HYDROLOGY IN SOIL AND

WATER CONSERVATION
Dr. Litan Kumar Ray
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering Department
NIT Warangal
Mob.: 8265999740
Link of hydrology and soil and
water conservation
◼ Soil and water conservation consists of prevention
and control of soil erosion caused due to wind and
water.
◼ includes conserving rain water for the purpose of crop
production.
◼ Soil erosion severely affects hilly areas because of
the steep slopes.
◼ Water erosion is also responsible for continuously
washing away the top soil in agricultural lands.
◼ Areas under rainfed agriculture are particularly
affected by erosion both by water and wind.
◼ Soil degradation start with the degradation of the soil
structure, specially of the functional attributes of soil
pores to transmit and retain water, and to facilitate root
growth
◼ Water, that is often the main limiting factor of plant
growth, is also the main factor directly or indirectly
responsible for soil and land degradation processes
◼ The main soil and water degradation processes include
soil water erosion (surface and mass movements), soil
sealing and crusting, soil compaction, soil and water
salinization and sodification, and soil and water
pollution
◼ The processes of soil and water degradation are
closely linked through unfavourable alterations in the
hydrological processes determining the soil water
balance and the soil water regime
◼ A thorough knowledge of the different hydrological
phenomena is required in all aspects of soil and
water conservation
◼ Knowledge of precipitation is required in estimating
runoff, planning erosion control measures, planning
for irrigation, removal of excess water and conserving
water in low rainfall regions
◼ Knowledge of runoff is required in designing
structures and channels that will handle natural flows
of water
◼ Data about infiltration, evaporation and transpiration
are required in planning irrigation and drainage
systems, moisture conservation practices, etc
Hydrologic Data for Watershed
Planning
Data required for watershed planning
◼ Hydrologic Data Required:
◼ Hydrologic data includes hydro-meteorological data
and physiographical data.
◼ Hydro-meteorological data includes data on precipitation,
abstractions of precipitation and other meteorological
parameters, which influence the watershed management.
◼ Physiographical data broadly includes topographic data, land
use-land cover data and soil data.
◼ Information on the hydrology of the watershed is
necessary to visualize and document the waterbody
network, including the locations of all the water
bodies and how they are connected to one another
◼ Hydro-climate data:
◼ help understanding the local water budget for the region
and also for modeling purposes
◼ precipitation data, as well as temperature, evaporation and
wind speed are necessary for simulating rainfall-runoff
processes in watershed models
◼ water quality data are necessary to understand the erosion
and silt load in any stream and the to analyze the quality of
the surface water
◼ Floodplain Maps:
◼ This information is also relevant to water quality protection
and restoration activities because floodplains, when
inundated, serve many functions and provide important
habitats for a variety of fish and wildlife
◼ Floodplains are important for spawning and rearing areas.
Floodplain wetlands act as nutrient and sediment sinks,
which can improve water quality in streams
◼ They also provide storage that can decrease the magnitude
of floods downstream, which can benefit fish and land
owners in riparian areas
◼ Topography:
◼ Characterizing the topography or natural features of the
watershed can help to determine possible sources of
pollution
◼ Topographical information is also needed in many watershed
models to route movement of runoff and loading across the
land and to the water body
◼ Water Body and Watershed Conditions:
◼ Provides a general overview of the health of the water
bodies in your watershed and what uses should be
supported
◼ Wetland Assessments:
◼ Used to help characterize the watershed and identify
wetland areas
◼ Watershed Related Reports:
◼ A comprehensive list of the programs or reports that could
be available for a watershed, but it does highlight commonly
used plans that can provide information relevant to
watershed planning
◼ Land Use and Land Cover Data:
◼ Evaluating the land uses of a watershed is an important step
in understanding the watershed conditions and source
dynamics
 ◼ Land use types influence the hydrologic and physical nature
of the watershed
◼ Land use distribution is often related to the activities in the
watershed and therefore to the pollutant sources
◼ Soils:
◼ Soils can be an important factor in determining the amount
of erosion and storm water runoff that occurs in your
watershed
◼ Understanding the types of soils in your watershed and their
characteristics helps to identify areas that are prone to
erosion or are more likely to experience runoff