ABSTRACT

An eroded sediment particle originating from the catchment enters the reservoir by propagating
along with the river inflow. At the location where the river meets the reservoir, the cross-
sectional area of the river suddenly increases and hence flow velocity decreases. The coarse
particles settle at the mouth of the reservoir, whereas the fine particles settle further down in
the reservoir. Thus, reservoir storage capacity reduces significantly due to sedimentation, so its
assessment is of prime importance for water resources development projects.

NDWI, density slicing and Ostu’s algorithm technique for processing of remote sensing data
are very effective to compute the reservoir capacity and sedimentation. However, such
techniques give best result for short term period and assess only live storage of reservoir as the
dataset are collected from MDDL to FRL. For Dead reservoir storage, we have to conduct a
conventional survey method.
The sedimentation assessment of the Maithon reservoir has been carried out using Landsat-8
and Sentinel-1A dataset using the three techniques. NDWI and Density slicing techniques have
been used Landsat-8 dataset and ArcGIS software for computation of water-spread area. Ostu’s
Algorithm techniques have used the Sentinel-1A dataset and ERDAS IMAGINE software for
the computation of water spread area. Upon comparison of the results using these techniques
with the bathymetric survey data of Maithon dam, a variation of around 5% were observed.

The results obtained using the Otsu histogram thresholding technique, carried in ArcGIS
software, had a deviation of 4.65% whereas the density slicing method carried out in ERDAS
Imagine software had a deviation of 5.01 %. The density slicing method allows for a more
refined delineation of water bodies but may require manual selection of pixel values; however,
the Otsu histogram thresholding technique reduces the subjectivity in visually determining the
threshold in the histogram and provides an objective approach for delineating water bodies. The
results obtained using the NDWI technique had a deviation of 3.22 %, which is relatively low
compared to those obtained using Ostu and density slicing techniques.

SAR images are available round the year and are independent of weather and light conditions.
Also, the horizontal resolution provided by SAR images collected through Sentinel- 1A, is 10
m as against 30 m horizontal resolution of Landsat-8 or other freely available data. Therefore,
the SAR images can be utilised for computing the water spread area and hence reservoir
capacity for a wider range of data from FRL to MDDL.

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 Table of Contents
CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION ............................................................................................. i
CERTIFICATION ....................................................................................................................... i
ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................. iv
CHAPTER-1 ...............................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1
1. Introduction .........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Objective ......................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER-2 ...............................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................4
2. Introduction .........................................................................................................................4
2.1 CWC report on the reservoir sedimentation survey, 2015 ...........................................4
2.2 Reservoir sedimentation study on Panchet reservoir ...................................................5
2.3 Reservoir sedimentation study on Singoor reservoir. ..................................................5
2.4 Reservoir sedimentation study on Hirakud Reservoir .................................................6
2.5 Reservoir sedimentation study on Mosul Reservoir ....................................................6
2.6 Reservoir sedimentation study on Bargi Reservoir ......................................................6
2.7 Reservoir sedimentation study on Patratu Reservoir ...................................................7
2.8 Reservoir sedimentation study on Jayakwadi (Nathsagar) Reservoir ..........................7
2.9 Reservoir sedimentation study on Idukki Reservoir ....................................................8
2.10 Reservoir sedimentation study on Blue Nile Basin......................................................8
2.11 Reservoir sedimentation study on Ujjain Reservoir.....................................................9
2.12 Reservoir sedimentation study on Ghatprabha reservoir .............................................9
2.13 Study on Ostu Algrothim to extract water body. ........................................................10
2.14 Study on delineation flood prone area. ......................................................................10
2.15 Data Collection and Source ........................................................................................ 11
CHAPTER-3 .............................................................................................................................14
METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................14
3. Introduction .......................................................................................................................14
3.1 Data Acquisition .........................................................................................................14
3.2 Analysis of Daily Reservoir water levels. .......................................................................14
3.2 Discrete Area of Interest (AOI) ..................................................................................14
3.3 Delineation of water and Land boundary: ..................................................................15

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 3.3.1 Density Slicing technique. ..................................................................................15
3.3.2 Otsu’s method .....................................................................................................16
3.3.3 Normalised Difference water index (NDWI) .....................................................19
3.4 Trimming extended tail and channel ..........................................................................19
3.5 Estimation of reservoir volumes at different elevations.............................................20
CHAPTER-4 .............................................................................................................................21
STUDY AREA AND DATA USED ..........................................................................................21
4. STUDY AREA: MAITHON RESERVOIR ......................................................................21
4.1 Location......................................................................................................................21
4.2 Reservoir Description.................................................................................................22
4.3 HISTORIC SEDIMENTATION SURVEY. ...............................................................22
4.4 Data used ....................................................................................................................24
4.4.1 Field Data ............................................................................................................24
4.4.2 Satellite Data .......................................................................................................24
Sentinel 1A Data ................................................................................................................24
Landsat - 8 OLI .................................................................................................................25
5. Analysis and Result ...........................................................................................................26
5.1 Analysis using Ostu Method over Sentinel -1A Data ................................................26
5.2 Analysis using NDWI method over Multi-spectral Landsat-8 Data. .........................28
5.3 Analysis using Density slicing method over single band Landsat-8 Data .................29
5.4 Estimation of Reservoir capacity: ..............................................................................30
6. Conclusion .........................................................................................................................40
7. References .........................................................................................................................42

