Quantitative analysis of morphometric parameters for prioritization of Warana river basin using remote sensing and GIS

Abstract

An attempt has been made in this paper to study the morphometric characteristics and prioritization of watersheds of the Warana river basin, which falls in the districts of Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, and Sangli and is a major one among five river basins of Maharashtra state, India.  As a result, the entire research area has been subdivided into 15 sub-watersheds for prioritization based on morphometric analysis utilizing GIS and remote sensing techniques. The compound parameters were calculated by averaging the priority based on the severity ranking of each watershed. The watersheds were given ultimate priority based on the values of compound parameters. The compound parameter ranged from 6.5 to 9.83 for all 15 watersheds. The watershed 8th (compound parameter value 6.5) obtains the greatest priority value and hence becomes a prospective and prioritized candidate for adopting soil conservation measures, whilst the other watersheds with lesser priorities experience less erosion. Such watershed prioritization is beneficial to overall watershed management planning. The morphometric parameters established for this basin as a whole and each watershed will be important for sound water harvesting and groundwater recharge project design on a watershed basis.