Evaluation Of Soil And Water Conservation Measures In Dejiel Watersheds Choke Mountains East Gojjam Zone Of Amhara Region Ethiopia

A field study was conducted in Dejiel watershed, East Gojjam, Ethiopia to assess the existing soilrnand water conservation practices and evaluate their sustainability. The study includedrnbiophysical field surveys, soil laboratory analyses and household level survey. Soil and waterrnconservation (SWC) structures were widely practiced such as fanya juu terrace on cultivatedrnlands and trench on closure areas in the watershed. A total of 80 fanya juu terraces and 29rntrenches that lie in three randomly selected transect lines on farm lands and closure areas,rnrespectively were investigated. Vertical interval, height (length for trench) and collection ditch'srnwidth and depth were measured against the standard values provided by MoARD.rnSoil samples were collected on cultivated land which SWC measures practiced with fanya juurnterraces composed of seven, six and five years old fanya juu terraces stabilized with tree lucenrn(Chamaecytisus palmensis) and compared it with cultivated area where no SWC measures practiced throughrnselected soil nutrient parameters. For each treatment, minimum of 5 representative samples wererncollected from 5 spots 20 m distance from each other. A total of 54 Household heads wererninterviewed through open-ended and close ended questionnaires to assess the communityrnbased watershed management practices in Dejiel watershed.rnEvaluation of SWC measures indicated that the quality of structures practiced in closure arearnwas in good position compared to SWC structures implemented on cultivated lands. Fanya juurnstructures that were implemented on cultivated lands showed very significant differences inrnvertical back height and collection ditch’s width and depth. The existing fanya juu structuresrnonly met 20.6% and 9.16% with the recommended standard in vertical height and collectionrnditch’s depth respectively. The quality of trenches constructed on closure area fulfills thernrecommended standard.rnSoil analyses showed that organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, pH,rnand electrical conductivity are significantly (p≤0.05) affected by soil conservation measures. Thernnon-conserved fields had significantly higher OM, TN, and electrical conductivity; compared tornthe conserved cultivated lands, perhaps due to prior differences of the lands at the start of thernivrntreatments, since areas already seriously affected are chosen for conservation. The crop fieldrnconserved in 2007 with fanya juu terrace had significantly higher OM content than all otherrnconserved fields. Farmlands treated in 2009 (5-year old fanya juu bunds) had lower OM andrntotal nitrogen when compared to 7-year old fanya juu bunds (2007 treated). However nornsignificant difference occurred among conserved lands in total nitrogen and pH value.rnFarmlands treated in 2009 had the highest available phosphorus compared with the remainingrnconserved and non conserved cultivated lands. The household participation in thernimplementation of SWC plans was high while their participation in the planning and designingrn(61.1%), in monitoring and evaluation (64.8%) and taking corrective action (70.4%) was low. Inrnterms of community benefits, 88.9% of the household respondents replied that thernconservation works practiced fairly decreased the land degradation and plant depletion.rnSimilarly 18.5% and 59.3% of the household respondents believed that SWC had improved andrnfairly improved their livelihood, respectively.rnFrom the study it was possible to conclude that, since SWC conserved cultivated landsrndifferentiated across the years of constructed structures (stabilized with tree Lucerne), thernmeasures had better held the soil in-situ and improved inter-terrace soil physical and chemicalrnproperties. This suggests that by applying soil conservation measures upstream, the erosionrnrate and the amount of silt entering streams has been reduced. Improving land productivityrnthrough SWC in the upstream areas is the means to cut the huge costs of silt cleaning in damsrnand irrigation canals of the downstream areas.rnKey words: SWC, land degradation, SWC sustainability, community participation

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