Ebrahim Karimi Sangchini; Majid Ownegh; Amir Sadoddin; Nasser Tahmasebipuor; Hossein Rezaee
Abstract
This article describes a research aiming to investigate factors affecting community participation and to predict community acceptance of vegetation-based management scenarios in the Hable-rud River Basin. The Hable-rud River Basin which is a transboundary basin is extended between Tehran and Semnan provinces ...
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This article describes a research aiming to investigate factors affecting community participation and to predict community acceptance of vegetation-based management scenarios in the Hable-rud River Basin. The Hable-rud River Basin which is a transboundary basin is extended between Tehran and Semnan provinces in Iran. In this research, vegetative management scenarios include: the current condition, terracing, saxaul plantation, riparian restoration, forage growing, bunch seeding, contour furrowing, tree plantation, grazing exclusion, seeding, drill seeding, orchard development, and agroforestry. Through an interview with the stakeholders of the basin, a predefined questionnaire was completed for each respondent separately. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested. On the basis of Cochran formula, 379 respondents were chosen in a stratified sampling scheme among the local communities of the basin. The factors influencing people's participation in various districts of the basin were investigated. The community acceptance level of watershed management actions was quantified using binomial probability distribution. Financial support policies of the government were identified as the most effective factor in community participation for the study area that attained the highest value in the viewpoint of people living in Sorkhe and Ivanakey districts. Community participation was evaluated in four forms including support by heart, labor support, financial support, and labor and financial support. The analysis indicates that scenarios of agroforestry and orchard development have the highest level of labor and financial support. Central Firoozkooh and Central Damavand districts have maximum labor and financial support level. The results of the binomial distribution analysis show that scenarios of agroforestry and orchard development have highest preferences among the local communities of the Hable-rud river basin. The results of this research can be used by managers and decision makers to promote soil and water resources protection as well as to promote the adoption of management actions at the watershed scale.
Majid Kazemzadehk; Ali Shahbazi; Zahra Noori; Asghar Bayat
Abstract
Introduction
In recent decades, the increasing trend of natural hazards and the destruction of natural resources under the influence of natural and human factors have become increasingly intense. One of the important methods in controlling and reducing surface runoff to mitigate flooding and peak discharge ...
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Introduction
In recent decades, the increasing trend of natural hazards and the destruction of natural resources under the influence of natural and human factors have become increasingly intense. One of the important methods in controlling and reducing surface runoff to mitigate flooding and peak discharge is the implementation of watershed management measures, including management and protection measures, biological and mechanical interventions. Although valuable watershed measures have been implemented in the country in recent years, unfortunately, the scientific documentation and studies regarding their performance, weaknesses, strengths and effectiveness are very little. By studying and evaluation the watershed management measures effects on the important factors of a watershed, such as discharge and water flow, we can take steps to strengthen the strengths and reduce the weaknesses. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the performance and effects of biological and mechanical watershed management measures on the peak discharge of treatment and control watersheds in Zidasht Taleghan, Alborz province.
Materials and methods
The paired Zidasht Taleghan watershed, comprising a treatment watershed (104 hectares) and a control watershed (92 hectares), is located inside within a representative watershed with an area of 2750 hectares. In the treatment watershed, along with the protection of the entire area, banqueting along with seeding has been implemented on the area of about 12.5 hectares. In the mechanical measures section, 943 and 72.5 m2 of gabion structure and dry stone structure were implemented in the treatment watershed, respectively. The total reservoir created by the gabion and dry stone structures was 13,550 and 125 m2, respectively. In this research, to consider the importance of vegetation cover effect on runoff and peak discharge through curve number in modeling, study and field measurement of vegetation cover changes during the last 5 years (2018 to 2019) in two treatment and control watersheds are presented. In order to investigate the impact of watershed management measures on the peak flow of the control and treatment watersheds, meteorological and discharge data were used from the meteorological station and outlet flumes of the paired watersheds. In addition to comparing the observational data of the peak flow at the outlet of both control and treatment watersheds, rainfall-runoff modeling with the HEC-HMS model was used.
Results and discussion
The evaluation of changes in vegetation under the effects of watershed measures showed that the percentage of vegetation and plant production is about 8% and 265 kg on average in the treatment watershed (on average, 51% vegetation and 777 kg/hectare production) more than the control watershed (on average, 43% vegetation percentage and 512 kg/hectare production). In the discussion of reducing the peak discharge of the treatment and control watersheds, the results of the evaluation of observational data showed that the peak discharge of the treatment watershed under the effects of watershed management measures was 65% lower than that of the control area (without the implementation of watershed management measures). The results of flood modeling showed that in the treatment watershed, the peak flow has decreased about 40% with the implementation of biological measures and 66% with the implementation of biological and mechanical measures compared to the control watershed. The flood volume has also decreased by 30% on average under the effects of biological and mechanical watershed management measures in the treatment watershed compared to the control watershed.
Conclusion
As a result of the implementation of biological and mechanical measures, in addition to reducing the peak flow, the time to peak flow in the treatment area has also increased (discussion of increasing concentration time). And the peak flow occurred with a longer time delay than the hydrograph of the flood in the case of no watershed management measures in the control watershed. As a result, it can be reported that under the influence of watershed management measures, in addition to reducing flood damage by reducing the peak discharge, with a delay in the time of runoff and flood, more water is infiltrated and stored in the area. The highest amount of peak discharge in these areas occurred in the state without implementation of watershed measures (without structures). Also, considering that the base flow in the treatment watershed was higher than the control watershed in most of the year (on the contrary to the peak flood discharge), the richness of the vegetation cover in the treatment watershed can be considered an important factor in the higher base water flow.
Seyedeh Akram Jooybari; Hamidreza Peyrowan; Peyman Rezaee; Hamid Gholami
Abstract
Hendijan wind erosion center is located in Khuzestan Province and southwest of Iran. In the last decade, with the increase of erosion rate and concentration of important dust centers in this area, the study of heavy metal concentration and pollution in this area has become very important. For this purpose, ...
