Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Associate Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
Rapid population growth and economic development, especially in sensitive areas like watersheds, have increased the demand for water resources, leading to significant challenges. In watershed management, monitoring erosion and sedimentation processes is of paramount importance, as these processes directly influence the quality and quantity of water resources. Awareness of suspended sediment loads in these basins can facilitate a deeper understanding of ecological processes and assist in the assessment of the environmental status of watersheds, which in turn improves the management and conservation of water resources. The word “transform” in your sentence means to change or significantly improve something. In this context, it suggests that the design and implementation of advanced systems will lead to a significant enhancement or alteration in the way research is conducted regarding watershed management, sediment, and erosion. By aggregating and analyzing hydrologic data, this system provides accurate and up-to-date information on the amount of suspended sediment in rivers, enabling continuous and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of watersheds. This, in turn, facilitates the adoption of necessary measures for the optimal management of these resources..
Materials and methods
In this research, a specialized spatial system for the management and analysis of hydrological data has been developed using the C# programming language and open-source spatial libraries. This system utilizes the SQLite database as its underlying data storage platform and employs Entity Framework 6 (EF6) and LINQ for facilitating data extraction and management. In the database design, sedimentation and flow discharge data have been comprehensively collected and stored. The system is capable of executing a variety of spatial and descriptive queries and analyses on this data. Furthermore, it provides the capability to perform statistical analyses and extract statistical summaries from the sedimentation data. These features enable researchers to process and analyze the data with ease, allowing for a more precise examination of results related to erosion and sedimentation processes. The designed system serves as an efficient tool, facilitating the monitoring and assessment of watershed conditions.
Results and discussion
The results of this research can be summarized into two main sections: system design and construction, and statistical analysis of sedimentation data in the Aras watershed. In the first section, which focuses on the design and development of the spatial system, appropriate graphical interfaces for data storage, user interaction with the database, and data management were designed and coded with the help of modern techniques and advanced methods. By utilizing these tools, the data extraction and management process was streamlined, and the possibility of performing statistical analyses was enabled. As a result, users can process and analyze the data with greater accuracy and ease. In the second section, the statistical results obtained from the analysis of the sedimentation data of the Aras Basin (with 26,156 data points recorded up to 2017) indicate that, at the basin scale, the average daily suspended sediment discharge is 11,814.95 tons per day, the average concentration of suspended sediment is 4,185.68 milligrams per liter, and the average instantaneous flow discharge is 13.16 cubic meters per second. At the level of study units, the highest and lowest average suspended sediment discharge values were found in the study units of Jolfā-Dūzāl (code 1105) with a value of 10,312.33 tons per day, and Qara Ziyaldin (code 1108) with a value of 991.96 tons per day, respectively. Moreover, at the hydrometric station scale, the highest and lowest average daily suspended sediment discharge were observed at the Jolfā hydrometric station (code 807-19) with 571,697.82 tons per day, and Nāvar-Khrouji Neor (code 0195-19) with 2.82 tons per day, respectively. The extreme values of suspended sediment recorded at the Jolfā hydrometric station are significantly high (over 3 million tons per day), so these figures should be used with caution. According to the findings, the land in this area is located in marly zones that are highly susceptible to erosion, and the contribution of lateral erosion in producing sediment is significant in river sections that have developed meandering patterns. However, further studies on land-use changes and other factors influencing sediment generation in this area are required.
Conclusion
This research was conducted with the aim of developing a national software infrastructure for managing suspended sediment data and flow discharge from hydrometric stations. The developed system possesses the capability to store, retrieve, and analyze spatial and temporal data, and it is specifically utilized for simulating suspended sediment in rivers. Additionally, advanced graphical interfaces have been created to significantly facilitate user interaction with the data. One of the notable features of this system is its use of open-source technologies in its design and development. This ensures that there are no legal restrictions or dependencies on foreign licenses for its use and development. This characteristic significantly enhances the commercialization potential of the system both domestically and in international markets. In addition to the design and development of this software system, the results obtained from its application in rapid and accurate statistical analysis of sediment data from the Aras watershed clearly demonstrate its unique capabilities in data management and analysis. Given the importance of accurately understanding erosion and sedimentation processes in the watersheds of the country, this system serves as an efficient and effective tool for obtaining precise and reliable information.
Keywords
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