Morphometric Analysis-based Prioritization of Sub-watersheds for Conservation Planning in Purna River Basin, Maharashtra
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53550/ijsc.v53.i2.193Keywords:
Morphometric parameter, Prioritization, Stream power index, Sediment transport index, Topography, Watershed managementAbstract
Watershed studies provide a critical framework for understanding hydrological responses to environmental and developmental activities, enabling effective planning for resource optimization. This study focuses on prioritizing subwatersheds according to their vulnerability to soil erosion, based on morphometric, topographic-hydrological parameters, land use, and land cover in the Purna River basin of the Marathwada region, Maharashtra, India. The Purna basin is of 7th order and contains 22 sub-watersheds (SW). The slope in the study area ranges from 0 to 117%. The mean bifurcation ratio values for various sub-watersheds in the river basin range from 1.96 (SW-22) to 5.98 (SW-13). The drainage density values of sub-watersheds in the Purna river basin vary from 0.78 (SW-13) to 0.92 km/km² (SW-22), reflecting the presence of poor and coarse drainage texture. The channel maintenance constant shows that, on average, 1.20 km² of basin area is required to develop and maintain a 1 km long stream channel. The prioritization indicates that SW-13 (Cp=3.91), SW-5 (Cp=4.10), and SW-16 (Cp=4.79) are high-priority subwatersheds needing structural interventions (check dams, contour bunding) and vegetative measures based on their elevated bifurcation ratios (>4.17), low drainage density (<0.81 km/km²), and intensive agricultural land use (>85%). Since the prioritization relies solely on GIS-based DEM-derived empirical models and land use and land cover analysis, it can serve as an initial framework for resource allocation. These rankings should be viewed as indicative rather than definitive. Consequently, the operational implementation of this prioritization should involve a comprehensive validation process to align model predictions with field conditions and long-term watershed management goals.
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