The Influence of Watershed Morphometry to River Discharge Variation (Case Study of Bengkulu Watershed, Indonesia)

Abstract

Morphometric analysis in a watershed is a requirement in analyzing hydrological conditions in a watershed, because the properties of river networks and their relationship to each other will affect the condition of water resources in the watershed. This study aims to analyze the variations in the discharge of two rivers in the upper Bengkulu watershed and the morphometric aspects that influence it. For this reason, several morphometric aspects are calculated, such as the area of the watershed, circulation ratio, median elevation and slope. The results showed that the Rindu Hati River had a higher monthly discharge than the Susup River. The sizeable difference in discharge between the Rindu Hati and Susup Rivers is due more to differences in the size of the area. As is known, the total area of the Rindu Hati Sub-watershed is 184.2 km2, while the Susup Sub-watershed is 103.6 km2. With a large area, the Rindu Hati Sub-watershed will be able to accommodate a large amount of rainwater as well.