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Hendijan wind erosion center is located in Khuzestan Province and southwest of Iran. In the last decade, with the increase of erosion rate and concentration of important dust centers in this area, the study of heavy metal concentration and pollution in this area has become very important. For this purpose, 33 soil samples of this zone were collected based on land use change and with the aim of uniform distribution and analyzed by ICP-MSS. The obtained data show that the highest average concentrations of metals belong to Cd <As <Cu <Pb <Zn <Ni <Cr, respectively. Enrichment indices, geo-accumulation index and contaminant factor showed that the highest pollution in Hindijan area belongs to nickel, chromium, arsenic, cadmium and plumbum, respectively. On the other hand, ecological risk assessment in the mentioned area has shown that this region has a low ecological risk that among the studied metals, the highest ecological risk belongs to the two metals arsenic and cadmium. The results of PCA test showed that the metals nickel, zinc, copper and lead have both non-anthropogenic and anthropogenic sources and the source of arsenic and cadmium metals is human activities. According to the pattern of metal distribution, it can be stated that the activities related to Bahrkan fishing pier on the one hand and oil rigs off the coast of Hindijan oil field on the other hand have caused the concentration of nickel, lead, zinc and copper in the south of the study area. Agricultural activities have also controlled the concentration of cadmium and arsenic metals in this area, and the source of chromium concentration was determined as agricultural effluents, traffic pollution and residual pollution from the 8-year Iraq-Iran war.
Mohammad Ebrahim Banihabib; Marina Ezzati amini; Mohammadhadi Shabestari
Abstract
Changing in urban life, climate change and successive droughts and floods have caused the issue of restoration of rivers to become one of the most important environmental issues and water resources problems. In recent years, the lack of attention to environmental issues, improper exploitation of water ...
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Changing in urban life, climate change and successive droughts and floods have caused the issue of restoration of rivers to become one of the most important environmental issues and water resources problems. In recent years, the lack of attention to environmental issues, improper exploitation of water resources, ignoring sustainable development, changes in natural structure and channelization of urban river have created undesirable conditions for urban rivers. This study tries to develop and select the best strategy to achieve river restoration by considering six sustainable development criteria and using the hybrid model of Analytical Hierarchy Process and Modified Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (M-TOPSIS-AHP) and taking into account two goals of quantitative and qualitative restoration of base flow and securing against flood. The required data was collected through survey forms that have been filled by 38 experts in the field of water resources management. The inconsistency rates of surveys forms were investigated and inconsistent forms were removed. Then the pairwise comparison of AHP method was used to obtain the relative weights and finally the strategies were ranked by TOPSIS method and the best strategy was introduced.
Leila Mehdizadeh; Farrokh Asadzadeh; Abbas Samadi
Abstract
Particle size distribution of sediment is one of the key factors which affects many other physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments. In this study, particle size distribution of the sediments trapped behind successive check dams was evaluated. Two waterways (G1 and G2) were selected in Noshan ...
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Particle size distribution of sediment is one of the key factors which affects many other physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments. In this study, particle size distribution of the sediments trapped behind successive check dams was evaluated. Two waterways (G1 and G2) were selected in Noshan region of Urmia which have three and four check dams respectively. In each waterway, particle size distribution of sediment samples was compared with the original soil of the adjacent hill slope. Results indicated that the sediments have loamy-sand to sandy texture and have coarser particles than the adjacent soil samples. Selective deposition of sediment particles was observed in half full successive check dams of G1 waterway and the sediments of the check dam located at the downstream have a similar particle size distribution with adjacent soil sample. In filled dams of G2 waterway, considerable amounts of particles coarser than 0.124 mm in diameter were passed through dams. Some mathematical models were used to describe the particle size distribution of sediment samples and performance of them was evaluated by several efficiency criteria. Hierarchical cluster analysis of models, based on selected efficiency criteria, indicated that the Fredlund, ORL and ONL models have good performance in describing the particle size distribution of sediment samples. Coefficient of determination for these models was 0.99 and the Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) for these models were -44.13, -43.92, and -41.46 respectively. It can be concluded that these models are applicable for quantifying the particle size distribution of sediment samples.
Ardeshir Mesbah; Esmail Karamidehkordi; Shadali Tohidloo; Amin Salehpour Jam; Tofigh Saadi
Abstract
Introduction
A comprehensive examination of natural hazards in Iran highlights the country's susceptibility to extensive damage from various natural crises. Iran's unique spatial structure has made it one of the world's most vulnerable regions to environmental hazards. This research reviews the application ...
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Introduction
A comprehensive examination of natural hazards in Iran highlights the country's susceptibility to extensive damage from various natural crises. Iran's unique spatial structure has made it one of the world's most vulnerable regions to environmental hazards. This research reviews the application of “resilience” in studies of natural hazards, including floods, drought, and land degradation (single-hazard studies) as well as studies that combine these hazards (combined studies) across different regions of Iran.
Materials and methods
This study utilized a conceptual research methodology, performing a systematic review of related research documents published in Iran, such as journal articles, dissertations, and theses. The databases used included the "Scientific Information Center of Academic Jihad (SID)", "Iran’s Research Institute of Science and Information Technology (Irandoc)", "Information Bank of Iran's Publications (Magiran)", "Knowledge Reference (Civilica)", and "Google Scholar". While previous studies have often examined resilience within an established analytical framework (concept analysis), this study employed a conceptual methodology aimed at representing knowledge and analyzing data from multiple disciplines. This approach helps clarify meanings and expand operational definitions. The data were analyzed thematically, enabling a more objective examination of resilience across various scientific fields.
