Application of SWAT Model to Investigate Soil Loss in Kaneri Watershed

Abstract

: Watershed as an entry point acts as a beginning to address the issues of sustainable rainwater management for improving livelihoods. To deal with water management issues, one must analyse and quantify the different elements of hydrologic processes taking place within the area of interest. For this, in present study, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model is selected to model hydrological processes and compute runoff and sediment yield from the Kaneri watershed. Application of the SWAT model showed a relationship between watershed characteristics and their effects on runoff and sediment yield The distributed nature of the model output helped in identifying the sub basins and even HRUs within the watershed that were more prone to soil erosion and, hence, need to be given priority while implementing soil conservation measures. Its application proved that the model is a very flexible and robust tool that can be used to simulate a variety of watershed problems.