Low Drainage Density Research Articles

Geographical Information System Approach to Delineate the Watershed’s Morphometric Parameters for Sustainable Hydrological Modeling of Barind Region, Bangladesh

Water is an important resource of the earth’s surface and it is integral for all on this planet. The availability or the scarcity of water depends on the watershed characterizes that consider the basic, linear, and shape parameters of any waterbody. The objective of the study was to delineate 14 morphometric parameters in the Barind region (Dinajpur district, Bangladesh) for sustainable hydrological modeling. An ASTER-DEM of 30-meter resolution data, geographical information system (GIS), and Remote sensing technique were used for extracting drainage components of interest region. The whole study region was covered by the flow of the Purnovoba river, Jamuna river, Atrai river (part-1 and part-2). Research results found that the Purnovoba river had a high bifurcation ratio (0.9982) that defined hydrologically more disturbed than the other three watershed areas and it had a high stream frequency (0.8332) that denoted rocky having low infiltration capacity. Jamuna river had a low drainage density (0.7322) that defined more vegetation having higher permeability. Besides, the Jamuna river had the lowest no. of stream order that was insignificant in the steady runoff process and less prone to cause a flash flood. The research predicted that the availability of groundwater might decrease to Jamuna river in the future as it had the lowest basin area (217.42 sqr. km ) and perimeter (114.90 km) and the basin surface slope would become gentle to Atrai river part-1 for the lowest length of overland flow (0.6072). Purnovoba river experienced the lowest form factor (0.2351) which indicated the most possibility for erosion. The elongated ratio of all basins was greater than 0.5 which considered all the shapes were more elongated. These findings will help for further modeling of an integrated watershed for sustainable hydrological models in the Barind region.

Morphometric analysis of a drainage basin using geographical information system in Gilgel Abay watershed, Lake Tana Basin, upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

GIS and remote sensing approach is an effective tool to determine the morphological characteristics of the basin. Gilgel Abay watershed is stretched between latitude 10.56° to 11.22° N and longitude 36.44° to 37.03° E which is one major contributing river of Lake Tana which is the source of Blue Nile. The present study addressed linear and areal morphometric aspect of the watershed. The study deals with emphasis on the evolution of morphometric parameters such as stream order, stream length, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, texture ratio, elongation ratio, circularity ratio, and form factor ratio. The morphometric analysis of the basin revealed that Gilgel Abay is firth-order drainage basin with total of 662 drainage network, of which 511 are first order, 111 are second order, 30 are third order, 9 are fourth order, and 1 is fifth-order stream. The total length of stream is longer for first order and decrease with increasing stream order. The mean bifurcation ratio is 5.16 which is greater than the standard range, and it indicates that basin is mountainous and susceptible to flooding. Low drainage density is observed which is 0.6 km−2. It indicates that basin is highly permeable and thick vegetation cover. Areal aspect of the morphometric analysis of the basin revealed that the basin is slightly potential to flooding and soil erosion, indicating that runoff generated from the upland area of the watershed is significantly infiltrated at the gentle downstream part and contributing to groundwater potential. Further studies with the help of GIS and remote sensing with high-resolution remote sensing data integrating with ground control data in the field are more effective to formulate appropriate type of natural resource management system.

ANÁLISE MORFOMÉTRICA E DO USO DA TERRA DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO CÓRREGO DA ONÇA, PRESIDENTE PRUDENTE- SP

O presente trabalho visa analisar as características morfométricas e do uso da terra na bacia hidrográfica do córrego da Onça, no município de Presidente Prudente- SP, como subsídio ao planejamento ambiental da área em questão. O estudo parte do pressuposto teórico metodológico exposto por Christofoletti (1980), sendo analisados dados referentes ás características morfométricas: linear, areal e hipsométricas da bacia e ainda de suas relações com u uso da terra Os dados base foram extraídos de imagens Shuttle Radar Topography Mission- SRTM, os quais foram processados nos softwares Arc Gis 10.3 e Google Earth, e então, calculados os valores morfométricos, já o mapeamento do uso da terra foi realizado com o uso de imagens de satélite Landsat 7 e 8. A partir dos resultados quantitativos obtidos, a bacia hidrográfica do córrego da Onça foi classifica como de drenagem dendrítica, possuindo hierarquia de drenagem de 4ª ordem. Sua classificação como retangular, de forma alongada, lhe concede certa estabilidade quanto ao risco de cheias, considerando sua média de precipitação anual, sem eventos extremos. A baixa densidade de drenagem e o médio índice de rugosidade do relevo reforçam o caráter de estabilidade da bacia à picos de cheias, entretanto, a predominância de solos suscetíveis a erosão, além do processo de ocupação inadequada da área, demonstram a necessidade de procedimentos de uso e manejo da terra de modo sustentável. Dessa forma a metodologia aplicada e os resultados obtidos têm se mostrado importantes como ferramenta ao planejamento ambiental e consequentemente na atenuação de impactos ambientais adversos.

