Abstract:
Soil erosion in the Hare watershed led to
significant land degradation, water pollution, and
reduced agricultural productivity. Despite its effects,
very few researchers have used combined
morphometric and RUSLE model techniques to
quantify soil erosion and thereby prioritize impacted
areas. This work used an automated GIS-based tool
(SWPT) to prioritize crucial areas based on topo
hydrological and morphometric factors and predict
soil loss in sub-watersheds using the RUSLE model.
Land use/cover data were obtained from Landsat
imagery, while slope and morphometric information
were extracted from digital elevation data with a
resolution of 12.5 m. Soil erodibility was determined
using Ethiopian soil maps, and rainfall erosivity was
computed using meteorological data. An average
annual soil loss of 49 t/ha/year was observed in the
Hare watershed. Sub-watershed 11 was found to be the
most affected, with an average annual soil loss of 85.12
t/ha/year and a compound parameter value (CPV) of
0.059. Sub-watershed 17 has the least amount of soil
loss, with 3.67 t/ha/year and a CPV of 1.32. The study
