RESULTS OF SEDIMENT ANALYSIS
The results of the sediment analysis at various sampling sites of Sharavathi catchment are listed in Table 54.
Moisture Content
The moisture content of sediment samples ranged between 8.8021 and 37.702%.
Bulk Density
Bulk Density ranged from 0.783 to 1.475 g/cm3, from Nittur to Haridravathi.
Electrical Conductivity (EC)
The EC values varied from 0.0211 to 0.0403 mS/cm.
pH, Acidity and Alkalinity
The pH fluctuated from 6.37 to 7.39, from Yenneholé to Sharavathi 1 (Nagara). Acidity varied from 2 to 4 mg/g from Muppane forest area and Sharavathi 1 (Nagara) to Reservoir, Valagere, Nittur and Sharavathi 2; and alkalinity varied between 1 to 3 mg/g from Muppane forest area and Yenneholé to Sampekai, Hurliholé, Haridravathi and Sharmanavathi.
Chloride
The chloride concentration ranged from 0.92 to 3.33 mg/g from Haridravathi to Sharmanavathi.
Calcium and Magnesium
The calcium and magnesium values ranged between 1.08 to 7.6 mg/g from Haridravathi to Sharmanavathi and 0.8 to 5 mg/g from Yenneholé to reservoir respectively. It is highly dependent on the parent materials or rocks.
Sodium and Potassium
The values of sodium were found ranging from 0.005 to 0.028 mg/g from Haridravathi to Reservoir and potassium between 0.013 and 0.89 mg/g from Sharavathi-2 to Reservoir.
Sulphate, Phosphate and Nitrate
Since the soil has low concentrations of these nutrients, consequently, the concentrations of these ions were found in lesser amounts. Sulphate varied from 0.191 to 0.68 mg/g from Sharavathi-2 to Reservoir, phosphate 0.00024 to 0.001 mg/g from Yenneholé to Haridravathi and nitrate was in a non-detectable limit to 0.0007 mg/g in most of the cases except Muppane, Valagere, Nittur and Sampekai.
Organic Matter and Organic Carbon
The organic matter was found to be varying from 2 to > 4% from Haridravathi to Muppane forest area. The richness in organic matter is due to the large amount of organic matter in soil. The organic carbon ranged from 1.16 to 2.32 %.
Table 54. Results of sediment analysis of Sharavathi.
| Variables |
Sampling sites |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
| Physical |
| Moisture Content (%) |
11.3077 |
8.8021 |
12.8672 |
9.052 |
20.669 |
28.845 |
| Bulk Density (g/cm3) |
1.362 |
1.312 |
1.26 |
1.475 |
1.105 |
1.029 |
| Chemical |
| pH |
7.39 |
7.37 |
7.1 |
6.88 |
6.8 |
6.63 |
| EC (mS/cm) |
0.0403 |
0.0403 |
0.0313 |
0.0236 |
0.0211 |
0.0268 |
| Acidity (mg/g) |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
| Alkalinity (mg/g) |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| Chlorides (mg/g) |
1.42 |
1.2 |
3.4 |
0.92 |
2.41 |
3.33 |
| Calcium (M eq./100 g) |
1.4 |
1.6 |
7.6 |
1.08 |
5 |
4.4 |
| Magnesium (M eq./100 g) |
2.6 |
1.8 |
2 |
1.52 |
1.8 |
5 |
| Sodium (mg/g) |
0.006 |
0.007 |
0.016 |
0.005 |
0.014 |
0.028 |
| Potassium (mg/g) |
0.021 |
0.013 |
0.019 |
0.047 |
0.026 |
0.025 |
| Sulphate (mg/g) |
0.376 |
0.191 |
0.273 |
0.208 |
0.352 |
0.68 |
| Phosphate (10-4mg/g) |
3.1 |
7.0 |
3.5 |
10 |
7.2 |
3.3 |
| Nitrate (mg/g) |
ND |
ND |
ND |
ND |
0.0005 |
ND |
| Organic Matter (%) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
>4 |
2.5 |
| Organic Carbon (%) |
1.74 |
1.74 |
1.74 |
1.16 |
2.32 |
1.45 |
Table 54. Results of sediment analysis of Sharavathi
| Variables |
Sampling sites |
| 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| Physical |
| Moisture Content (%) |
35.1156 |
25.1939 |
37.702 |
21.934 |
14.203 |
| Bulk Density (g/cm3) |
1.102 |
0.988 |
0.987 |
0.783 |
1.293 |
| Chemical |
| pH |
6.6 |
6.37 |
6.59 |
6.57 |
6.9 |
| EC (mS/cm) |
0.0278 |
0.0243 |
0.0248 |
0.0249 |
0.0224 |
| Acidity (mg/g) |
3 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| Alkalinity (mg/g) |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Chlorides (mg/g) |
2.51 |
1.95 |
2.13 |
1.77 |
1.34 |
| Calcium (M eq./100 g) |
4.8 |
4.8 |
3.9 |
4 |
1.6 |
| Magnesium (M eq./100 g) |
3.4 |
0.8 |
1 |
1 |
2.2 |
| Sodium (mg/g) |
0.026 |
0.027 |
0.019 |
0.015 |
0.009 |
| Potassium (mg/g) |
0.031 |
0.027 |
0.029 |
0.089 |
0.017 |
| Sulphate (mg/g) |
0.512 |
0.328 |
0.312 |
0.266 |
0.461 |
| Phosphate (10-4 mg/g) |
2.8 |
2.4 |
2.9 |
7.54 |
4.0 |
| Nitrate (mg/g) |
ND |
ND |
0.005 |
0.00004 |
0.0007 |
| Organic Matter (%) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
| Organic Carbon (%) |
1.74 |
1.74 |
1.74 |
1.74 |
1.74 |
