Ana Paula Kelm Soares,Cynara de Lourdes da Nóbrega Cunha,Sony Cortese Caneparo, Laboratório de Estudos em Monitoramento e Modelagem Ambiental - LEMMA/UFPR, , anapaulaks@ufpr.br
Abstract
Land use has a strong influence on the hydrological processes of watersheds, thus, changes in land use can cause modifications in the amount of the stream water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of these changes in the flow of the Verde river, located in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The Verde river basin is essentially rural, and in recent decades has undergone a process of deforestation due to agricultural expansion and urbanization. The flow of the Verde river was simulated by the model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), using land use maps prepared for the years 1976, 2000 and 2009, and reclassified into three classes: vegetation, urban areas and water bodies. The flow data were calibrated using the land use of 2009, with flow data measured during the same year. Later the same calibrated parameters were used with the land use of 1976, 2000 and 2009. It was noted that the urbanization of the watershed causes increase of flow, but this variation is not significant. Water availability, rio Verde, SWAT