Hydrological Response Unit Analysis Using AVSWAT 2000 for Keuliling Reservoir Watershed, Aceh Province, Indonesia

Abstract

<p>Sediments deposition derived from the erosion in upstream areas can lead to river siltation or canals downstream irrigation. According to the complexity of erosion problem at Keuliling reservoir, it is essential that topography, hydrology, soil type and land use to be analyzed comprehensively. Software used to analyze is AVSWAT 2000 (Arc View Soil and Water Assessment Tools-2000), one of the additional tool of ArcView program. The results obtained are the watershed delineation map, soil type map to produce soil erodibility factor (K) which indicates the resistance of soil particles toward exfoliation, land use map to produce crop management factor (C) and soil conservation and its management factors (P). Hydrology analysis includes soil type, land use and utility for the erosion rate analysis through Hydrologic Response Unit (HRU). The biggest HRU value of sub-basin is on area 5 and the lowest one is on area 10. All four HRU in sub-basin area 5 are potentially donating high value for HRU. In short, this area has the longest slope length so that it has a large LS factor. About 50% of the land was covered by bushes which gain higher C factor rather than forest. Moreover, it has contour crop conservation technique with 9-20 % declivity resulting in having dominant factor of P. Soil type is dominated by Meucampli Formation which has soil erodibility factor with high level of vulnerable toward the rainfall kinetic energy. All in all, the vast majority of HRU parameters in this sub-basin area obtain the highest HRU value. Hydrology analysis, soil type, and use-land are useful for land area analysis that is susceptible to erosion which was identified through Hydrologic Response Unit (HRU) using GIS. As the matter of fact, spatially studies constructed with GIS can facilitate the agency to determine critical areas which are needed to be aware or fully rehabilitated.</p>