Análisis morfométrico de los principales tributarios del río Salí en la cuenca de Tapia – Trancas a partir del procesamiento en SIG y sensoramiento remoto

El análisis morfométrico provee una descripción de las características de las redes de drenaje de una región y permite anticipar una respuesta frente a los fenómenos climáticos. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del análisis morfométrico realizado sobre los principales tributarios del río Salí en la cuenca de Tapia – Trancas, Tucumán, Argentina. Los parámetros morfométricos fueron calculados en base a la metodología de Horton - Strahler con apoyo de herramientas de sistemas de información geográfica y datos de sensoramiento remoto (modelo de elevación digital SRTM). La relación entre orden de los ríos, longitud media y el número de ríos, sigue tendencias geométricas. El coeficiente de almacenamiento indica que en los ríos Choromoro, Tapia y Acequiones (valores altos de Rho) se dan mayores tiempos para alcanzar los caudales de punta y los procesos erosivos están atenuados. Los valores más altos del coeficiente de torrencialidad caracterizaron a las cuencas de los ríos Candelaria, Tala y arroyo India Muerta, indicando mayor ocurrencia de flujos torrenciales e inundaciones aluvionales veloces. La extensión media del escurrimiento fue mayor en los ríos Tapia y Choromoro lo cual implica un mayor tiempo para alcanzar los caudales de punta. El río Acequiones fue el de mayor densidad de drenaje indicando que la red hidrológica se desarrolla sobre rocas más impermeables. La frecuencia de ríos (Fr) muestra un escaso desarrollo en la subcuenca del arroyo India Muerta, que se condice con su baja densidad de drenaje y escasa superficie. Las subcuencas de los ríos Choromoro, Vipos y Acequiones, tienen mayores valores de Fr lo cual representa una mayor disponibilidad de agua en superficie, menor permeabilidad de los terrenos y mayor susceptibilidad a la erosión. El análisis morfométrico en base al procesamiento de datos de sensores remotos permite caracterizar las redes de drenaje de los tributarios del río Salí en la cuenca de Tapia–Trancas e identificar las subcuencas que presentan una mayor susceptibilidad a la erosión.

Geo-morphometric prioritization of Aglar micro watershed in Lesser Himalaya using GIS approach

Lesser Himalayan watersheds are most susceptible to conservational deprivation, that needs to accurate management and planning of available natural resources such as soil and water which are pre-requisites for sustainable growth of the watershed in the mountains regions. The analysis of watershed through morphometric together with geomorphic maps i.e., soil distribution, land cover, and slope map can play a role in forecasting to understand the behavior of hydrological processes in a Himalayan watershed. An attempt has been made to quantify the geo-morphometric parameters and their characteristics for watershed prioritization using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) approach and linked the geomorphologic parameters with the hydrological characteristics of the watershed. The sub-catchment Aglar UP (SC-1), Paligaad (SC-2), and Balganga (SC-3), located in the lesser Himalayas in Jaunpur block of Uttarakhand state having elevation between (670–2975 m). The sub-watershed (SC-1) and (SC-2) are third order and (SC-3) is a 1st order stream, having a dendritic drainage pattern with low drainage density < 0.5 km per km2, indicates the impact of lithology and topography on drainage pattern. The average bifurcation ratio of (SC-1) is combatively less than (SC-2) which shows a high infiltration rate with low overland flow and presence of strong structural control on the drainage pattern. Lower values of circularity ratio and elongation ratio of < 0.5 advocated elongated shape of the watershed with lesser peak flows for an extended time. The less value of the form factor in the elongated type of watershed suggested about flatter peak flow. Based on the obtained morphometry parameters of linear and shape, watershed prioritization has been carried out for erosion risk. Based on weight and ranking, (SC-2) got the highest priority, is the most susceptible to erosion, whereas (SC-1) receives the least priority which means the least erosion. The results from this study helps to understand the hydrological behavior and soil erosion factors of lesser Himalayan watersheds that would be useful to water resource conservation to the planners, policy makers and agriculturists. The study gets the attentions from the scientists, researchers, involved in their respective fields.

