also utilized to find the flood escape and modeling the flood shelter. The result shows that the damaged areas at Salah Al-Din Governorate for agriculture land and flood inundation map.

Morphometric and principal component analysis–based prioritization of reservoir catchments using geospatial techniques for land and water conservation aspects in North-West India

A study was undertaken to prioritize the six reservoir catchments, viz. C1: Chohal dam, C2: Dholbaha dam, C3: Thana dam, C4: Janauri dam, C5: Damsal dam and C6: Patiaria dam, located in Shivalik foothills of North-West India, using morphometric and principal component analysis (PCA), remote sensing and GIS techniques for land and water conservation aspects. The selected catchments were delineated using high-resolution ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model (DEM) in ArcGIS 10.4.1 software (Archydro tool). The morphometric analysis was found suitable for identifying catchment shapes and the factors affecting hydrologic conditions and erodibility. The lower values of elongation ratio (0.59–0.79), circularity ratio (0.23–0.36) and form factor (0.28–0.64) indicated higher soil erosion potential in the catchments. Moreover, the higher values of stream frequency, drainage density, drainage texture and bifurcation ratio indicated higher runoff potential, which would intensify the soil erosion. The results indicated a successful enactment of both approaches in catchment prioritization. PCA used only highly correlated parameters, thereby reducing the prioritization time. The morphometric analysis followed by PCA-based prioritization was witnessed to be consistent for better decision-making in conservation planning. Thus, remote sensing and GIS-based morphometric analysis followed by prioritization can be highly useful in identifying the critical issues related to water distribution, erosion pattern and groundwater recharge in the most critical reservoir catchment (s). Moreover, in the reservoir catchments where the sediment inflow significantly reduces their storage capacities, such study can be useful in maintaining the maximum reservoir storage volumes through appropriate land and water conservation measures.

Geo-informatics based Morphometric Analysis of a Reservoir Catchment in Shivalik Foothills of North-West India

The present study examined 35 morphometric parameters related to stream/drainage network, catchment geometry, and relief aspects for hydrological characterization of the Thana Dam catchment using geospatial tools and techniques. The dam catchment was delineated using the high-resolution Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (ALOS PALSAR) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data in ArcGIS 10.4.1 software using the Arc Hydro tools. The catchment is comprised of 4th order stream, obtained using a stream threshold value of 100 m length. The lower values of elongation ratio (0.61), circularity ratio (0.22), and form factor (0.29) indicated higher soil erosion potential, mainly due to their inverse relationship with land erodibility. Moreover, the higher values of stream frequency (15.7), drainage density (>5.0), drainage texture (7.48 km-1), and mean bifurcation ratio (4.08-6.33) indicated higher runoff potential, which would intensify the soil erosion, mainly due to their direct relationship with erodibility. Bifurcation ratio, elongation ratio, circulatory ratio, form factor, altogether indicated an elongated shape of the catchment with a fine drainage texture. The higher values of bifurcation ratio and texture ratio of the catchment also indicated severe overland flow (low infiltration rate) with a limited scope for groundwater recharge in the area, which in turn might significantly encourage the soil erosion. Overall, it was concluded that the catchment has a huge runoff potential resulting in high soil erosion due to its fine texture, impermeable subsurface material, steep slope, low infiltration rate, limited vegetation, longer duration of overland flow, and higher surface runoff. The morphometric analysis was found to be suitable for identifying catchment shape and the factors affecting hydrologic conditions and erodibility of the catchment. Thus, Geo-informatics based morphometric analysis of a reservoir catchment can be useful to study the erosion potential in relation to hydrologic (rainfall-runoff relationship) and other related land characteristics (e.g., relief, slope, infiltration rate, etc.).

Flash flood risk modeling of swat river sub-watershed: a comparative analysis of morphometric ranking approach and El-Shamy approach

Globally, flash floods are the most damaging natural hazards, because of its sudden nature and difficulty in forecasting that restrains emergency responses. Flash floods triggered by thunderstorms are frequent in the high mountainous area of Hindukush Himalaya in the north of Pakistan. The current study employed two widely used approaches for flash flood risk modeling, i.e., morphometric ranking approaches (MRAs) and El-Shamy’s approach to analyzing their effectiveness for flash flood susceptibility modeling in Swat river watershed, district Swat, Pakistan. The digital elevation model was utilized to delineate the watershed and drainage network using the ArcHydro tool of ArcGIS. A total of 15 morphometric parameters have been used for flash flood modeling. The analysis suggests that the Swat river watershed consists of 17 sub-basins. The MRA-based flash flood risk assessment suggests that sub-basins B1 and B2 (12% of total sub-basins) are highly susceptible to flash flooding. While sub-basins B4, B6, B11, B13, and B17 (59% of the total sub-basin) are moderately susceptible to flash flood risk. El-Shamy-based modeling suggests that sub-basins B12, B14, and B16 (18% of total sub-basins) have high flood susceptibility while sub-basin B5 has the lowest. The field observation and 2010 flood reports by WHO and NDMA suggest that the flash flood susceptibility modeling results by the MRA are more accurate as compared with El-Shamy’s approach. The results of the study perceived to help execute appropriate remedial measures to extenuate the potential flash floods in the study area.

