A catchment-based approach to recharge estimation in the Liverpool Plains, NSW, Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sun ◽  
P. S. Cornish

This study investigated drainage and shallow groundwater change in a headwater catchment of the Liverpool Plains in north-western New South Wales. A catchment model, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), was used to explore rain-fed drainage to shallow groundwater and its relationship to land use. Drainage was predicted along with the prediction of runoff on a catchment and land-use basis over a simulation period of 44 years. Predicted drainage in the catchment was 8 mm/year for the 44 years, which essentially matched estimates derived from bore data observed in the catchment over a 22-year period. These estimates of drainage are much lower than published estimates based on scaling up to the catchment using estimates of drainage derived from point-scale models for different land uses. Estimates of drainage for the different land uses, derived from the catchment model, were also generally lower than simulated drainages from other studies in the area using point-scale models. The investigation demonstrates a place for catchment-based modelling for estimating drainage at the catchment scale. This is mainly because observed catchment runoff is used as an error controller in catchment recharge modelling, whereas scaled-up point-scale modelling generally does not use observed catchment runoff to derive the catchment drainage. Modelling on the Liverpool Plains catchment also suggests that some of the drainage entering the vadose zone and groundwater is later lost via evapotranspiration, a process not generally simulated in crop models, and requiring further investigation to improve understanding of recharge processes and accuracy of modelling.

Author(s):  
Ryoko Araki ◽  
Flora Branger ◽  
Inge Wiekenkamp ◽  
Hilary McMillan

Soil moisture signatures provide a promising solution to overcome the difficulty of evaluating soil moisture dynamics in hydrologic models. Soil moisture signatures are metrics that quantify the dynamic aspects of soil moisture timeseries and enable process-based model evaluations. To date, soil moisture signatures have been tested only under limited land-use types. In this study, we explore soil moisture signatures’ ability to discriminate different dynamics among contrasting land-uses. We applied a set of nine soil moisture signatures to datasets from six in-situ soil moisture networks worldwide. The dataset covered a range of land-use types, including forested and deforested areas, shallow groundwater areas, wetlands, urban areas, grazed areas, and cropland areas. Our set of signatures characterized soil moisture dynamics at three temporal scales: event, season, and a complete timeseries. Statistical assessment of extracted signatures showed that (1) event-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for all the land-uses, (2) season-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (deforested vs. forested, urban vs. greenspace, and cropped vs. grazed vs. grassland contrasts), (3) timeseries-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (deforested vs. forested, urban vs. greenspace, shallow vs. deep groundwater, wetland vs. non-wetland, and cropped vs. grazed vs. grassland contrasts). Further, we compared signature-based process interpretations against literature knowledge; event-based and timeseries-based signatures generally matched well with previous process understandings from literature, but season-based signatures did not. This study will be a useful guideline for understanding how catchment-scale soil moisture dynamics in various land-uses can be described using a standardized set of hydrologically relevant metrics.


Author(s):  
Ryoko Araki ◽  
Flora Branger ◽  
Inge Wiekenkamp ◽  
Hilary McMillan

Soil moisture signatures provide a promising solution to overcome the difficulty of evaluating soil moisture dynamics in hydrologic models. Soil moisture signatures are metrics that represent catchment dynamics extracted from time series of data and enable process-based model evaluations. To date, soil moisture signatures have been tested only under limited land-use types. In this study, we explore soil moisture signatures’ ability to discriminate different dynamics among contrasting land-uses. We applied a set of nine soil moisture signatures to datasets from six in-situ soil moisture networks worldwide. The dataset covers a range of land-use types, including forested and deforested areas, shallow groundwater areas, wetlands, housing areas, grazed areas, and cropland areas. These signatures characterize soil moisture dynamics at three temporal scales: event, seasonal, and time-series scales. Statistical and visual assessment of extracted signatures showed that (1) storm event-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for most land-uses, (2) season-based signatures are useful to distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (forested vs. deforested area, greenspace vs. housing area, and deep vs. shallow groundwater area), (3) timeseries-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (forested vs. deforested area, deep vs. shallow groundwater area, non-wetland vs. wetland area, and ungrazed vs. grazed area). We compared signature-based process interpretations against literature knowledge: event-based and time series-based signatures were generally matched well with previous process understandings from literature, but season-based signatures did not. This study demonstrates the best practices of extracting soil moisture signatures under various land-use and climate environments and applying signatures for model evaluations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naeem Saddique ◽  
Talha Mahmood ◽  
Christian Bernhofer

