Catchment Area

See also: Basin

A area catchment or catchment area (term retained by the Parent directive on water) is a portion of territory delimited by watersheds, whose Eau X feed a common discharge system: River or Lake.
La line separating two basins adjacent slopes is a Watershed.
Chaque catchment area is subdivided in a certain number of elementary basins (sometimes called “pouring under-basin”) corresponding to the surface of food of the Affluent S being thrown in the principal river.

Characterization

Each catchment area is characterized by various geometrical parameters (surface, slope), pedological (natural and capacity of infiltration of the grounds), urban (presence of frame) but also biological (standard and distribution of the vegetable cover). One can distinguish three types also there of continuity:
  • a longitudinal continuity, upstream towards the downstream (Ru S, brooks, River S, River S).
  • a side continuity, peaks towards the bottom of the Valley.
  • a vertical continuity, surface waters towards subterranean water and conversely.
The extent of the basins slopes is very unequal: that of the the Amazon in South America extends on 6.150.000 km ² whereas the British basins are small. Certain areas are deprived of basins for lack of river: they are the without a permanent river system Désert S .

Utility of the concept of catchment Area

The knowledge of a catchment area is fundamental in any hydrological study and/or of natural Risque or vulnerability of the water resource. the catchment area is the general framework of the studies of urban Hydraulique, analysis of water quality, prospections of collectings, prevention plans of the risks of Inondation (PPRI), of realization of the Atlases of the floodplains or the Wetlands, etc…
Et, although in the northern hemisphere, a growing number of basin-slope are now artificially inter-connected by channels functioning thanks to lock S, they remain important components for the ecology of the landscape, the Génétique of the watery populations of species (crayfish, salmons.) or typically riverine (beaver for example) and the study of the biological Corridors watery. Rivers being sometimes biological corridors , sometimes, for other species of the natural factors (exacerbated when their banks are artificialisées) of Fragmentation écopaysagère , the study of the areas catchment is useful for comprehension and the cartographite continuums écopaysagers or éco-landscape Intégrité.

A catchment area supports a river system which can be arranged hierarchically or elementary. The river system varies in Densité according to nature of the rocks. Thus, there will be much river in ground Argile ux, much less in ground Calcaire.

See too

External bonds

  • Global area network of the Organizations of Basin (R.I.O.B.)
  • French Association of the territorial public corporations of basin (AFEPTB)
  • catchment Area: Guide for the rebuilding of the stoppings in forest medium
  • Ruisseaux of head of basin: which management, Programs LIFE Nature
  • Liste (2001) of the priority substances to follow pursuant to the parent directive on water 2000/60/CE (by catchment area and hydrographic district, in Europe).

Chart

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