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 Lists of Tables
Table 2.1 Summary of studies carried out using NDWI technique. ...........................................9
Table 3.1: 3-bit image - 8 Gray Value from 0 to 7. ..................................................................15
Table 3.2: Calculation for similarity Vb and Vw for different thresholds value ......................19
Table 4.1: Hydrographic sedimentation survey conducted by DVC ........................................22
Table 4.2: Maithon Reservoir_ Detail Analysis for Area Capacity Curve 2019......................23
Table 4.3: Available sentinel 1A data of various dates ............................................................25
Table 4.4: Available cloud-free Landsat-8 data on various dates of passing satellite..............25
Table 5.1: Water spread area of different dates of Passing satellite of SAR image .................27
Table 5.2: The computed water spread area using NDWI ......................................................28
Table 5.3:The computed water spread area by using Density slicing ......................................30
Table 5.4 Cumulative storage capacity of reservoir at regular interval by using Landsat-8
satellite image with NDWI technique. ......................................................................................31
Table 5.5 Cumulative storage capacity of reservoirs at regular interval by using Landsat-8
satellite image with Density slicing technique. ........................................................................33
Table 5.6 Cumulative storage capacity of reservoir at regular interval by using SAR satellite
image with Ostu technique. ......................................................................................................34
Table 5.7:The comparison of the computation of live storage capacity using remote sensing
survey with the bathymetric survey of year 2019 .....................................................................37
Table 5.8 : Deviation in the calculation of reservoir storage capacity computed using Remote
sensing Survey with respect to bathometric survey of year 2019.............................................39

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 List of figures

Figure 2.1: Loss in storage capacity due to sedimentation based on a survey of 239 reservoirs
(Guidelines for Sediment, 2019) ................................................................................................. 5
Figure 3.1: The image and histogram based on pixel count ................................................... 18
Figure 3.2 Histogram of class-I and Class-II image ................................................................ 18
Figure 3.3 step-by-step procedure for computation of reservoir storage capacity ...................20
Figure 4.1 Maithion Reservoir Map ......................................................................................... 21
Figure 4.2: Elevation -area -capacity curve of hydrographic survey of the year 2019. ........... 24
Figure 5.1: SAR Image and its histogram for satellite overpass date 27/09/2019 ...................26
Figure 5.2: Class variance vs pixel .......................................................................................... 27
Figure 5.3 Satellite Imagery on satellite overpass date 29/10/2020 ........................................ 29
Figure 5.6 Modified elevation - area – capacity curve by using NDWI technique .................32
Figure 5.7:Revised Elevation-Area-Capacity Curve by using Density slicing technique .......34
Figure 5.8 Revised Elevation-Area-Capacity Curve by using Ostu’s technique . ...................36
Figure 5.9: Comparison of Live Capacity calculated using NDWI, Density Slicing, and Ostu
with bathymetric survey of year 2019 ...................................................................................... 38

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 Abbreviations

AOI AREA OF INTREST

CWC Central water Commission

DGPS Differential Global Sensing Satellite

ERS European Remote Sensing Satellite

FCC False Color Composite

FRL Full Reservoir Level

IR Infra RED

IRS Indian Remote Sensing

MDDL Minimum Draw Down Level

MWL Maximum water level

NDVI Normalized Difference vegetation Index

NDWI Normalized Difference Water Index

NIR NEAR Infra Red

NRSC National Remote Sensing Centre

SQRT Square Root

SRS Satellite Remote Sensing

WSA Water Spread Area

Units Used

ha – Hectare

Km Kilometer

Mm2 Million Square Meter

Mm3 Million cubic Meter

Sq Km Square kilometer

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 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