Abstract Land use and land cover (LULC) change is one of the key driving elements responsible for altering the hydrology of a watershed. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal LULC changes between 2001 and 2018 and their impacts on the water balance of the Jhelum River Basin. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to analyze the impacts on water yield (WY) and evapotranspiration (ET). The model was calibrated and validated with discharge data between 1995 and 2005 and then simulated with different land use. The increase was observed in forest, settlement and water areas during the study period. At the catchment scale, we found that afforestation has reduced the WY and surface runoff, while enhanced the ET. Moreover, this change was more pronounced at the sub-basin scale. Some sub-basins, especially in the northern part of the study area, exhibited an increase in WY due to an increase in the snow cover area. Similarly, extremes land use scenarios also showed significant impact on water balance components. The basin WY has decreased by 38 mm/year and ET has increased about 36 mm/year. The findings of this study could guide the watershed manager in the development of sustainable LULC planning and water resources management.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 2233-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Wagner ◽  
S. Kumar ◽  
K. Schneider

Abstract. Land use changes are altering the hydrologic system and have potentially large impacts on water resources. Rapid socio-economic development drives land use change. This is particularly true in the case of the rapidly developing city of Pune, India. The present study aims at analyzing past land use changes between 1989 and 2009 and their impacts on the water balance in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of Pune. Land use changes were identified from three Rivers catchment multitemporal land use classifications for the cropping years 1989/1990, 2000/2001, and 2009/2010. The hydrologic model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) was used to assess impacts on runoff and evapotranspiration. Two model runs were performed and compared using the land use classifications of 1989/1990 and 2009/2010. The main land use changes were identified as an increase of urban area from 5.1% to 10.1% and cropland from 9.7% to 13.5% of the catchment area during the 20 yr period. Urbanization was mainly observed in the eastern part and conversion to cropland in the mid-northern part of the catchment. At the catchment scale we found that the impacts of these land use changes on the water balance cancel each other out. However, at the sub-basin scale urbanization led to an increase of the water yield by up to 7.6%, and a similar decrease of evapotranspiration, whereas the increase of cropland resulted in an increase of evapotranspiration by up to 5.9%.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1943-1985 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Wagner ◽  
S. Kumar ◽  
K. Schneider

Abstract. Land use changes are altering the hydrologic system and have potentially large impacts on water resources. Rapid socio-economic development drives land use change. This is particularly true in the case of the rapidly developing city of Pune, India. The present study aims at analyzing past land use changes between 1989 and 2009 and their impacts on the water balance in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of Pune. Land use changes were identified from three multitemporal land use classifications for the cropping years 1989/1990, 2000/2001, and 2009/2010. The hydrologic model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) was used to assess impacts on runoff and evapotranspiration. Two model runs were performed and compared using the land use classifications of 1989/1990 and 2009/2010. The main land use changes were identified as an increase of urban area from 5.1% to 10.1% and cropland from 9.7% to 13.5% of the catchment area during the 20 yr period. Urbanization was mainly observed in the eastern part and conversion to cropland in the mid-northern part of the catchment. At the catchment scale we found that the impacts of these land use changes on the water balance cancel each other. However, at the sub-basin scale urbanization led to an increase of the water yield by up to 7.6%, and a similar decrease of evapotranspiration, whereas the increase of cropland resulted in an increase of evapotranspiration by up to 5.9%.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Tufekcioglu ◽  
Richard C. Schultz ◽  
Thomas M. Isenhart ◽  
John L. Kovar ◽  
James R. Russell