Morphotectonic analysis of Aripal Basin in the North-Western Himalayas (India): An evaluation of tectonics derived from geomorphic indices

Himalayan river basins are exposed to continuous erosion and deformational processes. The main goal of this paper is to characterize the tectonic activity, as it acts as a controlling factor in the development of landforms in the tectonically active terrains. Research was carried out in the Aripal basin, which lies to the South East of Kashmir Valley, one of the right bank tributary of river Jhelum. The geomorphic indices and Morphometric parameters are determined using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Reflection and Emission Radiometer (ASTER) 30 m Digital Elevation Model. The low mountain front sinuosity (Smf = 1.3), S-type hypsometric curve with high Hypsometric Integral (HI = 0.35), low Valley floor width to valley height ratios (Vf < 1), elongated basin shape (Ff = 0.569), higher stream frequency, and low drainage density suggest that the area is tectonically active. The calculated geomorphic indices in the present work, along with extensive field data, reveal considerable variation in the relief, topography, and predominance of tectonic activity over erosional processes in shaping the landforms of the basin.

MODELS TO PREDICT SLOPE LENGTH FROM OTHER WATERSHED ATTRIBUTES

Soil erosion by water is an extensive and increasing problem worldwide. Albeit, this problem has been recognized as a significant hazard in Iraq, yet the number of studies on this topic is very limited. Most of the models used for estimating soil erosion contain parameters for slope length factor (LS). A major constraint is the difficulty in extracting the LS factor. Accordingly, the current study was initiated with the main objective of deriving models to predict the slope length from relatively easy to measure basin characteristics with a reasonable accuracy. To achieve the above objective, standard methodologies were employed to describe 30 main basins with the upper part of Iraq in terms linear, areal and relief morphometric parameters. The majority of the delineated watersheds were characterized by having high slope lengths indicating lower drainage density and higher erosion rate. Linear and non-linear least squares techniques were applied to predict the slope length from other basin characteristics. Different indicators were used to test the performance of the proposed models and the approach was validated using K-fold procedure at independent basins. The results indicated that the 4-parameter regression model outperformed the remaining models of watershed slope length. The regressors of this model are bifurcation ratio, perimeter, and basin length and slope gradient.

Geomorphometric Characterization and Analysis of the Bued Watershed Using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer – Global Digital Elevation Model V3 through Geospatial Techniques

The present study analyzed and quantified the linear, areal, and relief geomorphometric aspects of the Bued Watershed in Benguet, Philippines using a 30-m spatial resolution digital elevation model. The study was carried out using geospatial techniques to describe the hydrogeological processes acting on the watershed including its landforms, geologic structure, and terrain features that are relevant in watershed conservation and natural resources management. The study site has a total area of 146.46 km² and a basin length of 23.38 km. Based on the linear parameters, it has four stream orders generated using a 1.5-ha critical source area (CSA). Stream order three, with a total of three stream segments, contributes much higher sediment loads to the Bued River. These stream segments are also controlled by geologic structures with a high possibility of flash floods during a high rainfall intensity. For the areal parameters, the study area was categorized as medium-watershed and less elongated. It has a low drainage density value (1.16 km/km²), which is characterized by a good vegetative cover. The study site has permeable subsurface material and lower relief, which turns out to have a more infiltration capacity. Whereas the drainage texture and form factor values (0.812 km and 0.27, respectively) described the study area with a lower peak flow of longer duration, these values indicate that the flood flows are easier to control. The linear parameters showed that most of the Bued Watershed area (44%) is located at an elevation of &gt; 1000 masl with moderate to steep slopes, which make it more susceptible to erosions and landslides. This is consistent with the relief ratio and relative relief results (0.08 and 0.03, respectively), which suggest that the area is vulnerable to erosion.

