Runoff, Sediment and Nutrients Loss from Two Small Watersheds in Eastern Plateau and Hill Region of India

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (02) ◽  
pp. 149-166
Author(s):  
S. S. Mali ◽  
S. K. Naik ◽  
D. K. Raghav ◽  
Omkar Kumar ◽  
A. K. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Small Watersheds ◽  
Hill Region ◽  
Runoff Sediment

Hydrologic behaviour of many small watersheds around the world are changing mainly due to alterations in land use land cover, and creating new regimes of hydrologic response by driving changes in runoff, sediment and nutrient dynamics. In this study, response of two small watersheds, Plandu and Keribanda, located in eastern plateau and hill region (EPHR) of India was assessed in terms of runoff, sediment and nutrient loss. Daily discharge at the outlets of watersheds was monitored, and water samples were collected at weekly intervals during the monsoon seasons of the years 2015, 2016, and 2017. Water samples were analysed for sediment, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) concentrations. The peak discharge rate from the Plandu and Keribanda watersheds ranged between 5.35 m3 .s−1 to 8.58 m3 .s−1, and 8.41 m3 .s−1 to 11.79 m3 .s−1, respectively. The Plandu watershed yielded 47.4 % higher sediment yields compared to the Keribanda watershed on account of extensive agricultural activities during the monsoon season. The Plandu watershed also recorded higher N (1.17 kg.ha−1.y−1) and P (0.19 kg.ha−1.y−1) losses; however, the K loss (22.92 kg.ha−1.y−1) was higher in the Keribanda watershed. Linear regression models were also developed between rainfall-runoff (R2: 0.86-0.89), runoffsediment yield (R2: 0.82-0.88), N, P, and K loss with runoff volume (R2: 0.82-0.94). The findings of this study would aid in devising informed policies for soil, water and nutrient management strategies at the watershed scale.

scholarly journals Assessment of Runoff, Sediment Yields and Nutrient Loss Using the Swat Model in Upper Indus Basin of Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 08 (09) ◽  
pp. 62-81
Author(s):  
Washakh Rana Muhammad Ali ◽  
Ningsheng Chen ◽  
Waque Rana Muhammad Umar ◽  
Almas Sundas ◽  
Zaib-Un- Nisa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Swat Model ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Indus Basin ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Upper Indus Basin ◽  
Runoff Sediment

scholarly journals Drinking Water Security in the Mid-hill Region of Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-48
Author(s):  
Durga D. Poudel ◽  
Timothy W. Duex ◽  
Roshan Poudel
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Total Coliform ◽  
Spring Water ◽  
Land Use Type ◽  
Hill Region ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Spring Type

Drinking water security is increasingly becoming a global concern in recent decades. The mid-hill region of Nepal is also experiencing serious water shortages in recent years. In order to assess the availability of drinking water in the mid-hill regions of Nepal, we studied hydrogeology, land use types and collected water samples from 30 springs in Kavre, Kahmandu Valley, Nuwakot and Tanahu in Nepal between July 17-September 12, 2017. For each sampling spring, while surrounding land use type (mixed, agriculture, urban, vegetation) and spring type (fracture, depression, contact) were determined through field observation, the field pH, conductivity and temperature was determined using relevant probes and thermometers. Water samples were collected in 1L and 165mL plastic bottles for chemical and total coliform determination, respectively, in the lab. Bottles were rinsed twice using spring water before filling them with sample water, then stored in an ice chest, and brought to the lab. In the laboratory, turbidity, conductivity, Ca, Mg, HCO3, SO4, Na, NO3, Cl, Fe, As, and total coliform were determined using standard methods. Spring water in agricultural areas showed significantly higher suspended solids compared to other land use types whereas spring water in urban areas showed significantly higher dissolved substances. By spring type, turbidity and conductivity values and the concentration of dissolved constituents (Ca, Mg, HCO3, SO4, NO3, and Cl) were ranked in the order of fracture < contact < depression. Na and Fe concentration were in the order of fracture = contact < depression. By land-use type, conductivity and dissolved constituents (Ca, Mg, HCO3) were in the order of agriculture < vegetation < mixed < urban. Whereas urban land use had the highest values for SO4, Na, NO3, and Cl, other land use types showed variable order. Fe concentration was ranked in the order of urban < mixed < vegetation < agriculture. Total coliform was in the order of mixed < agriculture < urban < vegetation. These results indicate that land use type and surface condition, which is possibly associated with human activities, heavily affect spring water properties in the region. These results suggest that drinking water security of mid-hill region of Nepal is threatened heavily due to poor spring water quality. Protection of drinking water sources should be specific to land use type and activities around the springs. Index Terms— three to six pertinent, specific to the paper, keywords added after the abstract, separated by commas.

