Watershed Management

Watershed is that land area which drains or contributes runoff to a common

outlet. Watershed is defined as a geo-hydrological unit draining to a

common point by a system of drains. All lands on earth are part of one

watershed or other. Watershed is thus the land and water area, which

contributes runoff to a common point.

A watershed is an area of land and water bounded by a drainage divide

within which the surface runoff collects and flows out of the watershed

through a single outlet into a lager river or lake. Watershed technology is

used in Rainfed areas.

Watershed management implies an effective conservation of soil and water

resources for sustainable production with minimum non point resources

(NFS) pollutant losses. It involves management of land surface and

vegetation so as to conserve the soil and water for immediate and long term

benefits to the farmers, community and society as a whole.

 Catchment area is the water collecting area. “All the areas from which

water flows out into a river or water pool”.

Principles or objectives of watershed management:

1. Utilizing the land according to its capability.

2. Putting adequate vegetal cover on the soil during the rainy season.
3. Conserving as much water as possible at the place where it falls. i.e. In situ conservation of
rain water.
4. Draining out excess water with a safe velocity and diverting it to storage ponds avoiding
situation hazards and store it for further sue for supplemental irrigation during stress periods.
5. Avoiding gully formation and putting checks at suitable intervals to control soil erosion and
recharge ground water.
6. Maximizing productivity per unit area, per unit time and per unit of water.
7. Increasing cropping intensity and land equivalent ratio through intercropping and sequence
cropping.
8. Safe utilization of marginal lands through alternate land use system such as horticulture, Agro
forestry, silvipasture etc.
9. Ensuring sustainability of the eco - system benefiting the man - animal - animal - plant - land,
water complex in the water complex in the watershed.
10 Maximum the combined income from the inter related and dynamic crop - livestock - tree -
labour complex over years.
11. Stabilizing total income and cut down risks during aberrant water situation.
12. Improving infrastructural facilities with regards to storage, transportation and marketing.
13. Improving the socio - economic status of the farmers.

Steps in Watershed planning

 Preparation of base maps for carrying out surveys.

 Reconnaissance survey of the watershed for overall development.
 Assessing rainfall characteristics.
 Preparation of soil maps and classification of lands for different uses according to
capability classification for agriculture, forestry, pasture, horticulture, etc.
 Preparation of inventory of existing land uses and farm sizes.
 Appraisal of agricultural production patterns and potentials, present and potential
markets and possible group action arrangements.
 Carrying out topographic and hydrologic surveys for engineering works.
 Geo-hydrological survey to delineate areas suitable for groundwater
development.
 Formulation of an integrated time-bound plan for land and moisture conservation,
ground water. recharge, development of productive afforestation, agriculture production,
grasslands and horticulture.
 Assigning of priorities for implementation of the project.
 Assessing social costs and benefits.

Types of Watershed Management:

Watershed is classified depending upon the size, drainage, shape and land

use pattern.

a. Macro watershed: 1000 -10,000 ha

b. Micro watershed: 100 -1000 ha

c. Mini watershed: 10 -100 ha

d. Mille watershed: 1 -10 ha

Objectives of Watershed Management:

a. Production of food, fodder, fuel.

b. Pollution control

c. Over exploitation of resources should be minimized

d. Water storage, flood control, checking sedimentation.

e. Wild life preservation

f. Erosion control and prevention of soil, degradation and conservation of

soil and water.

g. Employment generation through industrial development dairy fishery

production.

h. Recharging of ground water to provide regular water supply for

consumption and industry as well as irrigation.

i. Recreational facility.

Main Components of Watershed:

a. Soil and water conservation,

b. Water harvesting and water management,

c. Alternate land use system.

Irrigation Projects:

Major – Covered > 10,000 ha of catchments command area (CCA)

Medium-2,000 to 10,000 ha of CCA

Minor-<2,000 ha of CCA

Steps in Watershed Management:

Watershed management involves determination of alternative land

treatment measures for, which information about problems of land, soil,

water and vegetation in the watershed is essential. In order to have a

practical solution to above problem it is necessary to go through four

phases for a full scale watershed management.

Programme:

a. Recognition phase.

b. Restoration phase.

c. Protection phase.

d. Improvement phase.

(i) Recognition Phase:

It involves following steps

(a) Recognition of the problem

(b) Analysis of the cause of the problem and its effect.

(C) Development of alternative solutions of problem.

(ii) Restoration Phase:

It includes two main steps.

(a) Selection of best solution to problems identified

(b) Application of the solution to the problems of the land

(iii) Protection Phase:

This phase takes care of the general health of the watershed and ensures

normal functioning. The protection is against all factors which may cause

determined in watershed condition.

(iv) Improvement Phase:

This phase deals with overall improvement in the watershed and all land is

covered. Attention is paid to agriculture and forest management and

production, forage production and pasture management, socio economic

conditions to achieve the objectives of watershed management.

Water Resources Development Plan:

Water resource management plays a vital role in sustainable development

of watershed which is possible only through the implementation of various

water harvesting technique. The efficient way for sub-surface water storage,

soil moisture conservation or ground water recharge technologies should be

adopted properly under water resource development plan.

The various measures adopted under soil and water harvesting is:
(a) Vegetative barriers

(b) Building of contour bunds along contours for erosion

(c) Furrow/Ridges and Furrow ridge method of cultivation across the slope.

(d) Irrigation water management through drip and sprinkler methods.

(e) Planting of horticultural contour species on bunds.

Watershed Management Programmes:

(i) Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP):

Year of start: 1970-71

Objectives: Area development programme through restoration of ecological

balance and optimum utilization of land, water, livestock and human

resources to mitigate the effect of drought.

(ii) Desert Development Programme (DDP):

Year of start: 1977-78

Objectives: Mitigate the effect of drought in the desert area and restore

ecological balance.

(iii) National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed

Agriculture (NWDPRA):

Year of start: 1986-87

Objectives: To conserve and utilize rain water from both arable and non

arable lands on watershed basis. To increase the productivity of crops and

to increase the fuel, fodder and fruit resources through appropriate

alternate land use system.

(iv) Control of Shifting Cultivation:

Year of start: 1986-87

Objectives: Restoring ecological balance in hilly areas and improving socio-

economic conditions.

(v) World Bank Assisted Integrated Watershed Development Project:

Year of start: 1990

Objectives: To arrest the problems of environmental degradation and

promote sustainable increase in agriculture production and to enhance

vegetative technology of soil and water conservation for rain water

conservation and for increasing crop, forage, fuel wood and timber yield of

the area.

Watershed Management Practices:

A. In Terms of Purpose

(i) To increase infiltration

(ii) To increase water holding capacity

(iii) To prevent soil erosion

B. Method and Accomplishment:

(i) Vegetative measures/Agronomical measures:

(a) Strip cropping

(b) Pasture cropping

(c) Grass land farming

(d) Woodlands

(ii) Engineering measures/Structural practices:

(a) Contour bunding

(b) Terracing

(c) Construction of earthen embankment

(d) Construction of check dams

(e) Construction of farm ponds

(f) Construction of diversion

(g) Gully controlling structure

(h) Rock dam

(i) Establishment of permanent grass and vegetation

(j) Providing vegetative and stone barriers

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