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INTRODUCTION

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Rivers are the most important freshwater resource for humans. Social, economic and political development has, in the past, been largely related to the availability and distribution of freshwater riverine systems (Chapman, 1996). In recent years intensive agricultural and other developmental activities to meet the needs of the escalating population have affected the surface and ground water sources at an alarming rate all over the country. Water quality, quantity and safety have become major issues in public and environmental health. This necessitates immediate measures to manage the water resources. In this regard, regular water quality assessment helps to elucidate the quality and appropriate mitigation measures. (Prasad, et al., 2003) Studies pertaining to river ecological status monitoring of South Indian rivers like Godavari, Krishna and Tungabhadra (Mitra, 1982), Cauvery (Ganapati, 1955 Somasekar, 1983, 1985; Anvar Batcha, 1998), Kapila (Ganapati, 1955; Somasekar, 1984), Malampuzha (Chacko et al., 1953) and Tamabaraparani (Ganapati, 1956) have received an attention for the last five decades. However, information on water quality of west flowing rivers in Karnataka is meager. Though some information is available on general limnological features of selected few streams (Anonymous, 1995) detailed water quality studies of all the rivers are not available. Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India has the distinction of having good natural forest cover (>70%) with large number of perennial to small seasonal streams. Most of these rivers and streams originate in the Western Ghats and joins finally the Arabian Sea.

In addition to the natural heterogeneity in the physical characteristics of the catchment, the distribution and disposition of different land uses may hugely influence catchment’s response by modifying the connectivity and continuity of drainage lines (Schulze, 2000). The integrated aquatic ecosystem management requires proper study for sound understanding and effective management of water systems and their internal relations (Ramachandra, et al., 2005), and hence an attempt has been done in the present study to determine the spatial variation of physico-chemical and hydrological parameters with respect to land-use in Venkatapura river catchment.