Evaluation of geomorphologic similarity between the sub-catchments of Cauvery river basin

Estimation of morphometric indices can be useful in defining similarity relationships between catchments over a wide range of scales and it facilitates the effective understanding of hydrogeologic processes. This study aims at evaluating morphometric parameters to investigate geomorphologic similarity between the sub-catchments of the Cauvery river basin which is a major river basin in Peninsular India. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) obtained from Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) at 30 m spatial resolution is used for assessing the linear, areal and relief aspects of morphometric analysis. The stream network analysis of sub-catchments reveals that the basin is dominated by streams of lower order and the Cauvery basin can be characterized as a seventh order basin. Linear parameters indicate that the basin is subjected to less structural disturbances. Assessment of areal parameters shows that most of the sub-catchments have elongated shape, low drainage density and course drainage texture. Evaluation of relief parameters suggests that the sub-catchments have mild slopes with moderate ruggedness and resistant soil surface. The sub-catchments are found to be geomorphologically similar in behaviour and this analysis can throw insight on development of scaling relationships as well as hydrological predictions in ungauged areas of the drainage basin.

Wadi Al-Mashqar in Al-Majmaah: Al-Morphometric Study using Digital

morphometric analysis plays a major role in assessment of rivers and dry basins. This study aims to determine the morphometric variables of the Wadi Al-Mashqar basin, which is one of the most important wadies in the Arriyadh region. The wadi outlet crosses through Al-Majma’ah city and confluences with the Al Kalbi wadi, which adds to the importance of the study, as over the last decades, Al-Majma’ah city has witnessed various flooding events. DEM was used as the main source data to extract morphometric characteristics. GIS was used as a tool to analyze the factors. Wadi Al-Mashqar ranks a five, according to Strahler stream order, with a total of 425 streams and total length of 627 km. The results indicate that the limited impact of torrential rain on the urban area in Al-Majma’ah city is due to the low drainage density, which averages 1.2 km/km2, as this leads to a slow impact of torrents.

Open-Source Software Application for Hydrogeological Delineation of Potential Groundwater Recharge Zones in the Singida Semi-Arid, Fractured Aquifer, Central Tanzania

This study attempted to delineate and map potential groundwater recharge zones of the Singida, semi-arid, fractured crystalline basement aquifer using open source remote sensing and GIS software. Various thematic maps such as lithology/hydrogeology, soil, land-cover/use, slope, lineament density, drainage density and rainfall distribution were integrated in QGIS software. Vector input layers were rasterized and resampled using QGIS wrap projection function to make sure that the grid cells are of the same size. Reclassification using SAGA and GRASS reclass algorithms in QGIS was carried out to realign the factor classes in a consistent scale, and reclassification to a scale of 1 to 5 was carried out to harmonize the results. The study identified a number of potential areas for groundwater recharge, groundwater exploration, groundwater development and potential areas for artificial groundwater recharge. Potential groundwater recharge zones for the Singida semi-arid fractured aquifer are restricted to areas with high lineament density, cultivated areas, grassland and flat to gentle slopes. The potential of groundwater recharge is also observed in areas with low drainage density. The delineated zones provide a good understanding of the potential recharge zones, which are a starting point for recharge zone protection. This blended approach can be utilized for carrying out suitability analysis using the weighted overlay analysis approach. Areas designated good and very good are recommended for artificial recharging structures as an alternative technique for enhancing groundwater recharge through rainwater harvesting. This will help to augment groundwater storage in this semi-arid environment.

Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and GIS-Remote Sensing Integration, the Case of Golina River Basin, Northern Ethiopia