Modelling Daily Surface Runoff, Sediment and Nutrient Loss at Watershed Scale Employing APEX Model Interfaced with GIS – A Case Study in Himalayan Landscape

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Kumar ◽  
Ravinder Pal Singh ◽  
Justin George Kalambukattu
Keyword(s):  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Watershed Scale ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Sediment Routing ◽  
Sediment Loss ◽  
Runoff Sediment ◽  
Apex Model

Abstract Daily surface runoff, sediment and nutrient loss data collected from a watershed located in Uttarakhand state of Indian Himalayan region, in year 2010-2011 and of which half of the events data were used for calibration and remaining for validation. Model was calibrated for surface runoff, sediment loss and nutrient loss to optimize the input given to the model to predict the sediment loss, erosion and nutrient loss. The calibration was done by changing the sensitive parameters. Analysis showed that SCS CN number was found most sensitive to runoff, followed by saturated hydraulic conductivity, available water-holding capacity, CN retention parameter and C factor whereas erosion control practice (P) factor was found to be most sensitive, followed by C factor, sediment routing coefficient, average upland slope and soil erodibility (K) factor for the sediment and nutrient loss. APEX model calibrated for the watershed and it predicted quite well for the surface runoff (r=0.92, NSE=0.50), sediment loss (r=0.88, NSE=0.61 and nutrients of total carbon (r=0.78, NSE=0.59) and fairly for total nitrogen (r=0.77, NSE=0.19). Surface runoff was predicted well for low and medium rainfall; however, it was over predicted for high rainfall events. Over prediction may be attributed to the unaccountable conservation measures and practices which were not accounted by the model. Similarly, sediment loss was estimated on daily basis at the watershed scale and was well predicted for low and medium rainfalls but under-estimated for high rainfall events. The area is prone to landslips occurred at high rainfall events was not accounted by the model that may be a reason for under prediction of sediment loss by the model.

Stable isotope geochemistry of Oxygen and Hydrogen: A case study of the Satluj River Basin, India  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akhtar Jahan ◽  
Mohd Usman Khan ◽  
Nachiketa Rai ◽  
Abhayanand Singh Maurya ◽  
Sudhir Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
River Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
The Mean

&lt;p&gt;Stable isotope analysis of hydrogen and oxygen is one of the important methods used to model the hydrological cycle. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic investigation of river water, its tributaries, and groundwater of its catchment from the Satluj basin was undertaken to estimate the contributions of the main sources comprising discharge during major periods throughout a hydrologic year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Estimation of the snow/glaciers melt contribution is also very important for tracing the sources and processes regulating the flow from the provenance and reservoirs in the context of global warming, for estimating flood flow, and for other water resource development activities in large parts of the Indian subcontinent. Water samples were collected during the non-monsoon season at increasing altitudes. In this work, in addition to stable isotopes, we also assessed the water quality using various physicochemical parameters and geochemistry of the water.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From isotopic analyses of river water samples, the mean value of the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;O was found to be ~ -13&amp;#8240;, and the mean value of &amp;#948;D was found to be~ -85&amp;#8240;. For the samples from Satluj tributaries, the mean value of the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;O was ~ -11&amp;#8240;, and the mean value of &amp;#948;D was ~ -69&amp;#8240;. A mean value of -8.4&amp;#8240;, was found based on the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;O measurements of the groundwater samples, while the average &amp;#948;D value was found to be ~ -55&amp;#8240;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the mainstream and tributary, LWL, y = 8.2604x +20.208, and range of d-excess (&gt;10&amp;#8240;) and y = 8.2079x + 22.182 and d-excess &gt; 10&amp;#8240; indicates a system recharged by sources of recycled moisture derived from continental sources in addition to monsoonal climates. For the groundwater data, the slope is 6.7, and d-excess ranges from 7&amp;#8240; to 17&amp;#8240;. These observations are suggestive of the monsoonal source of Indian Ocean precipitation that has experienced significant evaporation during the non-monsoon season.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our new data clearly shows that the surface water whether mainstream, tributary, and groundwater isotopes are homogenized from regional trends in precipitation, modified by evaporation, and are thus greatly influenced by latitude, elevation, and patterns of climate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Runoff, Sediment and Nutrient Losses

