Water balance of the Sonar Sub basin – A Case study

Abstract

Water balance indicates the total water budget of a basin during a particular year by quantifying all inputs and outputs. This helps in basin planning in many ways, whether to estimate the surface water availability or groundwater availability. The present study is in that context to quantify the total water resources of the Sonar sub-basin on a water balance basis. In this study, site specific recharge rates have been estimated using the Visual HELP model. The model uses soil profile data, vegetation information and weather data. The results of the HELP model are in a water budget form which includes precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration and percolation through soil layers. The results of this study will be useful for the planning and management of water resources of the Sonar basin.