EXPERIMENT 4 DELINEATION OF

WATERSHEDS
Structure

4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Experiment
4.2.1 Principle

4.2.2 Requirements
4.2.3 Procedure

4.3 Observations
4.4 Results

4.0 OBJECTIVES
After completing this practical exercise, you should be able to:

• understand the concept and methodology for watershed delineation; and

• delineate the sub-watershed within a watershed by using topographic sheet and

modem technologies like Remote Sensing, GIS, GPS etc.

4.1 INTRODUCTION
Topographic featu~s e.g. contour lines, other natural and man-made features
including water bodies, drainage lines, benchmarks etc. are well represented in
the Survey of India (SOl) Topographic sheets/ maps. Based on the scale of the
map (topo-sheet~), the contour interval varies from 10 m to 20 m, and in general
for 1:50,000 scale top sheet; it is 20 m.

Global Positioning System (GPS) provides the point location (latitude, longitude
and ellipsoidal height which may be converted to above mean sea level) of any
feature. We can use the GPS as the modern survey tool and go for benchmarking
and contouring with desired accuracy.

Remote sensing and GPS in combination may be used to correct and modify the
existing information on Topographic sheets/ maps. GIS (Geographic Information
System) is used to feed, store modify, process and retrieval of spatial information.

Watershed delineation on a geographical location is simply a process to identify

the ridge boundary surrounding a water body or runoff outlet. Basics of watershed
delineation by using topo-sheet (based on contours and runoff outlet) are
understood. The use of latest and modern technologies and tools like GPS or
DGPS for (used for surveys), Remote Sensing Imageries and GIS is helpful for
improving the precision quality and automating the process. By using Digital
Elevation Model utility in GIS directly provides delineated boundaries of watersheds.
During the above exercise, we comprehend the analogue method for watershed
16 delineation by using topo-sheet alone and also use of GPS, GIS and Remote
Sensing to improve and hasten the process. The use of GPS, GIS and Remote Delineation of Watersheds
Sensing is very useful in replicating the process for the bigger area and when large
number of watersheds/micro-watersheds needs to be delineated.

In this experiment, we shall use the topographic sheets as the main inpurr'Gl'S
and remote sensing satellite Imageries for updating/modifying the topographic
information depicted on toposheet. GIS will be used for processing and displaying
the final topographic information. Finally, Digital Elevation MODEL shall be
generated to have the delineated boundaries of the sub-watersheds/ micro
watersheds as the final output.

4.2 EXPERIMENT
4.2.1 Principle
Watershed is a basic hydrologic unit based on the natural boundary. Watershed
is defined by all points enclosed within an area from which rain falling at these
points will contribute water to the outlet (watershed outlet). To delineate the
micro-watersheds or sub-watersheds in a watershed, we need to remember the
following two basic principals:

a. choose the point of the micro-watershed outlet. This is generally our point
of interest for designing a structure or monitoring location or any water body
or a tributary merging to a bigger stream.

b. contours (contour lines) that point upstream denote valleys and form the
drainage line in a watershed. The contours that point downstream denotes
ridges and are termed as the boundary of a watershed! sub-watershed or a
micro watershed. Therefore, one should remember that a watershed
boundary always runs perpendicular to the contour lines.

Remote Sensing Technology provides information for a geographical area in v~~

raster data form from which we can update the existing information extracted
from topographic sheet or map.

GPS is helpful in getting the location of the points of interest in the geographical
area and provides the latitude, longitude and ellipsoidal height or height above
mean sea level (after processing).

GIS provides the facility to feed, store, modify/update, analyze and finallyretrieve
the spatial (geographic) data in digital form. This has made the analogue map
handling and planning very much simpler.

All above technologies in combination with the topographic sheets shall be used
for performing very basic but key activity of watershed delineation. Therefore,
one should be very careful to understand that watershed delineation is very basic
activity and can be perform through topo-sheet alone; but the latest technologies
like RS, GPS and GIS help to provide accuracy, time saving and workability with
vast spatial data handling.

4.2.2 Requirements
• SOl Topo-graphic sheet of study area;
17
Practical Manual- • GPS Receiver Set / Grid Elevations collected through GPSIDGPS Survey;
Fundamentals of Watershed
Management
• Remote Sensing Satellite Image; and

• Computer system with GIS software.

