Watershed Management and Planning of Hirehalla Basin Using Remote Sensing and GIS an Integrated Approach of Managing Natural Resources

Abstract

Soil and water are the two major components bestowed from the nature. For the newlinesustenance of life it is very much required to conserve and preserve these precious newlineresources. Soil is required for the primary production and water is life s matter, matrix newlineand medium. Anthropogenic activities are responsible for degradation of soil and water newlinequality. The water problem is amplified in India as fresh water resources have thinned. newlineTherefore, we need to manage earth s most precious natural resources better for the newlinesustainability of life. newlineThe principal objective of this present investigation is to identify an integrated newlineapproach for sustainable development and management of natural resources in a newlineperiodically affected drought prone region of Koppal District of Northern Karnataka. newlineThe current multi-faceted approach uses geological, geomorphologic, morphometric, newlinehydrometeorological, hydro-geochemical data for prioritization of watershed. The holistic newlinemethod of using remote sensing data and GIS platform has minimized the time and cost newlineespecially for identifying suitable sites for water and soil conservation structures. The newlineresearch allows and throws challenges in a complex scenario for all the environmental newlinestakeholders to work together for the sustainable development. newlineIn the Present study results of morphometric analysis of the mini-watersheds were newlineused for their prioritization fallowed by runoff calculation using Soil Conservation newlineService Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. Soil sediment calculation carried out using newlinecombined method of Garde equation and Catchment Wise Erosion Equation (CWEE) newlinemethod. The groundwater quality analysis for drinking purpose for the study area is newlineworked out and is presented in this study. The water quality index was calculated for the newlinegroundwater samples. Conservation structures at suitable locations are proposed for the newlineconstruction which is going to solve the problem soil erosion and conservation of water. newlineTwenty six mini watersheds of Hirehalla watershed were prioritized. The