The effect of land uses to change on infiltration capacity and surface runoff at latung sub watershed, Padang City Indonesia

¹ Doctoral Program in Agricultural Science, Andalas University, Indonesia
² Department of Soil Science, Andalas University, Indonesia
³ Department of Economics, Andalas University, Indonesia
⁴ Department of Forestry, Muhammadiyah University of Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

^* Corresponding Author: aprisal@agr.unand.ac.id

Abstract

Changes in land use in the Air Dingin watershed (DAS) area in Padang City, Indonesia, lead to a decrease in rainwater infiltration volume to the ground. Some land use in the Latung sub-watershed decrease in infiltration capacity with an increase in surface runoff. This research aims to determine the effect of land-use changes on infiltration capacity and surface runoff. Purposive sampling method was used in this research. The infiltration capacity was measured directly in the field using a double-ring infiltrometer, and the data was processed using the Horton model. The obtained capacity was quantitatively classified using infiltration zoning. Meanwhile, the Hydrologic Engineering Center - Hydrology Modeling System with the Synthetic Unit Hydrograph- Soil Conservation Service -Curve Number method was used to analyze the runoff discharge. The results showed that from the 13 measurement points carried out, the infiltration capacity ranges from 0.082 - 0.70 cm/minute or an average of 0.398 cm/minute, while the rainwater volume is approximately 150,000 m3/hour/km2. Therefore, the soil infiltration capacity in the Latung sub-watershed is in zone VI-B or very low. This condition had an impact on changes in runoff discharge in this area, from 87.84 m3/second in 2010 to 112.8 m3/second in 2020 or a nail of 22.13%. Based on the results, it is concluded that changes in the land led to low soil infiltration capacity, thereby leading to an increase in surface runoff.