Regional analysis of suspended sediment load using principale componants regression method in Sefidrood Drainage Basin

Sediment yield caused by soil erosion process as the most important land degradation index is considered a main challenge in sustainable development and threats the ecosystems. It is therefore very important to estimate the reliable sediment discharge at watersheds outlets. The large river drainage basins and the lack of sediment gauges have led to apply regional analysis methods, to estimate suspended sediment load in the basins without gauges or the gauges with lack of data. The objective of this study was to estimate regional suspended sediment load using principal components regression in homogeneous regions of Sefidrood drainage basin with an area of 59273 km2as dependent variable and 18 physiographic and hydrologic factors in sediment load were recognized in each homogenous region based on principal components analysis (PCA). Finally, the relationship between suspended sediment load with different return periods and controlling factors were determined. The results showed that the stations located in the study area were clustered in two homogeneous groups. In the homogeneous region one, based on the PCA, 18 variables reduced into 5 factors accounting more than 87% of total variance and in the second homogenous region reduced into 3 factors accounting more than 92%. Using the principal component regression in the first homogeneous region, the first factor with the coefficient of determination of sediment discharge with 25- year return period, 0.67, and in the second homogeneous region, the first and second factors with coefficient of determination 0.32 were entered in model.