1. Introduction
Water, an indispensable natural resource for sustaining life on Earth, exhibits high
variability in availability across time and space in India. This is primarily due to the majority
of rainfall occurring within a condensed timeframe of 3-4 months, known as the monsoon
season. Moreover, the increasing population and industrialisation are leading to increased water
and energy demand. Dams with reservoirs are vital structures for accommodating the seasonal
variations in flow patterns, which store the water during seasons of surplus flow and release it
during the lean season, thus fulfilling the needs of drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, flood
moderation, etc. However, the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of reservoirs are
threatened by a natural process known as catchment erosion and subsequent reservoir
sedimentation.
Reservoir sedimentation refers to the accumulation of sediment, such as sand, silt, and
clay particles, within the reservoir basin over time. This sediment originates from the upstream
catchment area of the dam, where erosion and sediment transport processes are naturally
occurring. As water flows downstream, it carries sediment particles, which eventually settle and
deposit within the reservoir due to reduced flow velocity and turbulence caused by dam
construction.
The accumulation of sediment within reservoirs can have significant implications for
their overall functionality and lifespan. It leads to a reduction in the storage capacity of the
reservoir, limiting its ability to store water during periods of high flow. As the sediment
continues to accumulate, it can impair the reservoir's effectiveness in flood control, as it reduces
the volume of water that can be temporarily stored during heavy rainfall events.
Furthermore, reservoir sedimentation poses challenges for hydroelectric power
generation. The sediment particles carried by the inflowing water can erode turbine blades,
reduce efficiency, and increase maintenance costs. The sediment may also clog intake structures
and navigation channels, impacting the movement of boats, barges, and other vessels.
As per a report of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), globally, the
storage loss due to sedimentation may be up to 50% by the end of 2050 and 100% within the
next 200 to 300 years (Guidelines for Sediment, 2019), thus it can pose a serious threat to the
freshwater availability and hence the human survival.

1
 The sediment is the end product of soil erosion, which gets deposited in the reservoir by
gravity. At the junction of river and reservoir, the cross-section area increases, due to which the
velocity of river water decreases, which causes the suspended sediment particles to settle by
gravity action. Lesser is the erosion rate, and the smaller is the sediment load entering the
reservoir.
The various factors affecting sedimentation are as follows:
 Soil Type.
 Drainage density
 Rainfall intensity and time period
 Land use land cover
 Shape of catchment
 Bed slope of reservoir
 Length of reservoir
 Grain size distribution
 Flow pattern
 Mode of reservoir operation.
To calculate the useful life span of reservoir, it is necessary to evaluate the reservoir
sedimentation rates on a regular basis. With the help of contemporary knowledge on
sedimentation, remedial steps can be taken in advance by formulating proper reservoir
operation schedules. Thus, a survey of reservoirs should be conducted periodically (Goel et al.,
2002).
Some of the conventional equipment used for conducting reservoir surveys are Plane
tables, Sextant, Echo-sounders, and river surveyors with ADCP etc. The most common
conventional methods for the estimation of sedimentation are:
 Sediment deposition is directly measured through a Hydrographic survey
 Inflow-outflow method using for indirect measurement.

Both methods, whether in situ or laboratory-based, are characterized as tedious, burdensome,

costly, and time-consuming, with their respective limitations, making them unsuitable. (Goel
and Jain, 1988). However, the utilization of modern techniques such as Satellite remote sensing
enables frequent and efficient sedimentation assessment studies to be conducted within a short
timeframe, offering enhanced accuracy and cost-effectiveness.

2
 1.1 Objective

The objective of the study is to estimate the elevation – area – capacity of the Maithon
reservoir using remote sensing and compare the results with the hydrographic survey data for
the year 2019. The components of the study are.

1. To compute elevation – area using NDWI, Density Slicing and Ostu’s Algrothim
methods.
2. To prepare the elevation – capacity curve.
3. To compare the results with the hydrographic survey data and suggest an appropriate
method(s) for the assessment of reservoir sedimentation.

3
 CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2. Introduction
This thesis includes a review of various studies conducted both in India and abroad that
have examined reservoir sedimentation using remote sensing techniques. These studies have
employed diverse methodologies to assess sedimentation, contributing to the body of
knowledge in this field. National Register of Large Dams (NRLD, 2018) report indicates that
India has 5262 large Dams, of which 2329 dams were commissioned before the year 1980. One
of the major problems with these dams is sedimentation, which causes loss of storage capacity.
Assessing and managing sedimentation in reservoir is essential to ensure that the intended
demand can be fulfilled as per the design dependability of the dam. Moreover, the construction
of new dams is becoming increasingly difficult, so managing the reservoir sedimentation
becomes more important in light of the increased water demand with population growth and
limited storage availability.

2.1 CWC report on the reservoir sedimentation survey, 2015

Central Water Commission, in the year 2015, conducted the reservoir sedimentation
study of 243 reservoirs in India and found that about 26 billion cumec of storage had already
been lost which was equivalent to the total storage capacity of all the dams in Japan(Guidelines
for Sediment, 2019).
Some of the key observations of CWC report on the reservoir sedimentation survey
published in the year 2015 are as under:
 There was a 0.42% average annual gross loss of storage capacity in 239 reservoirs.
 The Actual sedimentation rate is higher than the design rate of sedimentation. In 23
reservoirs, the actual sedimentation rate was found to be 5 times the design
sedimentation rate.
 Out of the 239 reservoirs, in 40 % reservoirs, there was a storage capacity loss of 20 %
(Figure- 2).
 Based on study carried out on 21 reservoirs, average sedimentation density was found
to be 1191 kg/cum.