An application of principal component analysis and analysis in the study of water yield

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Abstract
Principal component and factor analyses were applied to annual precipitation and runoff data of fourteen watersheds from Coshocton, Ohio, and seven watersheds from Riesel, Texas. The objective was to identify the factors affecting the water yield of these watersheds and to determine the relative importance of the identified factors. From the Ohio watersheds, the rotated factor analysis suggested that watersheds area and slope were, in that order, the two most important factors affecting water yield. For the Texas watersheds, three almost equally important watershed factors were identified as the soil type, cultural practices, and land capability. A stepwise regression of runoff‐precipitation ratios of the Ohio data on area‐slope variables substantiated the effects of area and slope on runoff as determined by the factor analysis.