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuguo Han ◽  
Gary Feng ◽  
Ying Ouyang
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Fish Scale ◽  
Nutrient Losses ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Runoff Sediment ◽  
Soil And Water

Rainfall is a major dynamic source of soil erosion and nutrient loss on slopes. Soil and water conservation practices and agricultural activities can change the soil surface morphology and thus affect erosion and nutrient losses. This study focused on the effects of several typical soil and water conservation practices and agricultural land, for the purpose of: (1) determining how these practices prevent erosion and nutrient loss and identifying the hydrodynamic mechanisms; and (2) determining the application conditions for different practices. Runoff, sediment, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in fish-scale pits, agricultural land, narrow terraces, shrub cover and bare land, under rainfall events in rainy seasons (from May to November) during the 2010–2015 period, were monitored. Slope hydrodynamic mechanisms and application conditions of these practices were also investigated. The results showed that compared with bare land, fish-scale pits performed the best in preventing runoff, sediment, TN and TP, followed by 30% shrub coverage, narrow terraces and agricultural land, successively. Total runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses in fish-scale pits site were 19.70%, 2.03%, 10.10% and 35.97% of those in bare land of the same area, respectively. Soil and water conservation practices could change the hydraulic characteristics of slopes, decrease Re (Reynolds) and Fr (Froude) numbers, thereby decreasing runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses. Fish-scale pits were suitable for the areas with small single rainfall and good water permeability. When rainfall was greater than 60 mm, narrow terraces had highest efficiency in reducing sediment loss; therefore, they were suitable for the areas with relatively high rainfall intensity and soils similar to the sandy loams of the study area. As to the practice of covering land with plants, the effect was sustainable due to the plants’ long-term growth. Agricultural land was not recommended since the losses on it were relatively higher due to the impact of human activities. In reality, these practices may be applied in combination so as to effectively control water, soil and nutrient losses.

Evaluating the effectiveness of contour-felled log erosion barriers as a post-fire runoff and erosion mitigation treatment in the western United States

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Robichaud ◽  
J. W. Wagenbrenner ◽  
R. E. Brown ◽  
P. M. Wohlgemuth ◽  
J. L. Beyers
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Return Periods ◽  
Rainfall Characteristics ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Small Watersheds ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Erosion Mitigation ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Over Time

Between 1998 and 2002, six sites were established immediately after large wildfires in the western United States to determine the effectiveness of contour-felled log erosion barriers in mitigating post-wildfire runoff and erosion. In each pair of matched, burned, and small watersheds (1–13 ha), one was treated with contour-felled log erosion barriers and one was left untreated as a control. For 4 to 6 post-fire years, runoff and sediment yields were measured and correlated with rain properties. High-intensity rainfall produced most of the measured runoff and sediment yields except in the southern California site, where long-duration rain events produced most of the runoff and erosion. For small rain events (less than the 2-year return period for the 10-min duration), the runoff, peak flows, and sediment yields were lower in the treated watersheds than in the control watersheds, but there was no treatment effect for rain events with larger return periods. Improper installation and degradation over time reduced the effectiveness of contour-felled log erosion barriers. Rainfall characteristics and installation procedures should be carefully considered before choosing contour-felled log erosion barriers for post-fire hillslope stabilisation.

