Designing reservoir operations, hydraulic structure, and soil erosion management techniques all require an estimation of a potential runoff. Accurate runoff in-formation is typically scarce in Saudi Arabia—a signific...Designing reservoir operations, hydraulic structure, and soil erosion management techniques all require an estimation of a potential runoff. Accurate runoff in-formation is typically scarce in Saudi Arabia—a significant challenge for hydrologists. Wadi-Rahjan catchment in Western Saudi Arabia has been taken as a case study to determine the potential runoff estimates. The study integrates the soil conservation service curve number (SCN-CN) technique, remote sensing (RS), and geographical information system (GIS). Critical parameters including the digital elevation model (DEM), land use/land cover (LULC), hydrologic soil groups (HSGs), and rainfall data were also employed. The curve number (CN), which shows the catchment’s reaction to a storm was estimated based on LULC and HSG layers. The CN map obtained and rainfall data were employed in the GIS-based SCS-CN model to develop the potential runoff map. Based on the results of calculations, the study area is classified into three HSGs, namely, B, C, D. Averagely, CN for a normal condition is 90 while wet and dry conditions are 97 and 80, respectively. Results obtained from the SCS-CN method’s calculations reveal a yearly runoff result that varies from 194 mm to 295 mm. A higher percentage of runoff water (35%) in a runoff range from 289 to 295 mm, followed by 24%, ranged 269 to 288 mm. An interesting rainfall-runoff regression evaluation reveals a good 0.90 correlation. Other watersheds in Saudi Arabia may use this method for planning and development.展开更多
文摘Designing reservoir operations, hydraulic structure, and soil erosion management techniques all require an estimation of a potential runoff. Accurate runoff in-formation is typically scarce in Saudi Arabia—a significant challenge for hydrologists. Wadi-Rahjan catchment in Western Saudi Arabia has been taken as a case study to determine the potential runoff estimates. The study integrates the soil conservation service curve number (SCN-CN) technique, remote sensing (RS), and geographical information system (GIS). Critical parameters including the digital elevation model (DEM), land use/land cover (LULC), hydrologic soil groups (HSGs), and rainfall data were also employed. The curve number (CN), which shows the catchment’s reaction to a storm was estimated based on LULC and HSG layers. The CN map obtained and rainfall data were employed in the GIS-based SCS-CN model to develop the potential runoff map. Based on the results of calculations, the study area is classified into three HSGs, namely, B, C, D. Averagely, CN for a normal condition is 90 while wet and dry conditions are 97 and 80, respectively. Results obtained from the SCS-CN method’s calculations reveal a yearly runoff result that varies from 194 mm to 295 mm. A higher percentage of runoff water (35%) in a runoff range from 289 to 295 mm, followed by 24%, ranged 269 to 288 mm. An interesting rainfall-runoff regression evaluation reveals a good 0.90 correlation. Other watersheds in Saudi Arabia may use this method for planning and development.