Factors influencing streambank erosion at the field/reach scale include both watershed and riparian land-uses, stream hydrology and channel morphology at the catchment scale. This study assesses the relationship of riparian land-uses, stream morphologic characteristics and catchment scale variables to streambank erosion within grazed riparian pastures in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain. Thirteen cooperating beef cow–calf farms and their catchments ranging from 2.5 to 12.9 km2 in the Rathbun Lake watershed in South Central Iowa (USA) were chosen to conduct this study. Results suggest that the integration of stream morphologic characteristics and riparian land-uses at both the reach and catchment scale are necessary to explain the current level of streambank erosion measured at the reach scale. Larger catchment size or catchments with more total channel length were found to experience more bank erosion at the reach scale. A significant positive relationship between percent sand-and-silt in the bank soil and bank erosion rates implies that bank soils with less cohesiveness are more erodible. Catchment-scale assessments of the thirteen watersheds showed that within the 50 m corridor on both sides of the stream, 46 to 61% of riparian area was devoted to agricultural use and only 6 to 11% was in ungrazed perennial vegetation, much of it enrolled in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program. Overall, this and previous Rathbun watershed studies have shown that intensive agricultural use of riparian areas over such extents of time and scale could be directly (in field scale) and/or indirectly (watershed scale) related to excessive amounts of streambank erosion (ranging from 8.6 to 38.3 cm/yr) to receiving streams and lakes leading to their impairment and reduction in ecological services. Exclusion of cattle grazing in the riparian areas along buffered stream lengths (2.1% of the total watershed area) of the Rathbun watershed would reduce this impact. This approach could also be applicable to other similar watersheds with extensive land-use under grazed management.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Lompi ◽  
Tommaso Pacetti ◽  
Enrica Caporali

<p>Sediment management can represent a key point for the water resources conservation, as the land use control can limit soil erodibility, ensuring a reduction of the silting volume in the reservoir. This study is focused on the nexus between coal mining activity and the hydrological cycle at the catchment scale, analysing how environmental interventions can be an excellent strategy against the impacts of former mining areas. Lake San Cipriano represents an excellent case study to explore the effects of mining activity on water storage because it is downstream of a river basin in which one of the most important lignite mine in central Italy has worked for years. A hydrological model is implemented on the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to choose which decommissioning strategies brings the best results in terms of water resource conservation. Since no flow data are available, the model is calibrated in the solid transport equations, pointing to the convergence of the silting volume in the lake, which has been estimated thanks to multiple bathymetric campaigns carried out over the years. Two environmental restoration scenarios have been analysed: the first is only focused in the land use change with the afforestation of native plants; the second is a wider landscape restoration project that include also river bodies rehabilitation. The results show the quantitative effects of the proposed decommissioning strategies, showing the strong reduction of solid transport and reservoir silting in the two proposed scenarios.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Afrital Rezki, S.Pd., M.Si ◽  
Erna Juita ◽  
Dasrizal Dasrizal ◽  
Arie Zella Putra Ulni

