watershed management its principles and its objectives concept and its types, component , factor affecting watershed management

1. BABLU HRANGKHAWL
CAU/CPGS/B17/02
B.Sc. AGRI 3rd YEAR
COA-KYRDEMKULAI CAU(I)
WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT

2. Introduction:
*Soil, water and vegetation are the three important natural
resources.
*As these resources are interdependent there is a need to
have a unit of management for most effective and useful
management of these resources.
*Inappropriate technologies have led to over exploitation of
these resources resulting into problems like soil erosion,
nutrient loss and water scarcity.
Decline in crop yield and food security problems

3. Concept of watershed
*Watershed is defined as any surface area from which rainfall is
collected and drained through a common point. It is synonymous
with drainage basin or catchment area.
Watershed size vary from few hactares to thousands of hectares
1. Micro watershed
2. Mini watershed
3. Macro watershed

4. Watershed management implies the wise use of
soil and water resources within a given
geographical area so as to enable sustainable
production and to minimize floods.
Watershed management is the integration of
technologies within the natural boundaries for
optimum development of land, water and plant
resources to meet the basic needs of people and
animals in a sustainable manner

8. *Objectives
Effectively conserve soil, rainwater and vegetation & harvest the
surplus water in addition to ground water recharge
Promote sustainable farming and stabilize crop yields by adopting
suitable cropping and crop management systems
Cover the non-arable area effectively through afforestation,
horticulture and pasture development based on land capability
Enhance the income of the individuals by adopting alternative
enterprises
Restore the ecological balance

9. The objectives of watershed management programme can also
be described in symbolic form by the expression: POWER. Here
the letters symbolize the following:
P = Production of food-fodder-fuel-fruit-fibre-fish-milk combined on
sustained basis
 Pollution control
 Prevention of floods
O= Over exploitation of resources to be minimized by controlling
excessive biotic interferences like over grazing
Operational practicability of all on farm operations and follow up
programmes including easy approachability to different locations in
watershed
W = Water storage at convenient locations for different purposes
 Wild animal and indigenous plant life conservation at selected places

10. E = Erosion control
Ecosystem safety
Economic stability
Employment generation
R = Recharge of ground water
Reduction of drought hazards
Reduction of siltation in multipurpose reservoirs
Recreation

12. Components
Treatment of arable and non-arable land for effective in-situ and
ex-situ moisture conservation
Implementation of programmes like afforestation, horticulture,
agro-forestry, pasture production in stored water/moisture
Identification of a sound crop production systems and its
implementation through the involvement of developmental and
input agencies
Developing suitable infrastructural facilities and people’s
organizations to maintain the developed services

13. Action plan for watershed development (steps in watershed
management)
1. Identification and selection of watershed: The boundary of the
watershed has to be marked by field survey starting from the lowest
point of the water course and proceeding upwards to the ridge line.
The area may vary as low as 100 ha to as high as 10,000 ha.
2. Description of watershed: Basic information has to be collected on
Location
Area, shape and slope
Climate
Soil - geology, hydrology, physical, chemical and biological properties, erosion level
Vegetation-native and cultivated species
Land capability
Present land use pattern
Crop pattern, cropping system and management
Farming system adopted
Economics of farming
Man power resource
Socio economic data
Infrastructural and institutional facilities

14. Analysis of problems and identification of available
solutions
Designing the technology components
Soil and moisture conservation measures
Run off collection, storage and recycling
Optimal land use and cropping system
Alternate land use system and farming system
Other land treatment measures
Development of livestock and other allied activities
Ground water recharge and augmentation

15. Preparation of base maps of watershed incorporating all features
of geology, hydrology, physiography, soil and proposed development
measures for each part of watershed.
Cost-benefit analysis to indicate estimated cost of each
component activity, total cost of project and expected benefit.
Fixing the time frame to show time of start, duration of project,
time frame for completion of each component activity along with
the department / agency to be involved in each component activity
Monitoring and evaluation to assess the progress of the project
and to suggest modification if any
On-farm research to identify solutions for site-specific problems.

16. Organizational requirement: Crucial component of watershed
development project is the organization. Land use problems can
only be tackled in close association with owners. As such local
people should be involved in the project. Watershed development
agency at unit level may be an ideal organization for implementing
the project. The organizational requirement include
a. Water shed development agency with multidisciplinary staff
b. Training to personnel
c. Training to farmers
d. Credit institution
e. Farmers forum /village association
f. Non-governmental organization

17. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
*Principles:
Utilizing the land according to its capability
Conserving as much rain water as possible at the place where it falls
Draining out excess water with a safe velocity and diverting it to
storage ponds for future use
Avoiding gully formation & checking at suitable intervals to control
soil erosion & recharge ground water
Increasing cropping intensity & land equivalent ratio through
intercropping and sequence cropping

18. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
*Principles:
Safe utilization of marginal lands through alternative land use systems
Ensuring the sustainability of the ecosystem benefiting the man-
animal-plant-land-water complex in the watershed
Maximizing the combined income from the inter-related and dynamic
crop-livestock components over the years
Stabilizing total income and cutting down risks during aberrant
weather situations
Improving infrastructural facilities with regard to storage,
transportation and marketing

23. Why are watersheds important?
Watershed are important because the surface water features
and storm-water runoff within a watershed ultimately drain to
other bodies of water. It is essential to consider these
implementing water quality protection and restoration actions.
*Rise in water level in wells and bore wells that are drying up
*Mitigation of the affects of drought and attainment of drought
proofing
*An ideal solution in areas having inadequate water resources
*Reduction in soil erosion as surface runoff is reduce
*Saving of energy as this lift ground water.

24. THANKYOU