HYDROLOGY OF HILLSLOPE SOILS IN THE UPPER RÍO CHAGRES WATERSHED, PANAMA

Soil hydrologcal processes determine how precipitation is partitioned into infiltration, runoff, evapotranspiration, and ground water recharge in the upper Río Chagres basin. The focus of this study is to investigate the soil hydrological processes by which precipitation excess on first order drainage basins enters the streams feeding the upper Río Chagres and its major tributary rivers. Infiltration rates, water retention curves, and water repellency of surface soils have been measured. These measurements together with the soil morphological and hydrological observations are used to formulate a comprehensive conceptual model of runoff production in the upper Río Chagres watershed.