Perkembangan penggunaan tanah bergerak horisontal secara spasial ke arah wilayah yang mudah diusahakan. Penggunaan tanah juga bergerak secara vertikal dalam rangka menaikkan mutunya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pola penggunaan lahan, bagaimana manajemen penggunaan lahan di satu wilayah berdasarkan batas Nagari. Metode yang digunakan adalah analsisis spasial dengan interpretasi citra penginderaan jauh, survey lapangan, dan analisis deskriptif. Pertumbuhan pemukiman Nagari Sungai Sariak Kecamatan VII Koto Kabupaten Padang Pariaman mengakibatkan pemanfaatan ruang menjadi tumpang tindih. Diperlukan cara-cara pengelolaan dan managemen penggunaan tanah dalam rangka pembangunan berkelanjutan yang menaikkan taraf hidup masyarakat dan tidak menimbulkan kerugian lingkungan.Terdapat 9 jenis penggunaan lahan yang ada di Nagari Sungai Sariak. Penggunaan lahan tersebut adalah Primary Forest, Secondary Forest, Paddy Field, Settlement, Mixed Plantations, Crop Fields, Water Bodies, Bushes, dan Plantations. Penggunaan lahan yang paling luas di Nagari Sungai Sariak adalah jenis penggunaan lahan Primary Forest, sebesar 48% dari total luas wilayah Nagari Sungai Sariak. Pada tahun 2011 sampai tahun 2016, penggunaan lahan paling luas terjadi pada penggunaan lahan jenis Primary Forest yang kemudian menjadi Mixed Plantations. Land use Changes moved horizontally spatially towards areas that are easily cultivated. The land use also moves vertically in order to increase its quality. This study aims to analyze land use patterns, how land use management in one area is based on Nagari boundaries. The method used is spatial analysis with interpretation of remote sensing images, field surveys, and descriptive analysis. The growth of Nagari Sungai Sariak in Kecamatan VII Koto, Kabupaten Padang Pariaman resulted in overlapping use of space. Management methods are needed and management of land use in the framework of sustainable development that raises the standard of living of the community and does not cause environmental losses. There are 9 types of land use in the Nagari Sungai Sariak. The land uses are Primary Forest, Secondary Forest, Paddy Field, Settlement, Mixed Plantations, Crop Fields, Water Bodies, Bushes, and Plantations. The most extensive land use in Nagari Sungai Sariak is the type of Primary Forest land use, amounting to 48% of the total area of the Nagari Sungai Sariak. From 2011 to 2016, the most extensive land use occurred in Primary Forest land uses which later became Mixed Plantations.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 627
Author(s):  
Duong H. Nong ◽  
An T. Ngo ◽  
Hoa P. T. Nguyen ◽  
Thuy T. Nguyen ◽  
Lan T. Nguyen ◽  
...  

We analyzed the agricultural land-use changes in the coastal areas of Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province, in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, using Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 data. We used the object-oriented classification method with the maximum likelihood algorithm to classify six types of land uses. The series of land-use maps we produced had an overall accuracy of more than 80%. We then conducted a spatial analysis of the 5-year land-use change using ArcGIS software. In addition, we surveyed 150 farm households using a structured questionnaire regarding the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity and land uses, as well as farmers’ adaptation and responses. The results showed that from 2005 to 2020, cropland decreased, while aquaculture land and forest land increased. We observed that the most remarkable decreases were in the area of rice (485.58 ha), the area of perennial crops (109.7 ha), and the area of non-agricultural land (747.35 ha). The area of land used for aquaculture and forest increased by 566.88 ha and 772.60 ha, respectively. We found that the manifestations of climate change, such as extreme weather events, saltwater intrusion, drought, and floods, have had a profound impact on agricultural production and land uses in the district, especially for annual crops and aquaculture. The results provide useful information for state authorities to design land-management strategies and solutions that are economic and effective in adapting to climate change.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5433
Author(s):  
Rui Alexandre Castanho ◽  
José Manuel Naranjo Gómez ◽  
Gualter Couto ◽  
Pedro Pimentel ◽  
Áurea Sousa ◽  
...  

The remarkable richness and singularity of the Azorean Region (located 38° North) and its landscapes require a sharp, well-defined, and comprehensive planning policy. Bearing in mind the significance of this issue in the enlightenment of sustainability, planning strategies should be based and supported by different studies and thematic domains to understand the problem thoroughly. Using GIS (Geographic Information Systems), the present article enables us to identify the dynamics and patterns of the evolution of the Land-Use Changes in the Azores Region from 1990 to 2018. In aggregate, the Azores islands showed growth in artificial surfaces and forest and seminatural land-uses by essentially decreasing agricultural areas—most resulting from the economic and social development strategy pursued by several Azorean governments. Moreover, this study permits us to reinforce that the Azores Archipelago’s land-uses has undergone multiple changes—marked by increasing and decreasing periods. In fact, some of these reducing dynamics are disturbing. They require closer monitorization by regional government actors to give protection, preservation, and conservation to these incomparable ultra-peripheral landscapes, environments, ecosystems, and the region as a whole.


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