ARS | Publication request: Staking Terraces Online: A Terrace Layout Program

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 17, 2009
Publication Date: July 18, 2010
Citation: Bay, M.K., Thompson, A., Gantzer, C., Sudduth, K.A. 2010. Staking Terraces Online: A Terrace Layout Program. Soil and Water Conservation Society [abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference, July 18-21, 2010, St. Louis, MO. 2010 CD-ROM.

Technical Abstract: Terrace construction in Missouri exceeded 3 million feet at a cost of over $8 million in 2008. Up to 50 % of the total construction and design time is spent on the terrace layout itself. A web-based computer program, MOTERR, has been developed to design terrace layouts. The program utilizes digital elevation data and user input to decrease layout time by locating x, y, and z positions of terraces within a field. New options are being integrated to increase the usefulness of the program. The options include use of underground outlets, acceptable slopes for channel drainage, selection of multiple key terraces for complex topography, and improved archiving of program results. Equations for open channels and peak runoff rates are now utilized to ensure that ground elevations meet acceptable drainage slopes. The computer program interface now allows users to view multiple key terraces on a single field to select an optimal layout. The final program results now list terrace coordinates, length, and estimated construction costs. The output and layout map are archived by time and date for reference. Layouts have been verified with actual terrace fields designed by NRCS. The program provides engineers, land improvement contractors, and land owners with the tools to efficiently plan an optimal terrace layout.