Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sediment yield modelling of an agricultural watershed using MUSLE, remote sensing and GIS

  • Article
  • Published:
Paddy and Water Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A study was undertaken to estimate the sediment yield of the Karso watershed of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand State, India using modified universal soil loss equation (MUSLE), remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The runoff factor of MUSLE was computed using the measured values of runoff and peak rate of runoff at outlet of the watershed. The topographic factor (LS) was determined using GIS while crop management factor (C) was determined from land use/land cover data, obtained from RS and field survey. The conservation practice factor (P) was obtained from the literature. Sediment yield at the outlet of the study watershed was simulated for 345 rainfall events spread over a period of 1996–2001 and validated with the measured values. Nash–Sutcliffe simulation model efficiency of 0.8 and high value of coefficient of determination (0.83) indicated that MUSLE model estimated sediment yield satisfactorily.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) (1970) Sediment sources and sediment yields. J Hydraul Div ASCE 96(HY6):1283–1329

    Google Scholar 

  • ASCE Task Committee (1993) Criteria for evaluation of watershed models. J Irrig Drain Eng ASCE 119(3):429–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banasik K, Walling DE (1996) Predicting sedimentgraphs for a small agricultural catchment. Nordic Hydrol 27(4):275–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Bingner RL, Murphee CE, Mutchler CK (1989) Comparison of sediment yield models on various watershed in Mississippi. Trans ASAE 32(2):529–534

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambazoglu MK, Gogus M (2004) Sediment yields of basins in the Western Black sea region of Turkey. Turkish J Eng Environ Sci 28:355–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster GR, Mc Cool DK, Renard KG, Moldenhauer WC (1991) Conversion of the universal soil loss equation to SI metric units. J Soil Water Conserv 36:355–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Haan CT, Johnson HP, Brakensiek DL (1982) Hydrological modeling of small watersheds. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Michigan

    Google Scholar 

  • Hann CT, Barfield BJ, Hayes JC (1996) Design hydrology and sedimentology for small catchments. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Hrissanthou V (2005) Estimate of sediment yield in a basin without sediment data. Catena 64:333–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson NW (1993) Field measurement of soil erosion and runoff, FAO soils bulletins 68. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

  • Kinnell PIA (2005) Why the universal soil loss equation and the revised version of it do not predict event erosion well. Hydrol Process 19:851–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnell PIA, Risse LM (1998) USLE-M: empirical modeling rainfall erosion through runoff and sediment concentration. Soil Sci Soc Am J 62:1662–1672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mc Cool DK, Foster GR, Mutchler CK, Meyer LD (1987) Revised slope steepness factor for the universal soil loss equation. Trans ASAE 30(5):1387–1396

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra SK, Tyagi JV, Singh VP, Singh R (2006) SCS-CN-based modeling of sediment yield. J Hydrol 324:301–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novotny V, Olem H (1994) Water quality: prevention, identification, and management of diffuse pollution. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandey A, Chowdary VM, Mal BC (2007) Identification of critical erosion prone areas in the small agricultural watershed using USLE GIS and remote sensing. Water Res Manage (Springer) 21(4):729–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao YP (1981) Evaluation of cropping management factor in universal soil loss equation under natural rainfall condition of Kharagpur, India. In: Proceedings of Southeast Asian regional symposium on problems of soil erosion and sedimentation, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, pp 241–254

  • Reddy MS (1999) Theme paper on “Water: Vision 2050”. Indian Water Resources Society, Roorkee, pp 51–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghi SHR, Singh JK, Das G (2004) Efficacy of annual soil erosion models for storm-wise sediment prediction: a case study. Int Agric Eng J 13(1–2):1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghi SHR, Mizuyama T (2007) Applicability of the modified universal soil loss equation for prediction of sediment yield in Khanmirza watershed, Iran. Hydrol Sci J 52(5):1068–1075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghi SHR, Mizuyama T, Ghaderi Vangah B (2007) Conformity of MUSLE estimates and erosion plot data for storm-wise sediment yield estimation. J Terr Atmos Ocean Sci 18(1):117–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh G, Venkatraman C, Shastri G, Joshi BP (1990) Manual of soil and water conservation practices in india. Oxford/IBH Publishing co. Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh G, Babu R, Narain P, Bhusan LS, Abrol IP (1992) Soil erosion rates in India. J Soil Water Conserv 47(1):97–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripathi MP, Panda RK, Pradhan S, Das RK (2001) Estimation of Sediment yield form a small watershed using MUSLE and GIS. J Inst Eng (I) 82:40–45

    Google Scholar 

  • USDA-SCS (1972) ‘Hydrology’ in SCS National Engineering Handbook, section 4, US Department of Agriculture, Washington

  • Williams JR Sediment-yield prediction with universal equation using runoff energy factor. In: Present and prospective technology for predicting sediment yield and sources, ARS.S-40, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, pp 244–252

  • Williams JR, Berndt HD (1972) Sediment yield computed with universal equation. J Hydraul Div Proc Am Soc Civil Eng 98:2087–2098

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams JR, Berndt HD (1977) Sediment yield prediction based on watershed hydrology. Trans Am Soc Agric Eng 20(6):1100–1104

    Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses. USDA Agricultural Research Services Handbook 537. USDA, Washington, 57 pp

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the encouragement and technical guidance provided by the Head, Regional Remote Sensing and Service Centre, Kharagpur and other scientists of the centre in carrying out this work. The authors also thank the Soil Conservation Department, DVC Hazaribagh for providing valuable data for validation of the simulation results. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for contributing insightful remarks and useful suggestions, which led to a substantially improved manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Water Resources Development and Management, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 247 667, India

    Ashish Pandey

  2. RRSSC Campus IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721 302, India

    V. M. Chowdary

  3. Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721 302, India

    B. C. Mal

Authors
  1. Ashish Pandey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. M. Chowdary
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. C. Mal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashish Pandey.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pandey, A., Chowdary, V.M. & Mal, B.C. Sediment yield modelling of an agricultural watershed using MUSLE, remote sensing and GIS. Paddy Water Environ 7, 105–113 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-009-0149-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-009-0149-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation