Evaluation of water discharge and sediment budget in the lesser Himalaya

This paper deals with the quantitative measurement of water discharge and sediment budget, comparison of the quantitative data of the middle part of the Bino Valley at the boundary of Pauri Garhwal and Almora district of U.P. The Ghatgad Catchment is cultivated (70%), the Gungad Catchment is moderately forested (55%) and the Kolani Catchment is forested (95%). Based on the morphometric and drainage analysis, the water discharge, suspended load yield and rainfall (1995-96) has been computed. The maximum annual average discharge has been observed in moderately forested (Gungad, 70.3 LS^-1) and cultivated (Ghatgad, 67.6 LS^-1) catchments and minimum discharge (24.5 LS^-1) in the forested (Kolani) catchment. The highest monthly suspended load, amounting to 49.28 percent of the total annual load and a denudation rate 8.51 T/km²/month being observed in September for Ghatgad catchment., where as 47.64 percement of the total sediment and 4.06 T/km²/month being observed in August for Gungad catchment. In Kolani the highest monthly concentration of suspended load being (63.98%), of the total annual load and denudation rate 2.75 T/km²/month being observed in the month of June.