An artificial neural network model for estimation of sediment yield

Sediment yield of watersheds is considered as a problem of water resources management and operation. Considering important role of sedimentation، accurate measurement and estimation of it is important for national investment in water resources development. Accuracy of sediment yield estimation depends on the estimation methods. There are different parameters affectingt sediment yield. These parameters should be considered in simulation of sediment yield. An artificial neural network model is used for estimation of sediment yield in this research. The model with proper structure and sufficient data is trained and tested and it can recognize the relation of the parameters and sediment yield. The proper structure is found to be MLP. The result of the model is compared with a regional analysis model and it shows notable increasing of accuracy by the artificial neural network model.