HYDROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF DARAWA-GERANYA SUB-WATERESHED (DUTSIN-MA) OF ZOBE DAM BASIN, KATSINA STATE

Abstract

The Darawa–Geranya sub-basin, a tributary of the Zobe Dam basin in Katsina State, has undergone notable LULCC driven by population growth, agricultural expansion, and urbanization, leading to reduced vegetation cover and increased built-up areas. This study seeks to fill the research gap by analyzing the morphometric characteristics and LULCC patterns of the sub-basin using remote sensing and GIS techniques to support effective watershed and reservoir management for environmental sustainability. The data required for this research were Drainage basin morphometric; Satellite image of the study area (1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020); and Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) DEM with a spatial resolution of 30m respectively. The software used for this research were ArcGIS 10.8 and Erdas Imagine 15. The sub-basin covered an estimated area of 126.94km2, with a texture ratio of 0.95, and ruggedness number of 50.84 respectively, indicating a susceptible topography prone to environmental degradation. Cropland, tree and riparian vegetation and built-up area covered approximately 99.1% of the entire watershed by 2021. The texture ratio of the drainage basin is 0.95, which is an indication of extremely low (Rt). Also, low circularity ratio, elongation ratio and form factor with an elongated basin shape, confirms the immerse runoff activity, which will yield to sediment deposition creating flood plains. Consequently, Darawa-Geranya sub-basin exhibits significant variations in morphometric characteristics such as shape, size, and relief ratio. The need to incorporate morphometric data into future dam design and expansion plans for optimized water resource management and further research were among the recommendations.