Use of high-resolution satellite data,GIS and NRCS-CN technique for the estimation of rainfall-induced run-off in small catchment of Jharkhand India

The present study demonstrates the use of NRCS-CN technique for rainfall-induced run-off estimation using high-resolution satellite data for small watershed of Palamu district, Jharkhand. The CN model was applied to the daily rainfall data of 15 years (1986–2000) along with use of large-scale thematic maps (1:10,000) pertaining to land use/land cover using IRS-P6 LISS-IV satellite data. The LU/LC map was spatially intersected with the hydrological soil group map to calculate the watershed area under different hydrological similar units for assigning CN values to compute discharge. The study showed that Daltonganj watershed exhibits an average run-off volume of 7,881,019 m³ from an average cumulative monsoon rainfall of 821 mm and the average actual direct run-off generated during the southwest monsoon season was 203 mm. The strong correlation between rainfall and run-off as well as between observed run-off and estimated run-off indicated high accuracy of run-off estimation by NRCS-CN technique.     

Assessment of surface water potential using morphometry and curve number-based approaches

Geomorphic and curve number-based run-off estimation approaches are proposed in this study for Olidih watershed, India. Cartosat Digital Elevation Model derived morphometry parameters were used for the computation of run-off. The observed and predicted run-off are uniformly scattered around 1:1 line and coefficient of correlation (R²) is found to be around 0.94 in case of NRCS-CN method. Run-off assessment computed using geomorphological parameters and NRCS-CN approach has improved with the introduction of rainfall correction factor. The improved R² from 0.3 to 0.86 in this case was attributed to rainfall correction factor computed based on the long-term rainfall average of the study area. Run-off assessment made using composite parameter approach shows R² values of 0.98 and 0.82 for different initial abstraction losses 0.2 and 0.3, respectively, and has indicated better prediction. Therefore, proposed morphometry-based approaches can be explored as an alternative for simulating the hydrological response of the watersheds.     

Estimation of SCS Curve Number variation following forest fires

The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (CN) method is routinely used to estimate the effects of forest fires on hydrological response. However, despite recent efforts, CN values are still not well known for burned conditions. A major forest fire in Attica, Greece, which affected the Lykorrema stream experimental watershed, provided an opportunity for the estimation of post-fire CN variation using detailed pre-fire and post-fire rainfall–runoff datasets. The CN values for both periods were estimated and compared using a wide range of available methods. Methods considering the spatial variability of soil-cover complexes were also used to investigate the effect of spatial heterogeneity. The post-fire watershed response changed from complacent to standard. Direct runoff depths and peak flows increased by a factor of more than 7.7 and 11.8, respectively. On average, the estimated post-fire CN values for the studied soil-cover complexes increased by about 25 units. This study may assist the improvement of existing post-fire hydrological assessment tools.