WATERDEMANDANDSUPPL YASSESSMENTI NLOWER KULFORIVERCATCHMENTAREA,SOUTHERNETHIOPIA

Abstract

supplyanddemandassessmentinthespecificareaisimportantforproper managementofwaterresources.Themainobjectiveofthisstudyistoassessand identifythewateravailabilityanddemandsituationinthelowerKulfoRiver catchmentareaandtoproposeappropriatemethodofwatermanagement. Therainfallanalysisshowstheaverageannualprecipitationofthestudyareais 837.6mmandfromtheriverdischargeanalysisthemaximumflowisidentifiedto be71.32m^/sec,theminimumflowof0.014m^/secandthemeanflowof 6.47m^/sec.Thetypeandamountofwaterdemandisidentifiedandthemain wateruserinlowerKulfoRiverisforirrigationrequirement,domesticuseand livestockproduction.TheirrigationrequirementisdeterminedbyCropWat softwarefortheiexistingcroptypeandcroppingcalendarandforthepotential IrrigablelandI nthestudyarea.Thewaterconsumptionrequirementfordomestic useandlivestockproductionisestimatedaccordingtothestandardsetbyMOWR andIWMIrespectively. ThestudyresultshowedthattheirrigationdemandI shighintheareaandthe availablewaterbasedon75%and80%dependableflowI senoughforsatisfying theirrigationwaterrequirementfortheexistingconditionandtotalwaterdemand requirement(i.e.forirrigation,domesticandlivestock).Forthepotentialirrigable landinthestudyareaandfortheforecastedpopulationandlivestockwater requirementafter10yearsthewaterdeficitisseenonthedryperiodoftheyear fromNovembertoMarch.Therefore,themainproblemintheareaforthepresent condition,whichleadswatershortageforthedownstreamusersandatthetail endofthefield,iswatermanagementduetodiversionofriverwater,conveyance anddistributionamong"theusers,the nappropriatemitigationmethodsare suggestedtoavoidtheprobleminthearea.