Urban land cover and morphometric analysis for flash flood vulnerability mapping and riparian landscape conservation in Kebena River watershed, Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa city has a degraded stream ecosystem and redundant flash flooding that can destroy the existing urban infrastructure and utilities. This research aimed to map flash flood vulnerability of the Kebena watershed inside Addis Ababa and evaluate the status of the riparian landscape. Methodologically, the study employed the Biophysical Composition Index (BCI) to detect impervious surfaces and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to classify the vegetation cover. The Arc-hydro tool was used to identify micro-watersheds and measure the morphometric factors, then principal component analysis (PCA) identified the surrogate factors. Fuzzy overlay analysis combined land cover and morphometric analysis results to produce the final flash flood vulnerability map. Moreover, riparian buffering at 15, 30, and 90 m distances were defined to measure the degree of imperviousness, greenness, and vulnerability to flash flooding. Accordingly, 969 ha of land was depicted within the watershed as flash flood vulnerable areas. These areas are primarily found in the southeastern and southwestern parts where impervious land cover prevailed, and the northwestern portion which has extremely rugged terrain and has a sparse vegetation cover. For all buffering distances, the proportion of impervious surface is greater than the vegetation cover. Even within 15 m buffering distance, which was set as the national urban planning standard. It is concluded that Kebena watershed is vulnerable to flash floods as the riparian landscape is dominated by impervious and depleted vegetation cover. Therefore, integrated geospatial and statistical techniques are helpful to devise a method for sustainable riparian landscape monitoring.

Study on spatial distribution of pollutants and total amount reduction in the Duliujian River (Tianjin, China)

Abstract The Duliujian River is the largest river in the downstream area of the Haihe River. In order to further clarify the main pollutant load and load contribution of the basin, and analyze the watershed pollution control unit, key pollution sources and their spatial distribution characteristics, this study divides the control unit of the basin, which is based on the digital elevation model (DEM), and applies the expansion template of Arc Map–Arc Hydro tools software. On the basis of water environment capacity and total maximum daily load (TMDL) theory, water quality standards are set in accordance with the requirements of the water body function. Considering seasonal influence and the pollution load contribution rate, a total pollution load control plan and a load optimization allocation plan are proposed, in order to realize the distribution of pollution load among point source, non-point source and safety margin. According to the calculations, TMDL of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH3-N in the flood season (June–September) in the Duliujian River is the largest, about 27,005 kg/d and 2,296 kg/d, respectively. During the dry season (December–March), the reduction of COD and NH3-N is the largest, reaching 50.74% and 90.14%, respectively. And Duliujian River is dominated by non-point source pollution.

Hydro-Morphometric Analysis using Geospatial Technology: A Case Study of Wadi Gabgaba and Wadi Allaqi Watersheds, Southern Egypt-Northern Sudan

Hydro-morphometric parameters analysed to understand the hydrological process and are prerequisite for assessment of hydrological characteristics of surface water basin. The aim of this study is an attempt to determine the watershed characteristics and hydro-morphometric analysis using ASTER data and GIS techniques of the two largest basins and most extensive drainage systems (Wadi Gabgaba and Wadi Allaqi basins) in the eastern desert at Southern Egypt/Northern Sudan region. Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data were used for preparing Digital Elevation Model (DEM), flow direction, stream orders, and slope maps. Geographical information system (GIS) was used in evaluation of drainage network characteristics, drainage texture, basin geometry, and relief aspects of morphometric parameters. Watershed boundary, flow direction, flow accumulation, stream ordering, and flow length have been prepared using Arc-Hydro Tool. Relief-aspect, contour, and slope have been prepared using Surface Tool in ArcGIS-10.5 software, and ASTER (DEM). More than 41 morphometric parameters of all aspects for study basins have been computed. The degrees of hazard due to flooding were analysed based on nine morphometric parameters which have an effect on the hydrologic behavior of the study basins. Correlation coefficient analysis is evaluated between morphometric variables with the help of statistical analysis for ascertaining the basins characteristics which helps in mapping hydrological potentiality and preparing a comprehensive plan for sustainable management of the watersheds.

