Evaluation of watershed carrying capacity for watershed management (a case study on Bodri watershed, Central Java, Indonesia)

Civil Department, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: sriyana@live.undip.ac.id

Abstract

Excessive land use without any concern towards land and water conservation codes of conduct has a great potential to cause inevitable erosion and sedimentation, flood, drought, and decrease in vegetation coverage and accelerated land degradation, leading to change in watershed carrying capacity. This study aimed at evaluating the watershed classification, dealing with its carrying capacity, which is fundamental for planning in the watershed management. During the research, the author performed field surveys, questioner dissemination, and laboratory tests for suspended sediment quality. Data collected during the observation were subject to further analysis under five predetermined criteria. The study found that the Bodri Watershed carrying capacity was at 96.7, covering percentage of critical land, percentage of vegetation coverage, erosion index scored 10, respectively. The classification for the Bodri Watershed according to carrying capacity was considered moderate and classified as “to be improved” instead of “to be maintained”.