Siltation due to erosion is the major problem facing many of the lakes and reservoirs inrnEthiopia today. The erosion process in Legedadi and Dire catchment transports a lot ofrnsediment to the reservoir and is the most important factor for reducing their storagerncapacity. The two-reservoir catchments are in a state of physical and biologicalrndeterioration due to over exploitation of lands by the inhabitants. A considerable part ofrnthe sediment load is due to present agricultural and livestock management practices andrnlack of soil conservation practices. Therefore, a reservoir catchment needs to be managedrneffectively in order to reduce the effect of sedimentation.rnThis study has integrated the USLE model and GIS techniques to assess erosion hazardsrnin Legedadi and Dire Catchment. Soil loss estimation was carried out based upon thernprinciples defined in the USLE, which relates soil erosion process to rainfall Erosivity,rnsoil erodibility, topographic, land cover and conservation practices. The input parametersrnof the model, derived from GIS analysis of primary data, were compiled in GIS databasernin raster data model with grid resolution of 30 meters. The spatial thematic map of thernrespective factors of USLE was created as following: R factor map was interpolated fromrnpoint data of station; K factor map by reclassification of soil map; LS factor, reliefrnparameters, was derived from DEM; C and P factor map by reclassification of landuse/rnland-cover map of Landsat ETM+. The assessment approach involved two aspectsestimationrnof potential and actual erosion.rnAfter application of USLE model, the potential and actual mean annual soil loss from therncatchment was found to be 120t/ha/yr and 4.8t/ha/yr, respectively. From the level of soilrntolerance limits set by Hurni (1986), mean annual soil loss estimated by the model isrntolerable. 26km2 or 9.1% of the catchment is prone to high erosion hazards. In terms ofrnrelative comparison of dire and Legedadi catchment the Dire catchment was found to bernmore endangered by erosion hazards at various intensity.rnKey Words: USLE model; Soil erosion; Legedadi& Dire catchment