Ecological Resilience Restoration in the Watershed of the Hancang River

Hancang River is a river on the eastern border of Jinan City. In recent years, with the development of cities, river flow has dropped sharply, river water has been polluted, and the ecological environment of the basin has declined. Improving the water ecological environment and enhancing the resilience of the water ecology of the river basin were set as the research goals, especially coupling of hydrological and ecological processes and the recycling of sewage resources. The “patch-corridor-matrix” theory of landscape ecology, the Least-cost distance model and the Arc Hydro Tools module of the ArcGIS platform were used to describe the river system and basin boundaries, optimize the current water network and the path network of the ecosystem. A novel ecological network and water network were proposed to form the final aquatic ecosystem, which combines the hydrological process with the ecosystem, and three decentralized wastewater treatment systems were designed to reduce the wastewater directly flowing into the river. The ecosystem resilience of the basin will be enhanced.

Remote sensing and sig contribution for the identification of the fracturation influence on the drainage network architecture in the High Ziz River basin, Central High Atlas, Morocco

Abstract This study aims to contribute to a better estimation of the density of fractures likely to favour the drainage of surface water in the High Ziz River (HZR) basin. The method adopted consists of the use of different airborne image processing techniques (filtering, enhancement and slope analysis) which allow a good discrimination of image discontinuities (lineaments) that can then be used for producing lineament maps. The influence of these lineaments on the underground flow is then studied. Indeed, it was possible to extract the lineament network, following the exploitation of remote sensing and an objectively completed analog analysis using the PCI Geomatica LINE module and its directional filters (Sobel directional filters by the ACP method), and to extract the hydrographic network of the HZR basin, using the ArcHydro tool. After superimposing these data, their thematic maps (of the lineament and hydrographic network) were developed. In addition, this comparison of the two hydrographic networks and lineament maps showed us very varied flow directions influenced by geological structures, particularly fracturing. The topography of the region also has a secondary impact on flows through the presence of slopes generally oriented towards the SE of the basin. The correlation of the results with the different directions of the orders of the hydrographic network allowed us to identify the potential effects of lineaments on the orientations of surface water circulation. In addition to these results, the realization of the Rose diagram indicated that the dominant trend in lineaments is N90–45N° (NE–SW).

Morphometric Analysis of Kolavadi Sub-Watershed in Bhor Tahsil Using GIS Techniques

The growing demand and competition for water from domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors reached utmost limit. Drainage basins, catchments, and sub-catchments are the hydrological units ideally suited for planning of conservation of land and water resources. GIS techniques are useful for analysis of morphometric properties of any watershad. Morphometric aspects: linear, relief, and areal aspects of Kolavadi sub-watershed of Upper Nira basin were analyzed using spatial tools and arc-hydro tool in Arc GIS 10.3. The bifurcation ratio (2 to 4.5) indicates structural disturbances and mature topography with higher degree of drainage integration. This watershed shows less elongated shape with low relief, moderate to gentle slope, moderate drainage density and highly prone to soil erosion. Techniques used in study and results are useful for planning and monitoring the sub-watersheds for sustainable development.

A simple distributed water balance model for an urbanized river basin using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Across most urban centres, adequate supply of water becomes essential for the urban poor. Attempts at ensuring water availability has been formulated using standard water models. This study developed a water balance model using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques during periods of water surplus and deficit across pre-millennium (1996 – 2000) and the post-millennium (2010 – 2014) periods within an urbanized Sub-Saharan city. Digital Elevation Model of the basin was prepared to generate flow direction and to delimit the watershed using ArcHydro tools in ArcGIS 10.3. Supervised classification was used to delineate the landuse classes from Landsat imageries. The result revealed that 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2010 and 2013 were periods of water deficit, while 1999, 2011, 2012 and 2014 were periods of water surplus. This study affirmed the need to reactivate institutional frameworks that are responsible for assessment, conservation, management and planning of water resources for sustainable utilization.

Delineation of Drainage Network and Estimation of Total Discharge using Digital Elevation Model (DEM).

The rapid urbanization and the population growth, have increased the demands of fresh water to manage various tasks from domestic to industrial scales. Various man driven sectors such as agriculture, industry and water filtration plants, require fresh water to cater the need of increasing population. Therefore, the management of available fresh water reservoirs is of great importance to save water for a sustainable future “save water save life”. Digital elevation model (DEM) is efficient to extract the drainage network, basin boundaries and to evaluate the volume of fresh water available in study site. We used Arc hydro tools in Arc GIS interface for extraction of drainage network in the study site. Flow direction and accumulation were computed according to Z-value of individual pixel available in the raster grid. A total 127 streams were extracted against 127 catchments. We observed that the catchments bearing steep slopes were incised in comparison to gentle slopes which were mostly eroded. We evaluated the total discharge in cusec using Q=CIA, where the coefficient ‘C’ of rainfall was substituted as 0.76 for each catchment having rocky soil type. The total discharge was estimated as 10871 cusec. GIS tools proved efficient to map watershed in the study site.