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Rainfall and Spring Discharge Patterns in Two Small Drainage Catchments in the Western Himalayan Mountains, India

Author

Listed:
  • Girish C.S. Negi

    (G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development)

  • Varun Joshi

    (G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development)

Abstract

Relationship between rainfall and spring discharge study is important to understand hydrological behaviour of springs and water resources management. In the Himalayan mountains springs are the freshwater sources for household consumption. We studied six springs of different recharge area characteristics in two micro-watersheds in western Himalayan mountains in India. Based on the recharge area geology these springs were divided into fracture/joint (FR/JT) and fracture/joint/colluvium (FR/JT/COLL). We found a strong positive relationship between rainfall and spring discharge. Peak spring discharge coincided with peak rainfall in two FR/JT/COLL springs, which was delayed by about one month in FR/JT springs. Mean annual discharge was about two times greater for FR/JT/COLL springs than the FR/JT springs (6.47 vs. 3.94 liter per minute). But spring discharge per 1000 L of rainfall in spring recharge area for FR/JT springs was about 2.3 times greater than the FR/JT/COLL springs (49 vs. 21 liter per minute). In the FR/JT springs, rainfall in spring recharge area and spring discharge were weakly related (r=0.174), while they were strongly related in FR/JT/COLL springs (r=0.595). In the former category of springs decline in discharge was gradual, while it was rapid in the latter category of springs. Therefore, with regard to sustained supply of water for household consumption FR/JT springs can be considered more suitable. Land use and land cover such as moderately grazed pasture, abandoned agricultural terraces and few trees but dense growth of bushes and oak forest in the spring recharge area were found conducive for spring discharge and may be promoted for long-term water resource conservation in this region.

Suggested Citation

  • Girish C.S. Negi & Varun Joshi, 2004. "Rainfall and Spring Discharge Patterns in Two Small Drainage Catchments in the Western Himalayan Mountains, India," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 19-28, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envsyd:v:24:y:2004:i:1:d:10.1023_b:envr.0000046343.45118.78
    DOI: 10.1023/B:ENVR.0000046343.45118.78
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    Cited by:

    1. Kaberi Koner & Gopa Samanta, 2021. "Urban environment and sustainable water supply: a comprehensive analysis of Darjeeling city, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(12), pages 17459-17482, December.
    2. Prem Sagar Chapagain & Motilal Ghimire & Shova Shrestha, 2019. "Status of natural springs in the Melamchi region of the Nepal Himalayas in the context of climate change," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 263-280, February.
    3. Pennan Chinnasamy & Sanmugam A. Prathapar, 2018. "Methods to Investigate the Hydrology of the Himalayan Springs: A Review," Working Papers id:12844, eSocialSciences.

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