Sediment Load Distribution Analysis of Langat River Basin, Selangor

Abstract

Rapid development in urban areas and uncontrolled deforestation are among the factors that contribute to the pollution of rivers through the process of erosion and sedimentation resulting from such activities. Stormwater runoff will flash out all the eroded soil and sediments to the downstream area, and sedimentation will occur in rivers and lead to other environmental problem. This research aims to evaluate the formation of suspended sediment and bedload sediment at the upper part of Langat River Basin, one of the most important river water catchments in Peninsular Malaysia. Sediment samples were collected using sediment grabber and analyzed in the laboratory. Three parameters were quantified throughout this study, namely concentration of suspended sediment (mg/L), river discharge values (m3/s), and grain size distribution (g). The result showed that the estimated mean sediment load flow into Langat River is 5267.73 ton/km2/year. Distributions of sediment grain size in upstream of Langat River consist of very rough sediment grains, showing a possibility of logging and deforestation activities within the catchment area. Hence, a long-term preventive measure such as environmental policies regulating land use development and management practices should be formulated and implemented to fix the sedimentation problems in Langat River Basin.