Morphometric characteristics and their influence on soil hydrological properties in Kiltie watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Abstract Morphometric analysis is crucial for watershed management, especially for estimating infiltration rate and erosion characteristics. However, there is limited research on the relationship between morphometric characteristics and soil hydrological properties in the Kiltie watershed. The study is aimed at exploring the relationship between morphometric characteristics and soil hydrological properties in the Kiltie watershed. The study utilized the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model (30 × 30 m spatial resolution) and ArcGIS 10.7.1 software to extract and analyze morphometric parameters. A numerical scheme was used to evaluate soil hydrological properties in relation to morphometric parameters. The morphometric analysis reveals that drainage pattern was dendritic and the maximum stream order of the watershed was five. Total number of stream of all orders was 560, with a total length of 358.277 km. Out of all order, 53.04% were covered by the first order, 23.03% by the second order, 10% by third order, 9.29% by fourth order, and 4.64% by fifth order. The watershed's higher drainage density (19.21 km/m2) and ruggedness number (3.55) indicate higher erosion sensitivity and lower surface permeability and infiltration, indicating a more resilient ecosystem. The values obtained through morphometric analysis and numerical scheme classification showed the watershed had low surface soil permeability, low infiltration rate, and high runoff, with a total weight score below six. This study and scheme could be useful for planners and decision‐makers as a baseline in implementing successful soil and water conservation strategies. For future studies, we recommended that the extent of the vulnerability to erosion‐prone areas should be identified through multi‐criteria decision‐making methodologies.