Results and discussion
The first study on resilience in Iran was conducted in 1988 in a dissertation at Tarbiat Modares University, and the concept appeared in articles in "Hakim Research Journal" in 2005. However, resilience studies focusing on natural hazards, especially in rural areas of Iran, are relatively recent, mostly emerging since the early 2010s. Based on the search criteria, 1,742 scientific documents were identified, with 57 relevant articles included in the review. Most documents were found in "Google Scholar," while the fewest were retrieved from "SID." The highest number of studies was conducted in 2017 (12 studies), and the lowest in 2012, 2021, and 2022 (one study each). Data from most studies were analyzed using statistical tests with SPSS, PLS, and AMOS software, while ArcGIS was commonly used for spatial data display and zoning to prioritize study areas. Most resilience studies focused on drought (36.8%), while the fewest focused on land degradation (10.5%).
Conclusion
The results show that, in flood-related research, the social dimension (29.4%) received the most attention, whereas the institutional dimension (20.6%) received the least. In drought research, the economic dimension (35.4%) received the most attention, while the institutional dimension (16.7%) received the least. In land degradation studies, the physical dimension (33.4%) was the most frequently examined, with other dimensions receiving 22.2% of the focus. Overall, the physical dimension (30.8%) and social dimension (20.5%) received the most attention. By identifying key resilience components, these findings can improve crisis management, reduce damages, and support the planning of development and educational projects in Iran.
Tayeb Raziei
Abstract
Drought characteristics were investigated in arid and semi-arid regions of eastern and central Iran using monthly precipitation records of 69 synoptic and meteorological weather stations for the period 1975-2005. After quality control of the data records, the the ُStandardized Precipitation Index (SPI) ...
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Drought characteristics were investigated in arid and semi-arid regions of eastern and central Iran using monthly precipitation records of 69 synoptic and meteorological weather stations for the period 1975-2005. After quality control of the data records, the the ُStandardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was computed at 3, 6 and 12 month time scales for all considered stations. The target area was regionlized into a few distinctive homoginious sub-regions by applying principal component alalysis and Varimax rotation to the SPI time series computed for 3-, 6- and 12-months time scales, i.e., the target area is composed of two homeginous sub-regions based on SPI at 3- and 12-months time scales, while it classified into 3 sub-regions considerng 6-months time scale. Drought charcteristics (severity, duration and frequency) were also identified for all considered stations and time scales and their respective spatial variability were analysed. The results indicate that drought events with different types of severity are more frequent in northern part of the studied area, while south-eastern part of the region is prone to severe to extreme drought events. The results also suggest that the target area experienced wide spread droughts in 23.5% of the years alaysed. In such years, the ratio of stations hited by severe to exterme droughts are lesser than the number of stations affected by mild to moderate drought events, indicating that the more severe drought the lesser areal extent.
Mahmoud Habibnejad Roshan; Kaka Shahedi; Sayed Hussein Roshun
Abstract
Introduction
Floods are one of the most destructive natural disasters that cause severe injuries and loss of life, major infrastructure damage, significant economic losses, and social unrest worldwide. Due to the fact that flood is a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon, Geographic Information System ...
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Introduction
Floods are one of the most destructive natural disasters that cause severe injuries and loss of life, major infrastructure damage, significant economic losses, and social unrest worldwide. Due to the fact that flood is a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) data are used to a large extent to discover the extent of flooded areas and play a special role in preparing flood risk and susceptibility maps. Flood susceptibility mapping is essential for characterizing flood risk areas and planning flood control schemes.
Materials and methods
In this research, the identification of flooded areas in the Karun Watershed based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in the GIS environment and its validation with the NDWI blue index extracted from Landsat 8 satellite images has been considered. For this purpose, first, 15 effective parameters in floods occurrence including slope, aspect, elevation, curvature, rainfall, distance from stream, stream density, distance from fault, fault density, distance from road, road density, lithology, Curve Number (CN), land use, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and Stream Power Index (SPI) were selected and the weighting of these parameters was done based on AHP method in the Expert Choice software environment. Finally, by using the command to combine the layers based on the weighting of the AHP method in GIS, the final flood risk zoning map was obtained. NDWI water index was used to validate the flood risk map obtained.
Results and discussion
The results of the AHP model showed that the most effective factors in the occurrence of flood risk in the Karun Watershed include rainfall, the amount of slope and the height classes, which should be considered in order to reduce flood damage and provide management solutions for these factors. Also, the results show that the downstream areas of the watershed have the highest risk of flooding and more than half of the watershed's surface (52.24%) has a medium flood potential.
Conclusion
Preparing a map of flood-prone areas is one of the most constructive methods that enable the reduction of flood risk damages and help planners, stakeholders and decision-makers to properly monitor flood-prone areas and ensure appropriate and sustainable socio-economic development.
hamid moslemi; alijan abkar; saeid choopani
Abstract
In general, the protection and utilization of surface water in arid regions, done by different methods such as Flood water spreading that undoubtedly will affect on sustainable development of groundwater resources. In order to provide, suitable, executive and manageable solution, Continuous monitoring ...
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In general, the protection and utilization of surface water in arid regions, done by different methods such as Flood water spreading that undoubtedly will affect on sustainable development of groundwater resources. In order to provide, suitable, executive and manageable solution, Continuous monitoring is essential for such projects. For this reason the effect of Dehender Flood spreading on downstream unconfined aquifer was evaluated. For this purpose, the location of flood spreading and hydrogeological conditions of downstream aquifer determined by data and information that are Gathered from Hormozgan regional water authority along with field observations. Then 7 Observation wells were chosen. Finally, the effect of flood water spreading on water table surface groundwater changes was investigated by using underground water balance equation and unit hydrograph befor and after the construction of flood spreading system. The results of this evaluation showed that the average level of the water from sea level at the central of the plain(are not affected by flood water spreading) and near flood spreading (are affected by flood water spreading respectively) befor and after the construction of flood spreading system are: 213.4 ,209.5 and 254 ,251 meter of the sea level. As a result we can state that flood water spreading play an important role in sustainable development of ground water resources.
Mosayeb Heshmati; Mohammad Ghaietury; Mahmood Arabkhedri; Yahya Parvizi
Abstract
Forest and land use change has many negative consequences including increased flooding, erosion, sedimentation and dust storms. The aim of the research was thus to investigate the effects of land use change in Zagros forests on erodibility and sedimentation via soil quality reduction in some forests ...
