HYDRO-SEDIMENTOLOGIC MONITORING AS A TOOL FOR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN PARANÁ, BRAZIL

Código

ENES20200021

Autores

Graziela Moraes de Cesare Barbosa, Gustavo Henrique Merten, JEAN PAOLO GOMES MINELLA, José Francirlei de Oliveira, Elizeu Jonas Didoné, Ana Lúcia Londero, Jean Carlo Santos de Oliveira

Tema

03 - AGRICULTURA, DESMATAMENTO E DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL

Resumo

Agriculture and hydropower generation are two important economic engines in the State of Paraná, in southern Brazil. Thus, appropriate management of natural resources (soil, water, and plant life) is fundamental to assure a sustainable economy. More frequent intense rainfall events, combined with inappropriate soil management (such as removal of terraces and incorrect implementation of no-till practices), have increased the amount of highly erosive surface runoff. Once again, we are seeing the high levels of erosion that have been observed in the past. Based on hydrologic monitoring studies in small rural watersheds in Rio Grande do Sul, IAPAR and ITAIPU have been working together to implement a monitoring project in Paraná in order to quantify the runoff impacts in areas cultivated under best practices for soil and water conservation. There has been demand by rural leadership in the state (Faep/Senar) to expand the project to additional areas of the state under different agricultural systems. A network of monitoring stations in small, rural watersheds throughout the state was formed to coordinate methodology and experimental protocols. Each of the 5 monitoring units consists of 2 paired, zero order basins, one that has adopted best practices and one that has not, and a first order basin that encompasses the paired basins. These monitoring units were equipped to measure rainfall events, runoff, the transference of sediment from the hillslope to the drainages, and its movement through the fluvial channel. Results comparing the paired basins have shown that the presence of terraces decreases peak runoff flow, runoff volume, and sediment yield. Analysis of hydrograms and sedimentograms from the first order basin has been used to characterize the hydro-sedimentologic behavior and water quality from the basin. This will enable the development of a database from which to derive the hydrologic parameters needed for conservation planning in the state of Paraná.