Nalluri et al. (2026) Reconstructing the Capacity Curve of Ujjani Reservoir: Advanced Application of Water Indices Using LANDSAT-8 and Google Earth Engine

Identification

• Journal: Lecture notes in civil engineering
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Ahalya Nalluri, H. Ramesh, Anisha Jalathota, Nakade Devyani Gajanan
• DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-3775-4_2

Research Groups

• National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangaluru, India

Short Summary

This study reconstructs the capacity curve of Ujjani Reservoir using advanced remote sensing water indices and Google Earth Engine to monitor capacity loss. It found a significant live storage capacity loss of 200.77 million cubic metres since 1997, demonstrating the efficacy of satellite-based methods for reservoir monitoring.

Objective

• To reconstruct the Area-Elevation-Volume (A-E-V) capacity curve of Ujjani Reservoir and quantify its live storage capacity loss using satellite imagery and water indices, providing a precise and efficient alternative to traditional survey methods.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Ujjani Reservoir (Bhima Dam), Bhima River, Maharashtra, India.
• Temporal Scale: Imagery from 2018–2022 for correlation analysis; capacity loss calculated since the design year of 1997.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) with binary threshold, Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI) with Otsu threshold, implemented on Google Earth Engine (GEE).
• Data sources: Landsat-8 Collection 2 Level 2 imagery (cloud cover below 10%), water levels from the Central Water Commission of India (CWC) for error estimation.

Main Results

• A strong correlation (coefficient of determination, R² = 0.98) was found between the derived water indices and observed water levels for the period 2018–2022, enabling the development of long-term Area-Elevation-Volume relationships.
• Both MNDWI and AWEI yielded superior results for the study area.
• The live storage capacity for 2021 and 2022 was estimated at 1,316.43 million cubic metres (at Full Reservoir Level of 496.83 metres).
• A total live storage capacity loss of 200.77 million cubic metres was estimated for the Ujjani Reservoir since its design year of 1997.

Contributions

• Demonstrates an advanced and efficient application of remote sensing water indices (MNDWI, AWEI) and Google Earth Engine for reconstructing reservoir capacity curves and quantifying capacity loss.
• Provides a cost-effective and precise alternative to traditional field-level surveys for monitoring reservoir capacity, particularly relevant for developing nations.
• Highlights the potential of this methodology for future research in bathymetric mapping, sedimentation analysis, and broader reservoir investigations.

Funding

• Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Nalluri2026Reconstructing,
  author = {Nalluri, Ahalya and Ramesh, H. and Jalathota, Anisha and Gajanan, Nakade Devyani},
  title = {Reconstructing the Capacity Curve of Ujjani Reservoir: Advanced Application of Water Indices Using LANDSAT-8 and Google Earth Engine},
  journal = {Lecture notes in civil engineering},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/978-981-95-3775-4_2},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-3775-4_2}
}