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Forest and land use change has many negative consequences including increased flooding, erosion, sedimentation and dust storms. The aim of the research was thus to investigate the effects of land use change in Zagros forests on erodibility and sedimentation via soil quality reduction in some forests of Kermanshah Province, Iran. In order to achieve this aim, in the first step, afforest area and its adjacent rain-fed farm (which is developed during recent 10 years a result of forest land change), were selected and 35 soil samples were collected from the surface layer (0-20 cm). Then, the physico-chemical analyses were done on the soil samples. In the next step, soil erodibility factor was calculated and sediment yield was assessed using portable rainfall simulator. The results showed that six key properties of soil including soil aggregate stability, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total absorbable potassium and cation exchange capacity were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by land use type. Additionally, in all tested samples, the total clay and silt content was about 80%, which resulted in the formation of soil with heavy texture. Subsequently soil erodibility factor (K) and sediment yield intensity in rain-fed farm was found significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of forest. According to the results and the role of Zagros forest ecosystem on water harvesting, aquifer recharge, flood and dust control, the current trend of changing forest landuse to arable lands accompanying improper tillage practice, crops residue burning and heavy machinery traffic in nearby rain-fed farms, cause accelerating global warming, increasing runoff coefficient and evaporation as well as water scarcity in future.
Ahmad Nohegar; Mohammad Kazemi; Seyed Javad Ahmadi; Hamid Gholami; Rasool Mahdavi
Abstract
Efficiency of sediment fingerprinting by using tracers as a successful method to determine the sources of sediment has been proved. Selection of the suite subset of tracers, capable of discriminating sediment sources, is the first and the most important step in the sediment fingerprinting method. The ...
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Efficiency of sediment fingerprinting by using tracers as a successful method to determine the sources of sediment has been proved. Selection of the suite subset of tracers, capable of discriminating sediment sources, is the first and the most important step in the sediment fingerprinting method. The presence of outliers affects the selection of the suite subset and possibly prevents picking the important tracers and reducing the accuracy of classification. Therefore, the outliers must be detected in order to be corrected or omitted, if enough evidences were present. The present study aims to detect outliers in the subset of tracers, to identify the best combination. For detecting outliers, We used univariate methods such as Grubbs test, Gauss test, Dioxin test, box plot, the Median ± 3MAD, the mean ± 3standard deviation and also multivariate methods such as squared Mahalanobis distance, separate box plots of squared Mahalanobis distance for each of sediment sources, principal component analysis and plot of the squared Mahalanobis distances against the quantiles of the chi-square distribution. we consider an observation as the outlier that at least half of these methods have detected it as an outlier. The results showed that Median ± 3MAD method introduced a larger number of data as outliers Methods of multivariate outlier detection has low agreement with each other. Univariate methods to identify outliers show higher agreement with each other. To use univariate analysis techniques to detect outliers namely Median ± 3MAD, box plot, and Dioxin one can recommended to test their sensitivity. The results also showed that the maximum consensus for univariate analysis techniques is four samples (observations) and for multivariate methods is two samples (observations). In general, there is no observation that is identified as an outlier by half of the used methods.
Ali Reza Vaezi; Ouldouz Bakhshi Rad
Abstract
Runoff is one of the major components of the hydrological cycle, which leads to soil loss from steep slopes and sediment production in watersheds. Investigation of effective factors in runoff coefficient is important in watershed management. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of soil ...
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Runoff is one of the major components of the hydrological cycle, which leads to soil loss from steep slopes and sediment production in watersheds. Investigation of effective factors in runoff coefficient is important in watershed management. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of soil properties on runoff coefficient in Alanagh, Livar and Shekaralichay sub-basins in East Azarbaijan Province. After soil sampling, some physicochemical properties were measured and runoff data were obtained from the relevant stations. Based on the results, runoff coefficient in the studied sub-basins is affected by various soil properties such as particle size distribution, gravel, organic matter, lime, aggregate size and stability, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. As the percentage of sand and gravel increases and the percentage of clay and silt decreases, soil permeability increases and runoff coefficient decreases. Organic matter and lime are two important factors in the aggregate formation and stability, and improving the saturation hydraulic conductivity which plays a key role in reducing runoff production. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that runoff production in the Alangh sub-basin has a significant relationship with soil organic matter (r=-0.95, p<0.01) and bulk density (r=0.9, p<0.01). Organic matter content has the main role in runoff production in Livar sub-basin (r=-0.94, p<0.01) and Shekaralichay sun-basin (r=-0.95, p<0.01). Runoff coefficient in all sub-basins in the area is strongly related to organic matter content (r=-0.86, p<0.01), soil structure stability (r=-0.68, p<0.01) and stream density (r=0.49, p<0.01). This study showed that preserving and increasing soil organic matter can be an effective strategy in conserving rainwater and reducing runoff by improving soil structure and permeability.
Abdorreza Vaezihir; Fatemeh Safari
Abstract
Introduction
The Goijeh Bel basin, with extensive outcrops of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary formations and adequate rainfall (342.2 mm annual precipitation), has significant potential for storing and transferring groundwater through fractured media. These hard formation units, located in elevated ...
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Introduction
The Goijeh Bel basin, with extensive outcrops of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary formations and adequate rainfall (342.2 mm annual precipitation), has significant potential for storing and transferring groundwater through fractured media. These hard formation units, located in elevated areas, can supply drinking water to Ahar city without the need for pumping stations. Most springs in the basin originate from hard formations, with their concentration in the center and north indicating the development of aquifers in these units. Overextraction of groundwater through wells and the limitation of alluvial resources have shifted water resource management toward utilizing hard formation water sources. This study investigates the quantity and quality of groundwater resources in the Goijeh Bel basin to identify methods for sustainable water management and assess their suitability as an emergency drinking water source for Ahar city.
