Morphometric Analysis of Ken River Basin through Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Abstract

Management of water resources required assessment of morphometric parameters in order to enhance the capability of understanding the factor which may help to render the impact caused due to high flood due to inadequate water disposal management. In the present study computation of linear, aerial and relief aspects viz., bifurcation ratio, mean bifurcation ratio (Rbm), mean stream length (Lum), stream length ratio (Rl), form factor (Ff), circularity ratio (Rc), stream frequency (Fs), drainage density (Dd), dissection index (Di), ruggedness index (Ri) has been carried out in order evaluate watershed characteristics for soil conservation and watershed management. The basin poses a high flood potential risk due to inadequate drainage and less channel development. The Ken river basin is elongated in shape as indicated by the computation of form factor with comparatively less value. Due to inadequate drainage patterns for safe disposal of surplus water, the vulnerability to water erosion can be considered as a major cause of concern in the Ken river basin. Evaluation of relief aspects suggested the existence of intense flood characteristics within the basin during period of heavy rainfall. Assessment using remote sensing and GIS approach can prove as an effective tool for analyzing properties of basin and for sustainable management of available water resources with exercise of suitable sites selection for development of structure to control runoff and adaptation of conventional methods for water conservation, thus increasing infiltration rate with decreased surface runoff and erosion.