Terrain characteristics strongly influence soil erosion and sediment transport within watersheds, affecting reservoir sedimentation and storage capacity. This study applies Digital Elevation Model (DEM)–derived relief and morphometric parameters to assess soil erosion susceptibility in the Mulshi Reservoir catchment. The catchment covers an area of 250.25 km², with elevations ranging from 504 m to 1071 m above mean sea level, resulting in a basin relief of approximately 567 m. Watershed-scale parameters including basin relief, relief ratio, mean slope, drainage density, ruggedness number, and dissection index were calculated and analysed. The results show a mean slope of 21.87%, drainage density of about 2.09 km/km², relief ratio of ~0.03, ruggedness number of ~1.18, and dissection index of ~0.53, indicating moderate to high terrain dissection. Steep slopes near the reservoir and efficient drainage connectivity suggest a high potential for sediment transfer within the catchment.The study demonstrates that DEM-based relief analysis provides a simple, rapid, and cost-effective approach for soil conservation planning and preliminary assessment of reservoir sedimentation risk, especially in data-scarce regions.
Khobragade et al. (Fri,) studied this question.