Watershed Indicators of Landform Development

Abstract

Traditionally, watershed management is concerned with water and sediment yield, vegetation, soils, and meteorology, but not with geomorphology. Often it is in this field that the explanation can be found for the formation and present condition of a watershed and its future development. Examples are presented to demonstrate that factors in the hydraulic geometry of streams indicate whether a watershed is in an active stage of landform development, or is in dynamic equilibrium. Some general guides for the practitioner are provided. Watershed management research cannot afford to ignore the basic geomorphic setting of watersheds. If geomorphology is not considered, the researcher's results could be misinterpreted.