Assessment of soil erosion and sediment yield in the Peddavagu watershed, India, using a revised universal soil loss equation model (RUSLE) and GIS techniques

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out within the Peddavagu watershed, which is located in India. The necessary datasets, including soil, land-use land cover (LULC), rainfall, and digital elevation model (DEM) parameters, were processed and analysed within a geographic information system (GIS) framework. To evaluate soil loss within the watershed, the present investigation employed the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model analysis. Subsequently, the sediment yield (SY) is estimated based on the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) in the watershed. The average annual soil loss was estimated at 17.91 tonnes/hectare/year, which is a high soil erosion risk. The model's accuracy suggests a very good (82.1%) outcome for the RUSLE model results. Moreover, the study region revealed that sub-watersheds (SW) 9 and SW 3 exhibited the maximum and minimum average annual soil loss. The watershed's SDR was 0.210. Annually, 3.76 tonnes/hectare/year of sediment were transported to the outlet. The investigation region revealed that SW 9 and SW 5 exhibited the maximum and minimum average annual SY. The observed actual data indicated a yield of 3.66 tonnes/hectare/year, while the model anticipated a yield of 3.76 tonnes/hectare/year. This resource offers significant insights for policymakers and decision-makers on sustainable watershed management techniques.