INCOH/SAR-17/99-Existing methods of collection of sediment data in Indian streams/rivers

Abstract

Knowledge of the erosion, movement and deposition of sediment relative to land surface, streams, reservoirs and other bodies of water is important to those involved directly or indirectly in the development and management of water and land resources. It is also becoming more and more apparent that such development and management be carried out in a manner that yields or conforms to a socially acceptable environment. The required knowledge of sediment make necessary the measurement of suspended and bed sediments for a wide range of hydrologic environments. The complex phenomena of fluvial sedimentation make the required measurements and related analyses of sediment data relatively expensive in comparison with other kinds of hydrologic data. Accordingly, the purpose of this report is to help standardise and improve the efficiency of the techniques used to obtain sediment data, so that more knowledge can be obtained for a given investment of labour and resource.