EFFICIENCY OF INTERO MODEL TO PREDICT SOIL EROSION INTENSITY AND SEDIMENT YIELD IN KHAMSAN REPRESENTATIVE WATERSHED (WEST OF IRAN)

Abstract

Application of empirical models is inevitable because of the complexity of process,
features, spatial and temporal variation of soil erosion and non-existence or lack of
associated data. In the present study, maximum outflow and soil erosion intensity
were predicted for Khamsan representative watershed in West of Iran, using IntEro
model. The results of production of erosion material in the river basin (W year),
coefficient of the deposit retention (Ru) and real soil losses (G year) were then
compared with the measured soil erosion, SDR and sediment yield data in
Khamsan watershed. The intensity of the erosion process were medium in studied
watershed. The predicted data were compared with the measured sediment yield of
studied watershed and verified the acceptable results of the IntEro model in
Khamsan representative watershed. The results showed that the peak flow is 27.50
m3s-1 for a return period of 100 years. The value of Z coefficient of 0.876 indicates
that the river basin belongs to the second destruction category out of five. The
calculated net soil loss from the river basin was 12263.44 m3 per year, specific
282.81 m3km-2 per year. The strength of the erosion process is strong, and
according to the erosion type, it is surface erosion.