Estimation of Sediment Production and Transport Parameters of Kor and Sivand Catchments using Genetic Algorithm

Several functions have been proposed in order to estimate the rate of erosion of catchment areas. Since the rate of sediment production and transport are governed by many catchment characteristics such as topography, soil erodibility, land use and etc., direct estimation of these parameters is very difficult, expensive and time consuming. Therefore, the best way to calculate these parameters is using parametric models and optimization techniques. These models use optimization methods to estimate production and transport parameters using observed values of river discharge and sediment load in a given period of time. The results of erosion parameter estimation could be used to predict the volume of the sediment load to design the hydraulic structures such as dam reservoirs. In this research, Samani model is performed on the catchment of Kor and Sivand Rivers, and the production and transport parameters of these catchments are estimated using Genetic Algorithm technique. The model was evaluated for 1 to 3-reservoir cases. The model is optimized in two-reservoir for Kor River and 3-reservoir model for Sivand River.