The study undertakes hydrological soil classification of Suddagedda basin of Andhra Pradesh based on field and laboratory experiments on the soil samples. The hydrologic soil properties of an area are essential to accurately estimate the runoff generated due to storm in the area. The main soil parameters generally considered for analysis are soil texture, soil structure, infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity.
Hydraulic conductivity of the soil in the basin has been determined using Guelph Permeameter at two depths (15 cm and 30 cm) at various sites and is found to be very low. These low values are in agreement with the general observation that the soil type of the basin is mainly clay.
The study report presents the contour map of the field saturated hydraulic conductivity. The map clearly shows the variation of hydraulic conductivity across the basin. High values are observed near the coastal region and it increases towards upstream.
The particle size distribution of the soil in the basin indicates that it lies in the fine sand to medium sand class. The reported values of infiltration at the corresponding sites in the basin are also presented to facilitate comparison. In fact, infiltration rate has been taken as a criterion for determining the hydrological classification of the basin. Soil properties together with other information have been presented and the basin soil has been grouped into different hydrological soil groups. The findings of the study can be used as a reference for future hydrological studies.
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