scholarly journals Lag Times as Indicators of Hydrological Mechanisms Responsible for NO3-N Flushing in a Forested Headwater Catchment

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1092
Author(s):  
Klaudija Sapač ◽  
Andrej Vidmar ◽  
Nejc Bezak ◽  
Simon Rusjan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Precipitation Amount ◽  
Lag Time ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Lag Times ◽  
N Flux

Understanding the temporal variability of the nutrient transport from catchments is essential for planning nutrient loss reduction measures related to land use and climate change. Moreover, observations and analysis of nutrient dynamics in streams draining undisturbed catchments are known to represent a reference point by which human-influenced catchments can be compared. In this paper, temporal dynamics of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) flux are investigated on an event basis by analysing observed lag times between data series. More specifically, we studied lag times between the centres of mass of six hydrological and biogeochemical variables, namely discharge, soil moisture at three depths, NO3-N flux, and the precipitation hyetograph centre of mass. Data obtained by high-frequency measurements (20 min time step) from 29 events were analysed. Linear regression and multiple linear regression (MLR) were used to identify relationships between lag times of the above-mentioned processes. We found that discharge lag time (LAGQ) and NO3-N flux lag time (LAGN) are highly correlated indicating similar temporal response to rainfall. Moreover, relatively high correlation between LAGN and soil moisture lag times was also detected. The MLR model showed that the most descriptive variable for both LAGN and LAGQ is amount of precipitation. For LAGN, the change of the soil moisture in the upper two layers was also significant, suggesting that the lag times indicate the primarily role of the forest soils as the main source of the NO3-N flux, whereas the precipitation amount and the runoff formation through the forest soils are the main controlling mechanisms.

scholarly journals Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Metal Concentration in the Water Column of Asia’s Largest Coastal Lagoon

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Hilal Farooq ◽  
Amrit Kumar Mishra ◽  
Sandip Kumar Muhakud ◽  
Prasannajit Acharya ◽  
Pradipta Ranjan Muduli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metal Concentration ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Chilika Lagoon ◽  
Post Monsoon ◽  
Post Monsoon Season ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mean Concentration

A complete halt on all anthropogenic activities and human movement due to COVID-19 lockdown has provided a great opportunity to assess the impact of human activities on coastal marine ecosystems. The current study assessed the concentration of the metals in water samples of the largest brackish water lagoon of Asia; the Chilika lagoon in the state of Odisha, India between pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 lockdown scenarios. Monthly water samples (n=30 stations) from 0.3 m depth were collected from three sectors of the lagoon seasonally; pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon. In addition to various physical parameters [pH, salinity, alkalinity, (DO) dissolved oxygen, (TDS) total dissolved solids, and (EC) electrical conductivity] the collected water samples were analysed for 18 trace metals (Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V). Most of the physical parameters showed a significant variation between pre-and post-COVID-19 scenarios, except for pH and DO. The concentration of five metals (Be, Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb) remained below detection limits in all water samples. The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the concentration of the metal in the water samples was noticed along with the three sectors of the lagoon. However, eight metals (Al, As, Cr, Fe, Mn, Th, U, and V) were significantly different between the COVID-19 scenarios and the remaining five metals were not statistically significant. The mean concentration of Al, As, Fe, Th, and V were higher in the pre-COVID-19 scenarios, whereas only Cr and Mn were higher in the post-COVID-19 scenarios. The mean concentration of U was similar among both COVID-19 scenarios, even though there were seasonal and sectoral differences. The seasonal influence of riverine influx was more evident on metal concentration during the monsoon season, whereas the difference between sectors was more prominent during the post-monsoon season. An increased number of correlations between physical parameters and metal concentration were observed in the post-monsoon season and post-COVID-19 scenario. This study provides evidence that the imposition of COVID-19 lockdown reduced metal influx in the water column and improved the water quality of the Chilika lagoon. Our results can be used as baseline for metal concentration in surface waters of the lagoon.

scholarly journals Predicting relative energy dissipation for vertical drops equipped with a horizontal screen using soft computing techniques

