Drainage Basin Studies

DRAINAGE BASIN STUDIES
COURSE OUTLINE
1. Drainage Basin as a
•Geomorphological Unit
•Hydrological Unit
•Planning Unit.
2. Drainage Basin Morphology
•Fluvial geomorphology
•Morphometric Analysis
•Drainage basin dynamics
•Channel morphology
•Soil erosion
3. Runoff
• Factors affecting runoff in a catchment

,COURSE OUTLINE CONT..
4. Sediment transport
•Sediment transport mechanisms
•Factors affecting sediment transportation and deposition
•Sediment measurement
•Sediment estimation methods
5. Drainage basin Planning, Management and
Conservation
•Drainage basin planning
•Drainage basin management
•Drainage basin water conservation

,COURSE OUTLINE CONT..
6. Drainage Basins of Swaziland
7. Case studies

REFERENCE BOOKS
1. Engineering Analysis of Fluvial Systems By Simons, Li and
Associates
2. Drainage Basin Form and processes: A Geomorphological
Approach By Gregory and Walling
3. Water in Environmental Planning By Dunnes and Leopold
4. Rivers and Landscape By Petts and Foster

, UNIT 1: DRAINAGE BSIN AS A GEOMORPHOLOGICAL,
HYDROLOGICAL AND A PLANNING UNIT
• INTRODUCTION
• A drainage basin is defined as the entire area drained by a stream
of system of connecting stream such that all stream flow
originating in the area is discharged through a single outlet.
• Sub-surface flow may or may not conform to the surface
boundaries.
• A drainage basin is completely bounded by a DIVIDE, which
separates it from adjacent basins.
• The divide follows the ridge line around the basin, crossing the
stream at the out point.
• The divide marks the highest point between basins, but isolated
peaks within a basin may reach greater elevations than any point
on the divide.