Abstract
The phenomenon of water erosion is a complex one that is very much in evidence around the world and also in the watersheds of northern Algeria, where the physical, hydroclimatic, geomorphological, and socioeconomic conditions are highly conducive to the onset and acceleration of this phenomenon. Our country is characterized by a semi-arid climate and is threatened by erosion of agricultural land. High concentrations of suspended sediments carried by wadis towards dams and hill reservoirs significantly reduce the capacity of these structures. The majority of Algeria's wadis are not gauged, which complicates the collection of data on solid transport. In the absence of such data, water resource planners find it even more difficult to assess this important hydrological feature. To this end, we are proposing a methodology for calculating the solid transport of rivers that are not gauged by hydrometric stations. To make the model more rigorous, we used data from 132 hydrometric stations. We applied Principal Component Analysis to the monthly mean solid flows of 132 hydrometric stations, and the results show the existence of four hydrologically homogeneous groups. Each group is influenced by distinct parameters, given the complexity of this phenomenon. In the absence of measurement data, these results can be used by engineers and planners working in the hydraulics sector, often without the benefit of normative documents.