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Norouzi ◽  
Parveen Sihag ◽  
Rasoul Daneshfaraz ◽  
John Abraham ◽  
Vadoud Hasannia
Keyword(s):  
Energy Dissipation ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Root Mean Square Error ◽  
Mean Square Error ◽  
Root Mean Square ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Relative Energy ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Soft Computing Techniques

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods including ANN, ANFIS, GRNN, SVM, GP, LR, and MLR to predict the relative energy dissipation(ΔE/Eu) for vertical drops equipped with a horizontal screen. For this study, 108 experiments were carried out to investigate energy dissipation. In the experiments, the discharge rate, drop height, and porosity of the screens were varied. Parameters yc/h, yd/yc, and p were input variables, and ΔE/Eu was the output variable. The efficiencies of the models were compared using the following metrics: correlation coefficient (CC), mean absolute error (MAE), root-mean-square error (RMSE), Normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) and Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE). Results indicate that the performance of the ANFIS_gbellmf based model with a CC value of 0.9953, RMSE value of 0.0069, MAE value of 0.0042, NRMSE value as 0.0092 and NSE value as 0.9895 was superior to other applied models. Also, a linear regression yielded CC = 0.9933, RMSE = 0.0083, and MAE = 0.0067. This linear model outperformed multiple linear regression models. Results from a sensitivity study suggest that yc/h is the most effective parameter for predicting ΔE/Eu.

The Effects of Rainfall Patterns on Runoff, Sediment, and Nutrients Under Various Artificial Rainfall Experiments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Mariana Henorman ◽  
Duratul Ain Tholibon ◽  
Masyitah Md Nu ◽  
Hamizah Mokhtar ◽  
Jamilah Abd Rahim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Surface Characteristics ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Rainfall Pattern ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Affected Area ◽  
Rainfall Patterns ◽  
Runoff Sediment

Abstract Assessing the effects of rainfall patterns on runoff, sediment, nutrients under variation of rainfall pattern are significant in the quantification of sediment transported by overland flow. Previous experimental and field works studied that sediment transport is influenced by hydraulic properties of flow, physical properties of soil and surface characteristics. This study aims at determining the effect of rainfall patterns on surface runoff, sediment loss and nutrient loss. Experiments were carried out using four rainfall patterns, namely Pattern A (uniform-type: 8-8-8 l/min), Pattern B (increasing-type: 7-8-9 l/min), Pattern C (increasing-decreasing-type: 7-9-8 l/min) and Pattern D (decreasing-type: 9-8-7 l/min) with the changes of intensity every 30 minutes that gives total rainfall duration of 90 minutes for each pattern. The simulation was performed in three repetitions. The average total runoff produced was 668.65, 701.40, 699.10, and 722.63 liters, for rainfall patterns A, B, C, and D, respectively. The trend of runoff generated was influenced by the rainfall patterns, Pattern D generated the highest amount of runoff meanwhile Pattern A generated the lowest. For total suspended sediment concentrations, the mean value among every three repetitions of rainfall pattern resulted as 14,518.88, 13,732.73, 8,011.71 and 19,918.50 mg/l for patterns A, B, C, and D, respectively Pattern D contributed to the highest amount of sediment accumulated whereby Pattern C generated the lowest sediment despite the trend showed a different approach than the other 3 patterns. In nutrient concentrations, the determined total losses for ammonia nitrogen were 3.986, 2.891, 3.504, and 4.601g; nitrate nitrogen were 3.934, 2.665, 4.008, and 3.259g; phosphorus were 1.346, 0.222, 0.207, and 0.679g, for patterns A, B, C, and D, respectively. In general, rainfall pattern does have a significant impact on the trend of nutrient losses, where the trend shows that higher concentrations at the start and eventually lowered through the end, but Pattern D as compared to other patterns resulted in a more severe nutrient loss. For the affected area of the soil movement process, the calculated means of the affected area are 79.60, 68.70, 72.43, and 64.97% for patterns A, B, C, and D respectively. The lowest mean of the affected area is contributed by Pattern D and the highest by Pattern A.

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