Soil moisture levels in experimental and control catchments to assess the effect of sustainable land management techniques in the Blue Nile Highlands

This data set comprises of daily readings (May to September 2018) from 2 study and 2 control catchments of volumetric soil moisture content (θ), which were taken at two measurement points and 4 monitoring depths per experimental site compared to a reference baseline soil moisture level recorded at the start of the wet season (θ^0), and cumulative rainfall in the study area. The study catchments are under contrasting land management conditions: one of the catchments (900 ha) has been under SLM since 2012 (treated Aba Gerima catchment), while the other (358.9 ha) has long been under traditional management (control Aba Gerima catchment). Both sites are at the top of the Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia, 6km from the source of the Blue Nile River. SLM measures (soil bunds; contour trenches) implemented in the treated catchment include soil bunds with live hedges, contour trenches, and elimination of open grazing. For more details of study and findings, please consult Mersha et al., 2022. Assessing the effect of sustainable land management on improving water security in the Blue Nile Highlands: a paired catchment approach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 194:197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-09837-5