Surface Water and Erosion

The

amount of rain and how long it rains.

Another

factor for the amount of run off is steepness or

slope of the land, because gravity causes water to
move down slopes more rapidly.

Vegetation

increases the amount of water soaked into

the ground.

Types of Erosion

Splash Erosion

Sheet Erosion (Overland Flow)

Rill Erosion

Gully Erosion

Channel Erosion

Water Erosion
When

water travels down the same slope time

after time, it erodes a path into the slope.

Rill erosion begins when a small stream forms

during heavy rain.

As

water continues to move down this path, it

creates a groove on the slope called a channel.

If

this continues, rill erosion turns into gully

erosion, where the channel becomes broader and
deeper.

Sheet and Stream Erosion

Water

often runs off in a thin broad sheet before like water

flowing over a car. Sheet erosion occurs when water that is
flowing as sheets, picks up and carries away sediment.

Stream

Erosion: As water in a stream moves along a

channel and picks sediment from the bottom and sides of
it, which is called the stream

The

lighter part of this load is called suspended load.

The

heavier part of the load is called the bed load.

Sediment Yield
Should not be confused with erosion; the terms are

not interchangeable
Amount of eroded soil delivered to a point in the

watershed that is remote from the origin of the

detached soil particles
Includes erosion from slopes, channels, and mass

wasting, minus sediment deposited before it

reaches the point of interest5

Erosion Prediction
Estimate of average soil loss, usually calculated as an

average loss over a site

Losses may differ greatly from one area to another
Typically calculated on an annual or monthly basis
Models are available to predict erosion rate
Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)
Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and
RUSLE2
Most do not estimate sediment yieldRUSLE2 does

Procedure for Estimating Gross

Erosion
7

Gross Erosion = Sheet and Rill Erosion + Other Erosion

May be calculated using the USLE, RUSLE, or RUSLE2
Soil

loss from gullies, channels, other concentrated flow

may be determined by calculating the annual volume of soil
removed from the eroded area
Annual

tons of soil loss can be determined by multiplying

the volume by the weight of the soil

Erosion Prediction

Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)

A = R x K x LS x C x P
There a 6 major factors influencing erosion:
A = Average Annual Soil Loss (tons/ac/yr)
R = Rainfall Factor
K = Soil Erodibility Factor
L/S = Slope Length and Steepness Factors
C = Soil Cover Factor
P = Practice Factor

Rainfall Erosivity (R) Factor

When factors other than rainfall are held constant,

soil loss is directly proportional to a rainfall factor

composed of total storm kinetic energy (E) times the
maximum 30-min intensity (I30) (Wischmeier and
Smith, 1958)
R is the average annual sum of EI30 for storm events

during a rainfall record of at least 22 years

10

Soil Erodibility (K) Factor

Fine-textured

soils with clay have low K values (about 0.05 to

0.15)particles are resistant to detachment
Coarse-textured soils (e.g., sandy soils) have low K values (about
0.05 to 0.2)high infiltration resulting in low runoff even though
these particles are easily detached
Medium-textured soils (e.g., silt loam) have moderate K values
(about 0.25 to 0.45)moderately susceptible to particle
detachment and they produce runoff at moderate rates
Soils having a high silt content are especially susceptible to
erosion and have high K values (can exceed 0.45) and can be as
large as 0.65. NRCS

11

LS and C Factor

Accounts

for the effect of topography on erosion

L factor represents the slope length
S factor represents the slope steepness
C

Factor: Reflect s the effect of plant cover and

management practices on erosion rates
The factor used most often to compare the relative impacts
of management options on conservation plans

12
Table 3-4
COVER INDEX FACTOR C -- CONSTRUCTION SITES

CC Factors
Factors for
for
Construction
Construction Sites
Sites

Type of Cover
None (fallow ground)

Factor C

Percent1

1.0

0.0

Temporary Seedings (90 percent stand):

Ryegrass (perennial type)
Ryegrass (annuals)
Small grain
Millet or sudan grass
Field bromegrass

0.05
0.1
0.05
0.05
0.03

95
90
95
95
97

Permanent Seedings (90 percent stand):

0.01

99

Sod (laid immediately):

0.01

99

0.25
0.13
0.07
0.02
0.02
0.06
0.10

75
87
93
98
98
94
90

Application Rate
Tons Per Acre
Mulch:
Hay
Hay
Hay
Hay
Small grain straw
Wood chips
Wood cellulose
l

.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.00
6.00
1.75

Percent soil loss reduction as compacted/with fallow ground.

Source:

USDA-NRCS, Connecticut Technical Guide.

13

Practice (P) Factor

Ratio

of soil loss with a specific support practice to the

corresponding soil loss with upslope and downslope
disturbance

14

PP Factors
Factors for
for
Construction
Construction Sites
Sites

Note:
Note: P=0.48
P=0.48 for
for Track
Track
Walking
Walking