Materials and methods
The study area is located 10 km southwest of Ahar city within the Aharchai River basin, which ultimately joins the Aras River. Remote sensing and GIS techniques, including the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Weighted Overlay, and Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) methods, were used for data analysis. Landsat 8 satellite images were processed to generate raster maps for the Normalized Difference Humidity Index (NDHI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). In the AHP method, criteria were ranked and compared pairwise, with weights assigned based on their importance. These weighted layers were overlaid to create a groundwater potential map. Fieldwork involved sampling five groundwater sources and Goijeh Bel River water, followed by hydrochemical analysis of eight major ions (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻), TDS, pH, SAR, %Na, and TH. Electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved solutes, and chloride ion concentrations were assessed to evaluate groundwater quality for drinking and agricultural purposes. Meteorological data from Ahar’s synoptic station over the past 20 years were also analyzed. The spatial distribution of springs was used to validate groundwater potential maps.
Results and discussion
Using AHP, Weighted Overlay, and OWA methods, groundwater potential maps were generated based on lithology, line density, elevation, humidity index, slope, drainage density, aspect, and vegetation index. The OWA method showed the highest agreement with spring locations, with approximately 50% of springs situated in areas of medium to high groundwater potential. Qualitative analysis revealed an increase in salinity and EC from upstream to downstream, with EC values ranging from 310 to 1,444 µS/cm. Chloride ion concentrations followed a similar pattern, suggesting a dominant role of sodium and chloride in groundwater salinity. Schuler’s diagram indicated that most groundwater in the basin is suitable for drinking due to the absence of pollutant formations such as salt, clay, or marl. These findings align with studies on hard and karst formations in western Urmia, which also report good-quality groundwater.
Conclusions
The southwestern part of the basin exhibits high groundwater potential. Validation of groundwater potential maps using spring locations confirmed the reliability of the OWA method. The groundwater quality assessment demonstrated increasing salinity toward the basin outlet, but most groundwater remains suitable for drinking. Watershed operations, such as biological measures or flood and sediment control structures, can enhance infiltration and aquifer recharge in the hard formations. To quantify aquifer potential and estimate extractable water volumes, geophysical surveys and exploratory drilling in high-potential areas are recommended.
Leila Gholami; Ataollah Kavian; Abdulvahed Khaledi Darvishan; Azame Alipour; Zahra Besarand
Abstract
Determination of time to runoff and runoff volume in watershed response management against rainfall are the key parameters in watershed system management. Among different factors of effect on time to runoff and runoff volume, the rainfall intensity is one of the most important factors. In this study, ...
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Determination of time to runoff and runoff volume in watershed response management against rainfall are the key parameters in watershed system management. Among different factors of effect on time to runoff and runoff volume, the rainfall intensity is one of the most important factors. In this study, the effect of rainfall pattern on variables of time to runoff, runoff volume and coefficient was studied under simulated rainfall in the southeastern Noshahr city, Mazandaran province. To achieve the study purposes, four rainfall patterns, each with three changes in rainfall intensity (I: Low-Medium-High, II: Low-High-Low, III: High-Medium-Low, IV; High-Low-High) were simulated. Then, the time to runoff, runoff volume and runoff coefficient were measured for each rainfall pattern. The measured data were analyzed in Excel and SPSS 23 softwares to determine the relationship between the rainfall pattern and variables of time to runoff, runoff volume and runoff coefficient. The results showed that there was a significant difference (P≤0.05) in variables time to runoff, runoff volume and runoff coefficient resulted rainfall patterns. Also the results showed that, in all of rainfall patterns between mean amounts were the significant differences on time to runoff, runoff volume and runoff coefficient in level of 99 percent. The results showed that the rainfall pattern I had the longest time to runoff and rainfall pattern III had the largest amounts of runoff volume and runoff coefficient. The average time to runoff in rainfall patterns of I, II, III was 5.90, 4.24, 0.71 and 1.25 min, respectively. Also, the average runoff coefficient in rainfall patterns of I, II, III and IV measured 30.03, 49.63, 88.82 and 75.16 percent, respectively.
Hamed Harriri; seyed abbas hosseini; Amir Khosrojerdi
Abstract
IntroductionPredicting changes due to climate change and its possible consequences on hydrological processes of the watershed helps to solve the challenges facing managers and water resources planners in the coming period. The effects of this phenomenon and gabion check dams simultaneously on the sedimentation ...
