Role in preventing soil erosion, watershed management activities

Soil erosion and production of sediments are among the most important natural resource problems which depends on climatic situation, soil reliefs and land use. The present study investigates the relation between watershed management activities like banquette and check dam or detention dams with soil erosion and production of sediments in Manderjan watershed which is located in Sarab, Zayande Rud dam. This watershed covers 230 km2. Precipitation statistics from Chadegan climatology station and Sediment monitoring network in Manderjan during 1978-2002 were used along with land use map and erosion map based on 1979 satellite images. Manderjan watershed is located in West Isfahan province and has cold weather with temperate summers. Its average annual precipitation is evaluated 420 mm. Because of being located between Daran Mountains (Dalankuh) in North and Zagros mountains in west, it has multiple streams and an average slope of 13.3% in north-south direction. Therefore, different watershed management activities (banquette and check dam or detention dams) could have a significant effect on prevention of erosion. Descriptive case study was used along with field study and library investigation.