Groundwater is the main source of water both for domestic and irrigation purposes in the study area, Golina basin. The Golina basin is located in the North Wollo Administration, Amhara regional state, Northern Ethiopia. The study area has a surface area of 916.77 km 2 and is a semi-arid environment with an annual mean precipitation of 913 mm/year. Because of its presumed groundwater potential, the area has recently received significant attention from the regional and federal governments as well as investors. As a result, 81wells have been drilled for groundwater extraction mainly for irrigation purposes. About 182 springs and hand-dug wells have been developed for domestic purposes. However, little has been done to know the overall groundwater potential, the groundwater potential zonation and the sustainability of the current and planned groundwater extraction in the basin. Thus, the main objective of this work is to delineate groundwater potential zones of the area using an integrated method of AHP, GIS, and Remote sensing. A total of 10 thematic layers are used for the groundwater potential zone assessment. Based on the AHP method, the priority of the thematic layers with their weight are as follows: geology (0.22), geomorphologic landform (0.22), lineament density (0.17), slope (0.12), drainage density (0.09), soil (0.07), land use land cover (0.04), precipitation (0.04), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (0.02) and topographic wetness index (TWI) (0.02). The groundwater potential zones of the area are computed using raster calculator in spatial analyst tool in GIS software and divided into five classes as very poor, poor, moderate, good and very good with area coverage of 93 km 2 (10%), 265km 2 (29%), 175 km 2 (19%), 221 km 2 (24%) and 162 km 2 (18%) of the total area, respectively. The result is validated using the existing spring, hand-dug wells and borehole yields. Accordingly, the high yield boreholes are drilled and concentrated in very good groundwater potential zones whereas the low yield springs are developed in the very poor. Out of 263 water points 74, 72, 48, 59 and 10 water points are located in very good, good, moderated, poor and very poor groundwater potential zones, respectively. Mainly the very good groundwater potential fall in the alluvial deposit, plain and valley landforms, very low slope (flat), high lineament density, low drainage density, coarse soil textures, and water body and cultivated lands with high precipitation, NDVI and TWI. The result of this study can be used for the planning of new groundwater-based projects and the expansion of the existing irrigation project in the basin. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23953/cloud.ijarsg.460

Prioritization of Mago Basin based on erodibility through morphometric analysis using GIS technique: A PCA-based approach

Remote sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques have become very important these days as they aid planners and decision makers to make effective and correct decision and designs. Geomorphological characteristics of a watershed are commonly used for developing the regional hydrological models for solving various hydrological problems of ungauged watersheds or inadequate data situations. A morphometric analysis of Mago basin of Arunachal Pradesh was carried out using RS and GIS techniques. The Watershed was delineated using ArcGIS10 software and divided into 15 subwatersheds and prioritized based on principal component analysis (PCA) using SPSS 14.0 software. The basic parameters (area, perimeter, stream order, stream length and stream number) of each sub-watershed were carried out separately using the ArcMap10. The linear morphometric parameters (stream order, total stream length and bifurcation ratio); aerial morphometric parameters (drainage density, stream frequency, form factor, circulatory ratio, elongation ratio, texture ratios, compactness constant and Ruggedness number); and relief morphometric parameters (relief ratio, relative relief, average slope and hypsometric integral) were computed with the help of standard formulae. The principal components were selected and then ranked based on their relationship with erodibility. The sub-watershed having the least compound parameter was assigned the highest priority and so on. The study area was found to have streams of highest order of 3, with order 1, having highest frequency. The obtained low drainage density of the basin indicates that the region is highly permeable. From the prioritization analysis, it was found that sub-watershed 2, 4, and 14 were the most erosion prone areas with rank 1. Therefore, these sub-watersheds need to be considered first and given prior importance for the implementation of any soil and water conservation measures for watershed management. Hence, RS and GIS techniques and PCA are important tools in the morphometric analysis and prioritization of watershed.

Quantitative Assessment of Hab Watershed Using Geoinformatics

Morphometric assessment of the watersheds is considered highly critical to appraise its hydrological characteristics, such as, general geology, structure, geomorphology and climate conditions. In this study, morphometric analysis of Hab Watershed has been carried out through Geospatial Technology (RS &amp; GIS) in a systematic manner to examine its Geo-hydrological characteristics. The drainage network of Hab is typically dendritic and semi-dendritic indicating its heterogeneous lithology. Recent study reveals increase in stream order, substantially decreases the stream total length. drainage density of the Hab Watershed indicates the characteristics of its typical soil. Drainage texture value for Hab watershed is 0.18. Low drainage density value reveals that the region has a permeable and porous subsurface material with low relief. The shape of the basin has been observed as quite elongated. The findings of this study reveal that GIS based morphometric analysis is highly effective tool for geo-hydrological study of watersheds.

