GIS-Based Site Selection for Check Dams in Watersheds: Considering Geomorphometric and Topo-Hydrological Factors

Omid Rahmati, Zahra Kalantari, Mahmood Samadi, Evelyn Uuemaa, Davoud Davoudi Moghaddam, Omid Asadi Nalivan, Georgia Destouni and Dieu Tien Bui
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Omid Rahmati: Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sanandaj 6616936311, Iran
Zahra Kalantari: Department of Physical Geography and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Mahmood Samadi: Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran
Evelyn Uuemaa: Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise St. 46, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
Davoud Davoudi Moghaddam: Department of Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad 68151-44316, Iran
Omid Asadi Nalivan: Department of Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan 4918943464, Iran
Georgia Destouni: Department of Physical Geography and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Dieu Tien Bui: Geographic Information Science Research Group, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 20, 1-20

Abstract: Check dams are widely used watershed management measures for reducing flood peak discharge and sediment transport, and increasing lag time and groundwater recharge throughout the world. However, identifying the best suitable sites for check dams within the stream networks of various watersheds remains challenging. This study aimed to develop an open-source software with user-friendly interface for screening the stream network possibilities and identifying and guiding the selection of suitable sites for check dams within watersheds. In this developed site selection software (SSS), multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was integrated into geographic information systems (GIS), which allowed for numerous spatial data of the multiple criteria to be relatively simply and visually processed. Different geomorphometric and topo-hydrological factors were considered and accounted for to enhance the SSS identification of the best locations for check dams. The factors included topographic wetness index (TWI), terrain ruggedness index (TRI), topographic position index (TPI), sediment transport index (STI), stream power index (SPI), slope, drainage density (DD), and stream order (SO). The site identification performance of the SSS was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method, with results for the case study example of the Poldokhtar watershed in Iran showing excellent performance and identifying 327 potential sites for efficient check dam construction in this watershed. The SSS tool is not site-specific but is rather general, adaptive, and comprehensive, such that it can and should be further applied and tested across different watersheds and parts of the world.

Keywords: check dams; site selection; site prioritization; watershed management; decision support system; GIS; poldokhtar watershed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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