ABSTRACT
The study area is located in the upper part of Tekeze-Atbara river basin in Northern Ethiopia between longitude 37.5° – 39.8° E and latitude 11.5° – 14.3° N. The Tekeze River originates in the southern part of the basin near the RasDeshen Mountains and flows in northern direction and then turns towards the west flowing into north-eastern Sudan, where the river joins the Atbara River. During the rainy season, the Inter-tropical convergence zone moves towards the Northern part of the basin, this brings moisture from the Atlantic and Indian oceans through westerly winds. The dominant land use in the basin includes cultivable land, sparsely grown woodland, bushes and shrubs and exposed rocks. The geology of the basin is dominated by limestone and metamorphic, rocks, followed by sandstone, limestone-marl, shale and basalt. Major soil types identified in the basin includes, Eutric Vertisols on the level lands; Eutric Leptosols, Eutric Vertisols, Eutric and Calcric Cambisols and Haplic Luvisols on the sloping lands.