Streamflow Generation From Catchments of Contrasting Lithologies: The Role of Soil Properties, Topography, and Catchment Size

AbstractUnderstanding streamflow generation and its dependence on catchment characteristics requires large spatial data sets and is often limited by convoluted effects of multiple variables. Here we address this knowledge gap using data‐informed, physics‐based hydrologic modeling in two catchments with similar vegetation and climate but different lithology (Shale Hills [SH], shale, 0.08 km2, and Garner Run [GR], sandstone, 1.34 km2), which influences catchment topography and soil properties. The sandstone catchment, GR, is characterized by lower drainage density, extensive valley fill, and bouldery soils. We tested the hypothesis that the influence of topographic characteristics is more significant than that of soil properties and catchment size. Transferring calibration coefficients from the previously calibrated SH model to GR cannot reproduce monthly discharge until after incorporating measured boulder distribution at GR. Model calibration underscored the importance of soil properties (porosity, van Genuchten parameters, and boulder characteristics) in reproducing daily discharge. Virtual experiments were used to swap topography, soil properties, and catchment size one at a time to disentangle their influence. They showed that clayey SH soils led to high nonlinearity and threshold behavior. With the same soil and topography, changing from SH to GR size consistently increased dynamic water storage (Sd) from ~0.12 to ~0.17 m. All analyses accentuated the predominant control of soil properties, therefore rejecting the hypothesis. The results illustrate the use of physics‐based modeling for illuminating mechanisms and underscore the importance of subsurface characterization as we move toward hydrological prediction in ungauged basins.

Identification of watershed preference management areas under water quality and scarcity constraints: case of Jhajjar district watershed, India

Groundwater quality, scarcity and over-exploitation of available resources have produced several critical problems in Jhajjar district, Haryana, India. Health problems associated with drinking of polluted groundwater and its escalating demands make management of groundwater more complicated and require more innovative scientific analyses for good strategies of water management. In this study, a comprehensive water management plan has been developed for seven sub-watersheds of Jhajjar district using the remote sensing and geographical information system techniques. This research work addresses a central concern: how an integrated watershed management system can be applied, which can solve both water quality and scarcity problem in semi-arid climatic conditions. About 30 parameters including linear, areal and relief aspects of watersheds were determined for these watersheds. The focus was given on the characteristics of drainage basins such as permeability, soil quality, slope, run-off time and time of concentration for watershed during a rainfall event. Analysis results show that most of the basins are of an elongated shape with low drainage density and texture, which makes recharge plan difficult. Based on the outcome of the morphometric analysis of sub-watersheds, various suitable recharge sites have been proposed along with recharge structures for various stream orders. This study will address the immediate need to incorporate groundwater quality and will also help in replenishing the groundwater resources if implemented.

Morphometry and longitudinal profile of the river cobras sub-basin in planning the location of underground dams

A study was carried out in the sub-basin of the River Cobras with the aim of evaluating the morphometric characteristics and longitudinal profile of the river basin as a tool for planning the location of underground dams. Morphometric parameters - compactness coefficient, form factor, drainage density and circularity index - were determined. An equilibrium profile was also performed in order to understand the dynamics of erosion and disposition in the sub-basin under study. The results showed that the River Cobras sub-basin is strongly elongated, with low drainage density and high rates of runoff in alluvial areas. The equilibrium profile indicated that the middle course (18 km, stretch 2) of the sub-basin includes a first-order anomaly and is susceptible to erosive processes along this stretch. The lower course (10 km, stretch 3) also has a first order anomaly; however, with a tendency to favour the aggregation of sedimentary material (larger sedimentary bundle) coming from the middle course. The middle course of the sub-basin has potential for the construction of submersible underground dams; whereas in the lower course, the construction of submerged underground dams is recommended. The physical morphometric parameters should not be analysed in isolation, but together with other aspects of surface- and groundwater quality, the recharge area and the social or production demand on the sub-basin.