4.2.3 Procedure

Watershed delineation
Following steps are used for watershed delineation:

Step 1: Take a topo- sheet and mark the location of the water body or tributary
joining the main stream.

Step 2: Study the contour lines (lines connecting points of equal elevation above
mean sea level or GTS Benchmark) on the topo-sheet for the area.
Contours (contour lines) that point upstream denote valleys and form the
drainage line in a watershed. The contours that point downstream denote
ridges. Contours spaced far apart indicate that the landscape is more
or less flat and have gentle sloping land. Contour lines spaced very close
together indicate sudden changes (rise or fall) in elevation over a short
distance; i.e. the area with steep slopes.

Step 3: Trace the drainage line or waterway from its catchment source to its
outlet, including the tributaries.This step helps in determining the beginning
and ending boundaries of the draining area.

Step 4: A valley line or drainage line is represented by a series of contour lines

"pointing" towards the highest elevation (Fig.4.1). Determine the direction
of drainage in the area by drawing arrows perpendicular to a series of
contour lines that decrease in elevation. Runoff water travels the path of
least resistance while going down slope. The runoff travel path is the
perpendicular route between contours.

Step 5: A higher area or ridge line is represented by a series of contour lines

"pointing" towards the lowest elevation (Fig 4.1).

Step 6: Identify and mark the divide points /highest elevations where part of the
runoff would drain towards one body of water, and the rest part would
drain towards another body of water.

Step 7: Connect the divide points to form the line of highest elevations in the
area which is called as watershed boundary.

Step 8: Thus the process of watershed delineation through topo-sheet is complete.

Step 9: Now for accuracy enhancement and technological learning point of view
we shall learn to use GPS, Remote Sensing and GIS to delineate the
sub-watersheds.

Step 10: Extract and digitize the base map of the area into the GIS vector layers.
Overlay the Remote Sensing Image over the area to detect the changes
in the topography (as compared to topo-sheets) of the area and finally,
18 update the information appropriately.
Step 11: Put the GPS collected Grid Elevations (obtained after GRID survey Delineation of Watersheds
through GPSIDGPS) over the base map to generate the contour map of
desired contour interval.

Stepl2: Create Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the area to have the view of
topography of the area which will present the delineated watersheds/
sub-watersheds of the area. The principle used in creating the DEM and
watershed delineation will be same as described manually but in GIS, it
will be automated.

Stepl3: Now this delineated watershed or sub-watershed map can be taken to

the field for verification if required.

Stepl4: Take different measurements total number and length of channels

watershed boundary etc. and convert to the actual length as per the map
scale.

- .",.------ ,'- ... Tributary

(Valley Line)

/.
/.

I
I
Main River
,
I
(Valley
.T ,inp)
7300 7200 710

\
I 700
Contour Watershed Boundary
I
Lines fRidge Line
I

,,
I

\
\

'y
680

, 670

?,,
-
Fig. 4.1: Valley and Ridge lines

4.3 OBSERVATIONS
Example 4.1

A watershed delineated from a sub-basin has one tributary (length 5.4 cm as

measured on map) and one main drain/river (length 24.6 cm on map). The
perimeter or length of watershed boundary is 72 cm measured on map. Assuming
the map scale as 1: 50,000, calculate the total length of main river, total channel
length and watershed perimeter in km.,,,,. 19
Practical Manual- Solution
Fundamentals of Watershed
Management
Length conversion 1 cm (map): 500 m = 0.5 km on ground (l: 50,000 Scale
Topo-sheet)

a. Length of the tributary = 5.4 cm (on map) = 5.4 x 0.5 = 2.7 km

b. Length of the main river = 24.6 cm (on map) = 24.6 x 0.5 = 12.3 km
c. Total length of channel = 2.7 + 12.3 = 15.0 km
d Watershed perimeter = 72.0 cm (on map) = 72 x 0.5 = 36 km
Exercise 4.1

A watershed delineated from a sub-basin has one tributary (length 6.5 cm as

measured on map) and one main drain/river (length 35.3 cm on map). The
perimeter or length of watershed boundary is 85 cm measured on map. Assuming
the map scale as 1: 50,000, calculate the total length of main river, total channel
length and watershed perimeter in km.

4.4 RESULTS
Length of the tributary = cm(onmap) = km

Length of the main river = cm (on map) = km

Total length of channel = km

Watershed perimeter = cm(onmap) = km

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