CATCHMENT DELINEATION
4HYD211 - 2024
by
Dr. Rendani Makahane
Introduction
• See beyond the stream, there is a need
to analyze its surrounding
• The quantity and quality of the water
carried by a stream, its shape, and its
ability to support life is determined by a
catchment
• Design a streamflow gauging network
• Stream gauging is a process of measuring
the flow of water at a particular point on
a stream
© 2025, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
2
What is a Catchment
• Also known as a Watershed or Drainage
Basin
• Area of land where all flowing surface water
and subsurface water converges to a single
point called an outlet (This point is
watercourses such as a river, wetland, lake,
ocean)
• Each drop of precipitation that falls into a
catchment area eventually ends up in the
same river going to the sea if it does not
evaporate. However, it takes time
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
3
What is a Catchment
• Catchments vary in size
• Any point on a watercourse can be used
to define a watershed
• DWS has delineated the whole of South
Africa into Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
and Quaternary Catchments
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
4
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
5
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
6
Stream Order
• Can be used to identify sub-
catchments within larger ones
• 1st Order - smallest streams, all year-
round flow, no tributaries.
• 2nd Order – where TWO 1st order
stream meet
• 3rd Order – when two 2nd order
stream join e.t.c.
• Each tributary in turn has tributaries
• Each one of these tributaries has a
watershed.
• Confluence: junction of two rivers
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani
7
Makahane
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
8
Interpreting a Topographic Map
• Visualize the landscape on the topographic
map
• Contour lines represent a ground elevation
• Contour lines connect areas of the same
elevation
• Contour intervals represent the change of
elevation from one contour to another
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
9
Steep and Gentle
Slopes
- Closely spaced contour
lines: Steep Slopes
- Widely spaced Contour
lines: Gentle slopes or flat
areas
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane 10
Steep and Gentle Slopes
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane 11
Relationship between Contour
Lines and Water Flow
• Water flow is downhill
and perpendicular to
contour lines
• As it flows downhill it will
flow into progressively
larger watercourses
• A saddle is a dip or low
point between two areas
of higher ground
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
12
Relationship between Contour
Lines and Water Flow
• Where contour lines
intersect streams, they
point upstream
• The month of the
watershed will be in the
opposite direction
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
13
Catchment Delineation
Identify the outlet or downstream point of
interest
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
14
Catchment Delineation
• Draw or imagine the flow direction
lines(remember, the flow direction is
perpendicular to the topographic contours)
• Highlight the high points along both sides of
the watercourse, working your way upstream
towards the headwaters of the watershed.
Headwaters are located at the furthest point from
the waterbody’s outlet.
• Mark points along the contours that divide the
flows towards or away from the stream
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
15
Catchment Delineation
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
16
Catchment Delineation
• Starting at the outlet, draw a line connecting
the high points along one side of the
watercourse. This line should always cross the
contours at right angles
• Continue the line until it passes around the
head of the watershed and down the opposite
side of the watercourse. Eventually, it will
connect with the circle from which you
started.
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
17
Catchment Delineation
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
18
Accurate Delineation of a Catchment
is important for the following?
• Effective Water resource management:
• Assess probabilities of Flood and design appropriate
flood control measures
• Identify potential sources of pollution and implement
measures to protect the quality of water
• Assess ecosystem health and implement strategies to
maintain biodiversity
• Assessing Climate Change impacts
• Land use planning
• Hydrological Modeling
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
19
END
© 2024, Department of Hydrology - 4HYD211 by Dr. Rendani Makahane
20
