Produção de sedimentos em bacias hidrográficas sob diferentes contextos geoambientais: medida e modelagem

Abstract

Sediment yield assessment is necessary in watersheds when it is desired to improve the quality of analysis, contributing for a consistent evaluation of water availability and, therefore, high-quality water resources management. The general objective was to evaluate the sediment yield in watersheds under different geo-environmental contexts. Three small basins had been monitored: the Aiuaba Experimental Basin, with drainage area of 12.0 km2, located in an environmental conservation area of the biome caatinga, in the Inhamus hinterland, under semi-arid climate; and the Basins of Pai João (9.3 km2) and Santo Antônio (6.8 km2), located in the Baturité mountain, under tropical sub-humid climate, which are impacted by anthropogenic actions, particularly agriculture. The basins characterization showed that Aiuaba, Pai João and Santo Antônio have, respectively, 100%, 86% and 76% of natural vegetation cover; and predominant fluvial regimes are ephemeral, intermittent and perennial. In the year of 2007, Hydrological and sedimentological variables were measured in these areas. The annual sediment yield estimate was made using liquid and solid discharges recorded in the basin outlet and the determination of sediment rating curves with these data. In the catchments Pai João and Santo Antônio, the bed load were simulated with model EB (Einstein and Brown equations), for not being possible the direct measurement of this parcel. The performance of model HIDROSED2 was assessed concerning sediment yield. In the Aiuaba basin the model was calibrated and validated using the monitored events. Simulations for 2003 to 2007 were carried out and the results had been compared with the measured ones using rating curves. In the Pai João and Santo Antônio basins the model only was calibrated, on the basis of some events monitored in 2007. The research provided the following results for Aiuaba, Pai João and Santo Antônio basins, respectively: the sediment yield was 1, 136 and 686 ton.km-2.year-1. It is observed that the order of magnitude of sediment yield increases with the level of environmental degradation. It is not possible to trace final conclusions solely in function of the soil use, because other factors influence sediment yield. In the event evaluation of the three basins, model HIDROSED2 did not present satisfactory results for the small events. On the other hand, in the annual estimate and of intense events of sediment yield, the model presented satisfactory results in comparison with the measurements. The results suggest: (1) there was a direct correlation between environmental degradation and sediment yield, quantified in the studied basins; (2) the improvement of modeling based on the physical processes is needed; and (3) hydrological and sedimentological measurements in catchments with the elaboration of data bases are still necessary for the State of Ceará. This should contribute for the implantation of management instruments of the water resources.