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IntroductionPredicting changes due to climate change and its possible consequences on hydrological processes of the watershed helps to solve the challenges facing managers and water resources planners in the coming period. The effects of this phenomenon and gabion check dams simultaneously on the sedimentation of Dehbar Basin have not been studied so far, so the aim of this study is to investigate this with the perspective of the next 30 years, using SWAT and LARS-WG models and the ability of these two models to simulate climate change and remove gabion check dams. Materials and methodsIn this research, the performance of gabion dams as a reservoir in the Dehbar Basin, 10 km west of Mashhad and south of the city of Torghabeh, which has a cold semi-arid climate, is compared to the amount of sediment output from the basin for the next 30 years with the LARS-WG statistical model and SWAT hydrological simulation model has been evaluated. There are five gabion dams in this area. To predict the meteorological variables of the upcoming period at the level of Dehbar Watershed, after recalibrating the LARS-WG model, the HadGEM2 model and three scenarios of RCP8.5, RCP4.5 and RCP2.6 were used for the microscaling of meteorological data in the period of 2050- 2020. Kolmogorov Smirnov (K-S), t and F statistical tests were used to check the performance of the simulation results in this model. To prepare and implement the SWAT model, the map and digital model information of elevation, soil, land use, hydrological and meteorological data were used. The tank was used to introduce gabion dams to the model. In order to analyze the sensitivity, calibration and validation of the SWAT model, SUFI-2 semi-automatic algorithm was used. Results and discussionThe average values of the simulated precipitation are in good conformity with the observed values and the biggest difference is related to the months of February and April. Regarding the standard deviation values of monthly rainfall, the biggest difference belongs to the months of February and March. The average simulated minimum temperature is also in very good agreement with the observed values. Also, for the maximum temperature, a trend similar to the minimum temperature is seen. Also, the p-value obtained from the t-test for the aforementioned variables, there is no significant difference between the average temperature and precipitation data produced and the observed data, and the LARS-WG model has been able to calculate the average temperature and precipitation very well. To simulate monthly precipitation in all scenarios (RCP8.5, RCP4.5 and RCP2.6) in the horizon of 2050 in the first seven months of the year is lower than the monthly precipitation in the base period, but an increase in precipitation is observed for the second five months of the year. Also, in the horizon of 2050, the temperature will increase on average compared to the base period. To draw the curve of the sediment gauge, the method of batch average with modified FAO coefficient was used. The amount of observed sediment was calculated as 2.14 tha-1yr-1. For the calibration and validation of the SWAT model, at first, using CUP_SWAT software, the parameters that had a greater effect on the discharge and sediment output from the basin were identified. In order to analyze the sensitivity, calibration and validation of SWAT model, SUFI-2 semi-automated algorithm was used. After that, the effects of climate change on the amount of runoff and sediment in the basin were investigated using the validated SWAT model. The results show a decrease in rainfall, an increase in temperature and a decrease in runoff in the horizon of 2050. The precipitation changes for RCP4.5 and RCP2.6 scenarios are +9.3% and +3.1%, respectively, and -4.6% for RCP8.5 scenario. On average, gabion dams reduce 57.09% of sediment exit from the basin. ConclusionIn this research, the effects of climate change on the sediment output from Dehbar Basin in the period from 2020 to 2050 and the effect of gabion dams in the existing conditions (presence of dams) and in the conditions of removal of these dams were investigated. In all scenarios, the minimum and maximum temperature increased in the 2020-2050 period compared to the base period. One of the negative effects of temperature increase is change in the amount and time-spatial pattern of precipitation. The results indicate that the SWAT model is capable of simulating hydrological processes and sedimentation in relatively small to medium watersheds with complex conditions such as Dehbar Basin, even with limited observational data, with acceptable accuracy. The increase in the amount of sediment at the outlet point of the watershed, despite the decrease in rainfall and runoff, indicates short-term rainfall with high intensity, which increases the occurrence of flooding conditions. From the changes in the amount of erosion and sedimentation in the horizon of 2050 and with different scenarios, it can be concluded that the climate change will affect the erosion of the basin in the future and the simulation model can be effective in predicting the erodibility. Therefore, the results obtained from the SWAT model provide the possibility of recommending its use in the region.
Aboalhasan Fathabadi; Vahid Anamoradi
Abstract
In hydrological models, in order to better model the runoff process, it is necessary to calibrate the model using observational data. In the process of calibration of hydrological models, in addition to the quality of observation data and the optimization algorithm, the objective function also affects ...
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In hydrological models, in order to better model the runoff process, it is necessary to calibrate the model using observational data. In the process of calibration of hydrological models, in addition to the quality of observation data and the optimization algorithm, the objective function also affects the efficiency of the model. In most studies, statistical criteria such as NSE and RMSE are used as objective functions in the calibration process of hydrological models. Given the structure of the model and the relationships used in each of the evaluation criteria, each of them has good performance in simulating a part of the hydrograph. One of the important parameters of each basin, which is a kind of basin reaction indicator for different discharge values, is the Flow Continuity Curve (FDC). In this study, the efficiency of objective functions based on flow continuity curve and statistical objective functions in optimizing the parameters of the HBV hydrological model in Ziyarat Watershed of Golestan Province was investigated and compared. After introducing input data to model using DDS algorithm, model was calibrated 100 times for each objective function. When model was calibrated, using optimized parameter sets model output for calibration and validation period was obtained. Results showed that criteria such as NSE and KGE have better performance in predicting high flows, criteria such as RMSE and AME predicted moderate flow discharge better and criteria based on FDC had better performance in predicting low flows. In prediction different parts of hydrograph FDC objective function has the best performance, RMSE and MAE were in sound order and NSE and KGE did not have suitable performance.
Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi; Zeinab Hazbavi; Mehdi Gholamalifard
Abstract
Developing an understandable and comprehensive conceptual model for watershed health assessment is one of the main priorities of many various managerial and policy making projects in the world including the mega project on the integrated watershed management of Iran. Towards this, the present study as ...
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Developing an understandable and comprehensive conceptual model for watershed health assessment is one of the main priorities of many various managerial and policy making projects in the world including the mega project on the integrated watershed management of Iran. Towards this, the present study as the pioneering research in the country has been conducted to customize the reliability, resilience and vulnerability (RelResVul) conceptual model based on hydrological data to assess watershed health. To this end, firstly the long-term data of discharge of the Shazand Watershed that located in Markazi Province was prepared and the flow duration curve was accordingly derived. Secondly, the appropriate thresholds of low and high flow discharges as prerequisites for watershed health assessment were applied to the RelResVul conceptual model. Hence, the reliability (Rel), resilience (Res) and vulnerability (Vul) indicators were calculated for four node years of 1986, 1998, 2008 and 2014. Finally, the general health state of the Shazand Watershed and its different sub-watersheds was zoned on the basis of two low and high flow discharge criteria through the geometric integrating of the mentioned indicators. The results showed that for the four study years respectively, 59, 53, 68 and 66 % of the watershed in terms of low flow discharge as well as 19, 22, 54 and 38 % of the Shazand Watershed in terms of high flow discharge were situated beyond relatively healthy state. The watershed health index assessment indicated the moderate and relatively healthy states with improving trend for low flow discharge criterion and moderate healthy state with constant trend for high flow discharge criterion. In addition, the results were verified the spatial changeability of watershed health state in different sub-watersheds for the study years.
Davoud Nikkami
Abstract
Using erosion plots is a way to research on soil erosion and conservation that with different dimensions, which are constructed in the natural arenas or in laboratories. Mistakes and false conclusions are common task that should be avoided when sampling runoff and sediment from the tanks of these plots. ...
