WATERSHED

MANAGEMENT
CONTENT
A watershed is defined as any spatial area from which runoff from precipitation is collected and
drained through a common point or outlet.
it is a land surface bounded by a divide, which contributes runoff to a common point
It is synonymous with a drainage basin or catchment area
 UPPER INDRAVATI
Total capacity 2,300,000,000 m3 (1,900,000 acre⋅ft)[1]
Catchment area 2,630 km2 (1,020 sq mi)
Surface area 110 km2 (42 sq mi)
Tributaries – left Nandiraj
Right – vhaskel, Narangi, Nimbra
THERE ARE SIX MAJOR
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES IN
WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas
(NWDPRA)
Watershed Development in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDSCA)
Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) -1987
Desert Development Programme (DDP) - 1987
Integrated Wasteland Development Project (IWDP)-1989
Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS)
PRINCIPLES OF WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT
Utilizing the land based on its capability
 Protecting the fertile top soil –
Minimizing the silting up of the reservoirs and lower fertile lands –
 Protecting vegetative cover throughout the year –
 Insitu conservation of rain water –
Safe diversion of surface runoff to storage structures through grassed water
ways
Stabilization of gullies and construction of check dams for increasing ground
water recharge. –
 Increasing cropping intensity through inter and sequence cropping.
Alternate land use systems for efficient use of marginal lands –
Water harvesting for supplemental irrigation –
Ensuring sustainability of the ecosystem –
Maximizing farm income through agricultural related activities such as
dairy poultry, sheep, and goat farming –
Improving infrastructural facilities for storage transport and agricultural
marketing - Setting up of small scale agro industries and
 Improving socio-economic status of farmers.
 OBJECTIVES
Recognition of watershed as a unit for development and efficient use of land
according to land capabilities –
Flood control through small multipurpose reservoirs and other water storage
structures at the headwater of streams and problem areas. –
Adequate water supply for domestic, agricultural and industrial needs –
Reduction of organic, inorganic and soil pollution –
Efficient use of natural resources for improving agriculture and allied occupations
so as to improve socio- economic conditions of the local residents and –
Expansion of recreation facilities such as picnic and camping sites.
 POWER
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
W = Water storage at convenient locations for different purposes - Wild animal
and indigenous plant life conservation at selected places
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
COMPONENTS OF WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
1. Soil and water conservation
2. Water harvesting
3. Crop management and
4. Alternate land use systems
5. Afforestation
6. Pasture development
7. Human recourse development
8. livestock management
9. Rural energy management
10. Farm and non farm value addition activities
ACTION PLAN FOR WATERSHED
DEVELOPMENT (STEPS IN WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT)
Identification and selection of watershed:
Description of watershed. 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
Analysis of problems and identification of available solutions
Designing the technology components a. Soil and moisture conservation measures b. Run
off collection, storage and recycling c. Optimal land use and cropping system d. Alternate
land use system and farming system e. Other land treatment measures f. Development of
livestock and other allied activities g. Ground water recharge and augmentation
Preparation of base maps of watershed
Cost-benefit analysis
Fixing the time frame
Monitoring and evaluation
On-farm research
Organizational requirement: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
COMPONENTS OF WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AND
LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION
1. Soil and water conservation
2. Water harvesting
3. Crop management
4. Alternate land use systems
 SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION MEASURES
Based on the nature and type of hydraulic barriers and their cost the
conservation measures
Permanent treatments (Hardware treatments)- These measures are
provided for improvement of relief, physiography and drainage features of
watershed
Semi permanent treatments (medium software treatments) -adopted to
minimize the velocity of overland flow.
These measures may last for 2 to 5 years.
Temporary treatments (software treatments). -These are simple treatments
for in situ moisture conservation and needs to be remade or renovation every
year.
 PERMANENT MEASURES:
Waterways: both with and without vegetation- grassed waterways for safe
disposal of runoff water.
