Status of springs in mountain watershed of western Nepal

Abstract

The study, conducted in western hilly areas of Nepal, inventoried and mapped over 4,222 springs from five different watersheds. The study showed that more than 50% of the spring sources were found under natural conditions, i.e., open spring whereas 15% of them were of pond type. Similarly, the other 15% spring was recorded as a concrete structure or tank while 1% was determined to be a well. Attempts were made to identify if a change in water discharge from springs relates to rainfall patterns. The inter-annual variability analysis shows a significant fluctuation suggesting variation in water discharge across spring sources. The lowest amount of yearly rainfall received in the river basin is governed by decreasing water flow from the springs in the upper and mid-hills of Nepal. Besides, the intra-annual variation (i.e., seasonal and concentrative nature of rainfall only during monsoon) leads to shortage of drinking water and other domestic purposes (e.g., cooking, cleaning) during the dry months of the year. This study, based on the estimation of discharge flow in these springs, revealed that about 70% were decreasing and, in particular, the flow over the recent ten years decreased significantly. Highlights Springs are the primary source of domestic water supply in Mountain of Western Nepal.; Many communities are experiencing increasing hardship in meeting their needs for freshwater in Western Nepal.; Springs in the Mountain Watershed of Western Nepal are in great threat.; Around 70% springs have a decreasing trend of discharge.; Restoration activities are urgent need to protect the springs in the Mountain Watershed.;

Keywords

• climate change
• discharge
• rainfall
• spring
• watersheds