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Using erosion plots is a way to research on soil erosion and conservation that with different dimensions, which are constructed in the natural arenas or in laboratories. Mistakes and false conclusions are common task that should be avoided when sampling runoff and sediment from the tanks of these plots. A few researches have been done on the ways of sampling from these tanks and reducing the errors. In this study, the accuracy of sampling was investigated by placing a bucket in the tank and using bottle sampling. For this purpose, two 220 liter tanks were used. In the first tank located at the upper level, concentrations of sediment were prepared for five, 10 and 20 grL-1 and the mixture of runoff and sediment was transferred to the second tank. Coarse particles were trapped by a bucket of twenty liters placed underneath the importer tube in the second tank. The contents of the bucket were weighed in the laboratory after drying. Also, sampling of the second tank contents was carried out after mixing the solution and using one-liter bottles in three replications per each concentration. Sampling was also done without placing the bucket as a witness. The significance of the effect of concentrations on the error value was defined by analysis of variance through a random block design scheme. Results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the concentrations obtained in the experiment with bucket and without bucket at a level of one percent. Without using bucket, the amount of errors were 63.13, 78.40 and 73.97 percent for 5, 10 and 20 gr.L-1 concentrations, respectively and with using bucket they were 15.90, 15.07 and 4.83 percent. The mean errors in all concentrations were 71.83 and 11.93 percent without and with using buckets, respectively.
Nosrat Aghazadeh; Manochehr Chitsazan; Yahya Mirzaee; Hamed Ebrahimi
Abstract
Due to various sources of contamination in the urban aquifers, the potential for pollution of groundwater resources is high. Thus, the vulnerability of groundwater resources can be very effective in identifying vulnerabilities and sensitive groundwater aquifers. The aim of this study was to present a ...
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Due to various sources of contamination in the urban aquifers, the potential for pollution of groundwater resources is high. Thus, the vulnerability of groundwater resources can be very effective in identifying vulnerabilities and sensitive groundwater aquifers. The aim of this study was to present a modified DRASTIC Model to determine groundwater vulnerability in Urmia urban aquifer. To this end, parameters with low impact such as slope and aquifer media were ignored from the DRASTIC Model. Instead, land use, urbanization index, water value and pollution sources were added to the model. Also, the impact of unsaturated zone media and recharge layers were corrected. Results of the modified DRAST-VUL Model in the study area demonstrate that in most areas, the risk of pollution is low to moderate and the vulnerability in 29% of study area is high due to agricultural and industrial activities and low groundwater depth. Considering the results, the vulnerability index is the most sensitive measure to the parameter of pollutant sources, land use and the unsaturated zone. The sensitivity of the model to recharge, transmissivity and water value parameters were low due to the increase of impermeable surface in urban area. Based on positive results obtained from model validation through nitrate, the proposed model can be considered as an effective tool for the protection, revention and optimal utilization of groundwater resources in the study area. Also, this vulnerability model can be used for other urban aquifers.
Davod Ghorbanpour; Karim Solaimani; Mir Khalaghe Mirnia; Kaka Shahedi; Abdolnabi Kolahchi
Abstract
Growth of population and changes due to earth heating, have differently affected the environment. These changes have challenged the water resources exploitation process both qualitatively and quantitatively. Reduced fresh groundwater level and higher level of seawater in coastal aquifers have resulted ...
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Growth of population and changes due to earth heating, have differently affected the environment. These changes have challenged the water resources exploitation process both qualitatively and quantitatively. Reduced fresh groundwater level and higher level of seawater in coastal aquifers have resulted in reduced water exploitation in these zones. This study simulated the aquifer quality due to seawater intrusion using a numerical model in GMS v.10. The quality of the aquifer was analyzed and predicted using two qualitative models of SEAWAT and MT3D. The 10-years prediction model has shown a direct relationship between increased Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentration and reduced water table. The horizontal to vertical diffusion ratio of 0.5 and vertical to horizontal diffusion ratio of 0.2 were obtained following the calibration of molecular diffusion coefficient. Analysis of qualitative results indicated the increased TDS concentration at the northwest of the aquifer which is probably due to seawater intrusion toward the coast. Results of simulation using qualitative model indicated the seawater intrusion from two dimensions of groundwater level and depth. Further, the density difference between seawater and fresh groundwater resources has resulted in seawater intrusion performance curve. The position of seawater intrusion toward the coast indicated increased concentration of more than 2000 mgL-1 during the prediction period. Three methods of reduced groundwater harvesting, increased aquifer feeding plans and construction of ground dams were examined and analyzed in this study in order to decide about the factors influencing the increase or decrease of seawater intrusion into the coast. Findings of the analysis indicated the highest effect of reduced groundwater harvesting in limiting the seawater intrusion compared to the two other methods.
Jamshid Yarahmadi; Ghobad Rostamizad; Malek Rafieai; Karim Mehrvarz
Abstract
Since the most consumed water is in the agricultural sector, available water resources, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, are the main limiting factor for agricultural production. Therefore, by rain water harvesting systems and its proper management, it is possible to compensate part of water ...
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Since the most consumed water is in the agricultural sector, available water resources, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, are the main limiting factor for agricultural production. Therefore, by rain water harvesting systems and its proper management, it is possible to compensate part of water shortage in the mentioned region. The purpose of this study was to select the most suitable rain water harvesting techniques based on multi-criteria decision-making system using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and investigation of its effectiveness in supplying the water demand of pistachio gardens. The results of the AHP analysis indicated that the environmental impact criterion with a weight of 0.342 and permanency criterion with a weight of 0.284 were the most effective criteria for selecting of the best rain water harvesting system. Finally, the rain water harvesting system with geomembrane insulator with a weight of 0.371 was selected as the most suitable insulator cover, and two other rain water harvesting systems with plastic and isogam insulator were weighted with the weight of 0.350 and 0.279, respectively in the following priorities. Also, the results showed that from the insulated surface with an area of 800 m2 and an average annual rainfall of 300 mm, it is possible to harvest at least 200 m3 rainwater per year. With this volume of harvested water and the choice of drip irrigation with gravel filter, the annual irrigation water demand of 200 fruitful pistachio trees will be supplied during a crop season. Therefore, due to rainwater harvesting techniques, some parts of irrigation water demands of gardens will be provided in arid and semi-arid regions, as well as maintaining sustainability of production and increasing gardeners' revenues, the double pressure on surface water and underground water will also be reduced.