Bunds: contour bunds –Suitable for low rainfall areas (< 600 mm) and in
permeable soils having slope up to 6%.
Graded bunds – Suitable for high rainfall areas (> 600 mm) and for poor
permeable soils having 2-6% slope and for soils having crust like ,chalka soils
of
Telangana region of A.P.
Terraces: Bench terracing: suitable for soils having slopes 16 to 33%. Bench
terraces reduce both slope length and degree of slope. At Ootacamund erosion
rate decreased from 39 t/ha to less than 1.0 t/ha on 25% sloping land by bench
Terracing
 SEMI PERMANENT MEASURES:
i. Small section / key line bunds: A small section bund may be created
across the slope at half of the vertical bund spacing, which needs to be renovated
at an interval of 2-3 years.
ii. Strip Levelling: Levelling of about 4 to 5 m strips of land above the bund
across the major land slope help in reducing the velocity of surface flow. Strip
levelling can be done by running blade harrow at an interval of 2 to 4 years.
iii. Live beds: One or two live beds of 2-3 m width on contour or on grade
also serve the purpose. The vegetation on the beds may be annual or perennial o
iv. Vegetative or live barriers: One or two barriers of close growing grasses
or legumes along the bund and at mid length of slope can filter the runoff water
or slow down over land flow. Khus grass is widely recommended as vegetative
barrier.
TEMPORARY MEASURES
(SOFTWARE TREATMENTS):
Simple practices like
contour farming,
compartmental bunding,
broad bed and furrows,
dead furrows,
tillage
mulching
 CROP MANAGEMENT
a) Selection of crops and cropping systems to suit length of growing season
b) Optimum sowing time
c) Fertilizer schedules and balanced use of plant nutrients for crops and
cropping systems
d) Weed management and package of practices for aberrant weather
e) Contingent cropping
 LAND USE CLASSIFICATION
(LAND CAPABILITY
CLASSIFICATION)
Land capability classification is grouping of soils into different classes according to
their capability for intensive use and treatments required for sustained use
developed by USDA
Eight land capability classes are recognized and designated by Roman numericals
from I to VIII.
The Roman numericals indicates increasing limitations and fewer choices for
practical field crop use.
Land capability classes from I to IV are suitable for arable crop production Land
capability classes from V to VIII are suitable for alternate land use systems
CLASS I: (LIGHT GREEN)
has few limitations on their use.
They are deep (> 90cm), well drained and nearly levelled.
They are fertile or responsive to fertilizer application.
There is no limitation on the type of crops grown.
A variety of crops can be grown intensively with recommended management
practices.
They are suitable for intensive cultivation.
This group of soils is represented by light green colour in land use maps
CLASS II: (YELLOW)
Soils have moderate limitations such as gentle slope, moderate erosion
problem, inadequate depth (22.5–45cm),
slight salinity and alkalinity and relatively restricted drainage.
Less intensive cropping systems must be followed.
Simple management practices such as contour cultivation will maintain
represented by yellow colour in land use maps.
CLASS III:(RED)
Soils have moderate to severe limitations.
The soil erosion, shallow water permeability, low moisture retentively
moderate salinity and low fertility
Soils can be used for crop production with special conservation practices
like terracing.
Smothering crops such as legumes are more ideal than row crops.
They are represented by red colour in land capability maps.
CLASS IV:
These soils will have very severe limitations that reduce the choice of crops.
Steep slope, severe erosion, shallow soil depth
salinity or alkalinity restricts their use for profitable crop production.
These lands should be used for close growing crops or grasses with special
soil conservation practices.
CLASS V:
These soils generally not suitable for grain crops due to limitations
such as rocky soil, faded areas with no drainage facilities. Pastures
can be improved on this class of land.

CLASS VI:
These soils are suitable for growing grasses and forest trees.
Limitations are same as those for class V but they are more rigid.
Their use may be restricted to woodland or wild life.
CLASS VII:
These have severe limitations even for growing grass and forest
trees. They are steep soils of extremely shallow depth, used for
woodlands and wild life.

CLASS VIII:
Not suitable for forest trees and grasslands as they are steep,
rough stony mountains. Land use is restricted to recreation, wild
life etc.,
 CAPABILITY CLASSES CAN BE SUB DIVIDED
INTO SUB CLASSES WITH IN EACH CLASS
BASED ON SPECIAL LIMITATIONS.

c : chief limitation is climate, low rainfall, too cold or too dry

(very high or very low temperature)
e : chief limitation is soil erosion
s : main limitation is soil character like depth (shallow depth, stony, salinity,
rocky)
w : soil wetness, excess water in or on soil interferes the plant growth