Location: Watershed Physical Processes Research
Project Number: 6060-13000-029-045-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2025
End Date: Apr 30, 2026
Objective:
Assess water and soil erosion sources and contributions from agricultural watersheds and evaluate the impact that conservation practices have on improving water sustainability and reducing soil loss from these sources.
Approach:
In order to better assess and predict watershed runoff, soil erosion, surface water - groundwater interactions, and phosphorus (P) transport, innovative remote sensing technology applications and decision support systems for watershed management are needed to describe soil and water transport processes. Hence, existing technology must be upgraded to assess and improve predictions for more realistic conditions, in particular those that are encountered within agricultural production areas.
ARS and University of Vermont will work to analyze new or existing databases of agricultural practices, climatic records, remotely sensed data, runoff and sediment observations, and soil P concentrations to determine the past record of sheet and rill and ephemeral gully formation and create estimates of P loading associated with these types of erosion. New unmanned aerial vehicle topographic surveys and/or other multispectral surveys will be performed in agricultural fields in Vermont to identify current gullies and distinguish between soil loss from sheet or rill and ephemeral gully sources. Soil sampling will provide depth-integrated profiles of soil P concentrations. Water management and erosion prediction technology will be enhanced using the information obtained from the studies. This objective is related to NP 211, Component 1: Effective Water Management in Agriculture; and, Component 4: Watershed Management to Improve Agroecosystem Services.