Análise morfométrica da Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão Candidópolis, Itabira (MG)

A Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão Candidópolis é de grande importância para Itabira (MG), abastecendo mais de 55% da população urbana deste município. Entretanto, intervenções antrópicas região têm promovido a degradação em porções desta bacia, interferindo na qualidade da água utilizada para abastecimento e alterando o ciclo hidrológico ao modificarem as etapas de infiltração e escoamento superficial. Dessa forma, este trabalho objetivou a caracterização dos parâmetros morfométricos desta bacia. Para tal, foi utilizado um banco de dados referente ao uso e ocupação do solo na bacia e o software ArcGIS para a determinação dos dados referentes à área, perímetro, comprimento de talvegue principal, dentre outros, necessários para a determinação dos parâmetros morfométricos representados pelos índices de circularidade e rugosidade, fator de forma, densidade de drenagem e coeficiente de compacidade. Verificou-se que em função das suas características físicas, a Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão Candidópolis possui uma baixa densidade de drenagem e não é propensa à ocorrência de cheias. Além disso, notou-se que o predomínio de áreas de pastagens interfere na infiltração da precipitação, resultando em valores elevados de vazão máxima de escoamento superficial. De maneira geral, destaca-se a importância da preservação da vegetação nativa e a recuperação das áreas degradadas na bacia, visando a manutenção do ciclo hidrológico e evitando a contaminação das águas superficiais.

Morphometric analysis of Vaitarna and Ulhas river basins, Maharashtra, India: using geospatial techniques

Drainage network quantification with respect to the climate, tectonics, lithology and geomorphology provides significant evidence of the drainage development, hydro-geomorphic and denudation characteristics of an area. The present study was carried out by using Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission DEM to study the drainage morphometry and its influence on the hydrological characteristics of Vaitarna and Ulhas basins in Maharashtra, India. Results of the morphometric analysis reveal that the catchment of Vaitarna and Ulhas can be described as of 6th and 7th order drainage basins, encompassing an area of 3795 and 4733 km2, respectively. Additionally, Vaitarna basin is characterised by relatively higher mean bifurcation ratio as compared to the Ulhas basin, indicative of higher structural control and steeper gradient in Vaitarna basin. Lower drainage density and stream frequency affirm availability of permeable sub-surface material and homogeneous lithological characteristics in both basins. The shape parameters show both basins are semicircular with dendritic and sub-dendritic drainage pattern. The relief parameters of Vaitarna and Ulhas suggest both of these basins are characterised by very high relief and steep slope. GIS-based analysis of all these morphometric parameters indicates the drainage development of the study area progressed well beyond maturity stage and lithology have a major impact on the drainage development in Vaitarna and Ulhas basins.

Morphometric assessment and sub-watershed prioritization of Khari River basin in semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India

Watershed management is very crucial for arid and semi-arid regions dealing with limited availability of water resource. Morphometric assessment and prioritization studies provide basic criterion for effective local level watershed planning and natural resource management. The present study is an attempt to analyze morphometric characters of the Khari River basin and prioritize the sub-watersheds on the basis of ground water potentialities indicated by morphometric parameters using GIS approach. Khari River is semi-arid ephemeral; it is a tributary of Banas River, an important river of central Rajasthan (India). The basin has been subdivided in five sub-watersheds namely SW1 to SW5. Linear, areal, and relief parameters are calculated for Khari basin as well as for each sub-watershed. Morphometric parameters that are related to groundwater potentialities are ranked and compound factor values are calculated for each sub-watershed and priority is allotted based on these values. First priority is given to the least value of compound factor that indicate most deficit ground water condition. Overall results illustrate that Khari is a sixth-order stream and covers 6205 km2 area. Dendritic pattern is observed in Khari and in all the five sub-watersheds that indicate homogenous nature of underlain material and less structural control in the topography. Presence of low bifurcation ratio, low drainage density, and low drainage frequency values are favorable parameters of good permeability, infiltration in the basin, further gentle slope, coarse drainage texture, moderate to low relief, and elongated shape—all these parameters indicate good groundwater potentialities in major portions of the basin. Prioritization results show that the sub-watershed SW4 is at first priority with most deficit groundwater potential in comparison to other sub-watersheds and require water conservation measures. Sub-watershed SW4 has high values in linear parameters and low value in shape parameters that specify for poor groundwater potential, less permeability and high runoff, etc. Sub-watershed SW5 on contrary has indicated highest ground water potential in comparison to other sub-watersheds of the basin. The study provide local drainage morphometric information and preliminary prioritization for better water resource management in semi-arid region to achieve water self-sufficiency and sustainability at basin level.