Ramin Salmasi
Abstract
Heavy metals fixation in-situ by using inorganic amendments is a method for remediation of polluted soils. The goal of this research is to determine five kinds of amendments efficiency for heavy metals fixation of waste-water-irrigated soils of Tabriz city and to suggest the best amendment/amendments. ...
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Heavy metals fixation in-situ by using inorganic amendments is a method for remediation of polluted soils. The goal of this research is to determine five kinds of amendments efficiency for heavy metals fixation of waste-water-irrigated soils of Tabriz city and to suggest the best amendment/amendments. For this purpose, solutions containing Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn were added to 0.5 gram of five amendments including calcite, hematite, zeolite, illite, and bentonite; and 10 soil samples from around of Tabriz city. After shaking, these five element concentrations were determined in filtered solution by using atomic absorption instrument. Retention capacity percentages of these elements were calculated and the best amendments were determined by using Dunkan method. There were sharp differences of heavy metals retention between amendments. Calcite had the highest retention of Cd, Ni, and Zn; hematite the highest one of Cu and Pb; and the least one was for illite. Calcite, zeolite, bentonite, and hematite had significant (in 5 % level) higher retention capacities of Cd, Ni, and Zn in compared to 10 the soil samples. The highest retention capacities were done by calcite and hematite (without significant differences) for Pb. Calcite hematite, and zeolite had the highest retention of Cu. However, the highest retention was done by illite with significant difference with other two amendments. The retention capacities of calcite and hematite amendments for the five elements were higher than all 10 soil samples in 5% level and can cause low uptake and accumulation of these elements in agricultural crops of polluted soils of around Tabriz city.
Seyed Ali Asghar Hashemi; Mahmood Arabkhedri
Volume 2, Issue 1 , May 2010, , Pages 25-34
Abstract
Evaluation of empirical models for sediment yield in watersheds is a necessity. One of the conventional models in Iran is MPSIAC that has been used extensively. Sediment measurement of small dam's reservoirs is one of the methods for evaluation of these models. In this research, 9 small watersheds were ...
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Evaluation of empirical models for sediment yield in watersheds is a necessity. One of the conventional models in Iran is MPSIAC that has been used extensively. Sediment measurement of small dam's reservoirs is one of the methods for evaluation of these models. In this research, 9 small watersheds were selected in Semnan Province. There is an earth small dam at the outlet of each watershed built in the past 10 years. These dams have not spilled since they were built. Therefore total sediment volume discharged from each watershed was entrapped behind the dams. The amount of deposited sediments in these reservoirs was measured by surveying and estimation of apparent Specific Weight which then compared with estimating values of MPSIAC model by paired t-test. The results showed that the difference between the means for estimated volumes of sediment yield by use of MPSIAC model at the level of 5% had no significant difference while the difference between mean weights of sediments at the level of 5% was significant. Also determination of performance and relative root mean square error showed that MPSIAC model has no appropriate efficiency for application in the region.
Najafgholi Ghiasi
Abstract
Watershed management planning and preference need variety of data like water yield and its fluctuation. Average water yield on different probabilities is needed for river discharge estimation and small and big dams utilization planning. On the other hand, annual water yield is needed for planning and ...
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Watershed management planning and preference need variety of data like water yield and its fluctuation. Average water yield on different probabilities is needed for river discharge estimation and small and big dams utilization planning. On the other hand, annual water yield is needed for planning and management of downstream agricultural lands. In this research, 40 hydrologic stations with acceptable quantitative and qualitative data within a common base period. Watersheds homogeneity was analyzed based on water yield and influence of numeral parameters and segregated into two homogenous watersheds. The accuracy of homogeneity was tested by discriminant analysis and was 100 and 94 percent in clusters one and two, respectively. In addition to regional annual water yield analysis, the discharge probability was estimated and normal distribution was chosen as the best statistical distribution for discharges of two to 100 years return periods. Regional probable water yield equations with different return periods for homogenous regions were extracted using hydrological and numeral data such as annual discharge, area, slope and forest canopy cover. The results of present research were the probable annual water yield with different return periods which could be used in watershed management and water resources projects.
Bahram Saghafian; Saman Mohammadi; Baghe Ghermezchshme
Volume 1, Issue 1 , May 2009, , Pages 32-45
Abstract
Calculating low flow characteristics is very important for planning of water diversions; providing water for hydropower, water quality threshold in streams, water supply for cities and industries and estimate of sewerage discharge threshold. The objective of this research is analyzing low flow with different ...
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Calculating low flow characteristics is very important for planning of water diversions; providing water for hydropower, water quality threshold in streams, water supply for cities and industries and estimate of sewerage discharge threshold. The objective of this research is analyzing low flow with different duration and return periods and extracting low flow regional models for locations without hydrometric station. This research was carried out in Gilan province where 35 hydrometric stations with long-term and reliable daily discharge data were selected. Low flows of durations 10, 30, 60, 90 and 180 days were estimated. Using frequency analysis, several statistical distributions were examined and log Parson Type 3 was found the best distribution for flow duration over 60 days and log normal best fitted flow durations shorter than 60 days. Then low flows of different return periods including 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 year were calculated. Independent factors were identified using factor analysis that included basin area, mean annual rainfall, slope, average elevation, and drainage density. Cluster analysis divided the basins in two homogeneous regions. In each homogeneous region, multivariate regression through step-by-step method determined basin area, mean annual rainfall and slope as independent influential parameters in low flow regional models. Regional models were extracted for low flow with various durations and return periods.
