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IDENTIFICATION OF SEDIMENT SOURCE AREAS WITHIN A WATERSHED
Citation:
Kalin**, L., R. S. Govindaraju, AND M M. Hantush*. IDENTIFICATION OF SEDIMENT SOURCE AREAS WITHIN A WATERSHED. Presented at HYDRO 2002 Conference on Hydraulics, Water Resources & Ocean Engineering, Bombay, India, 12/16-17/2002.
Description:
Identification of sediment source areas is crucial for designing proper abatement strategies that reduce sediment and associated contaminant loading to receiving water downstream. In this study, two methodologies were developed to identify the source areas and their relative strengths for sediment generation. Both methods rely on hydrograph and sedimentograph data collected at the mouth of the watershed. The first method used a modified unit sedimentograph combined with a travel time approach, while the second method relied on optimization techniques. Data from several events were examined over two small watersheds, and a statistical procedure was utilized to assess the erosion vulnerability of different regions in the watersheds. These results were presented in the form of maps to obtain a spatial picture of sediment generating areas. Results from these two independent methods showed good agreement. Model results were in general agreement with indications provided by the physical properties of the watershed. Conclusions of model performance will be presented along with a discussion on identifiability and non-uniqueness issues associated with these approaches.