Forestry with Water conservation – Series 5

These are the artificial man made well planned structures which lead to obstruction in natural river flows.

Looks so absurd to read this but these are must to conserve and save water from going as waste to the sea and improving land productivity of the fields, being getting irrigated through its well knit canal system.

Process to identify suitable location, to build these dams is very simple, like to ascertain quantum of water flowing through the river throughout the year and it’s seasonality or perenniality involved. Location of dam should have natural high structures on both the banks of the river to support construction of dam and controlling river flow into the dam. With the water inflow and height of the dam water holding capacity of the dam is calculated making an important decision pertaining to area to be irrigated converting an unfertile land into fertile, bringing all round prosperity to the area.

Water holding capacity or volume of dam is a simple mathematical calculation which is directly propotional with height of the dam. If the height of the dam reduces automatically water holding capacity of reservoir reduces. Does the height reduces? How height of a dam can reduce !!!! But it reduces during the current circumstances of massive deforestation, soil erosion and massive inflow of uncontrolled debris and silt to water ecosystem of the reservoir.

Thus if the proper watershed management of the rivers and its  tributaries from their place of origin to the point of entering into the reservoir is not maintained or is not happening, it will surely result in excessive siltation of the reservoir and without affecting ocular and aesthetic beauty of the reservoir gradually the dam starts dying by way of reduction in volume of water of the reservoir.

Thus adversely affecting all the objectives of the dam and ultimately effecting the population dependent on it.

How to avoid this unfavourable outcome ? The answer lies in proper management of watershed management system by way of improving soil holding capacity of the river banks and reducing soil inflows into the river. This can happen by way of planting suitable plant species on the riparian ecosystem feeding the river. ( I am not mentioning about man made artificial soil erosion checking structures. If that happens, along with what I am highlighting its welcome in short term, to achieve long term goals of sustainability).

Checking the sloppy lands by covering them with suitable grasses, shrubs and trees who all have well spread leaf and root system.

Leaves to reduce water drops induced soil splash and root network to hold soil at the time of heavy down pours or cloud bursts.

It looks simple but it needs very meticulous planning and execution at very micro level and above all, a massive awareness too to be build up wrt importance of right implementation of soil management systems all throughout the river riparian ecosystem.

As mentioned in previous 4 series each and every part of tree is precious for humanity, specially wrt water as precious resource, it not only conserves and saves water from wastage it even clean and purifies it through its underground root network. It conserves soil and retains moisture regime of the soil for longer period thus avoiding drought and water shortage for humanity thriving on the natural resource named tree or forests.