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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Watershed Physical Processes Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #254163
Title: Cheney Lake CEAP Project Validation/Calibration: Sediment

Author
item Bingner, Ronald - Ron
item THEURER, FRED - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
item FREES, L - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
item FRENCH, L - Cheney Lake Watershed, Inc

Submitted to: Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/2010
Publication Date: 6/27/2010
Citation: Bingner, R.L., Theurer, F.D., Frees, L.D., French, L. 2010. Cheney Lake CEAP Project Validation/Calibration: Sediment. In: Proceedings of the 2010 Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference, June 27-July 1, 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada. 2010 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: Sediment originating from the landscape has often been referred to as wash load because it generally consists of fine sediment (clays & silt size particles). Sheet & rill and concentrated flow & gully erosion are the known causes that result in wash load. Sheet & rill erosion is largely due to raindrop intensity while concentrated flow erosion is due to headcut migration and tractive stresses. The Annualized Agricultural Nonpoint Source pollution model (AnnAGNPS) uses the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation to predict the sheet & rill erosion but relies upon enhanced components within AnnAGNPS for ephemeral gully erosion that has been clearly identified within the US Department of Agriculture as requiring additional research to extend the models applicability. Instream sediment load is typically only indirectly measured and its measurements include additional bed & bank sediment sources. This study explains how wash load was predicted for the Chaney Lake watershed in Kansas using USGS streamflow measurements and wash load predictions using AnnAGNPS. By evaluating the source of sediment load within a watershed, conservation managers can apply the most effective erosion control practice to the source of the problem.

Technical Abstract: Sediment originating from the landscape has been referred to as wash load because it generally consists of fine sediment (clays & silt size particles). Sheet & rill and concentrated flow & gully erosion are the known causes that result in wash load. Sheet & rill erosion is largely due to raindrop intensity while concentrate flow erosion is due to headcut migration and tractive stress. AnnAGNPS uses RUSLE to predict the sheet & rill erosion but relies upon TIEGEM for ephemeral gully erosion which has been clearly noted within ARS as needing additional research to extend its applicability. Instream sediment load is only indirectly measured and its measurements include bed & bank sediment sources. This paper explains how the wash load was predicted for the Chaney Lake watershed in Kansas using USGS streamflow measurements and wash load predictions using AnnAGNPS.