Land and Water Conservation Engineering PROBLEM SET 1 WATER EROSION

ABE-4A APRIL 10, 2024

PROBLEM 7.1
If the predicted soil loss at Memphis, Tennessee, for a given set of conditions
is 12 Mg ha-1, what is the expected soil loss at your present location if all factors are
the same except the rainfall factor?

Given: Soil loss at Memphis, Tennessee: 12 Mg/ha

Required: Soil loss at present location if all factors remain the same except the rainfall
factor

Solution: Assume that the present location is in Indiana. Based on Fig 7.3:
RIN for Indiana: 3000 MJ-mm/ha-h-y
R for Memphis: 5000

Figure 7.3–Rainfall and runoff erosivity R-factor by geographic location.

(Adapted from Foster et al., 1981.)

Since all the factors except R are the same, from Eq.7.5:

A = 𝑅𝐾𝐿SCP

Solve for KLSCP (since common to both locations)

𝐴 12 𝑀𝑔−ℎ−𝑦
𝐾𝐿SCP = = = 2.4 ∗ 10 -3
𝑅 5000 𝑀𝐽−𝑚𝑚
Use this to compute for the present location:
𝑀𝐽−𝑚𝑚 𝑀𝑔−ℎ−𝑦
A = RIN (𝐾𝐿SCP) = 3000 ℎ𝑎−ℎ−𝑦 (2.4 ∗ 10 −3 )
𝑀𝐽−𝑚𝑚

A = 7.2 𝑴g/𝒉a

PROBLEM 7.2
On a 60-m long slope, what is the relative difference in water erosion between
slopes of 2 and 10%, assuming other factors are constant (compare USLE equations
and WEPP Internet interfaces)?

Given:
Slope length: 60 m
Initial degree of slope: 2 %
Slope degree increased to: 10 %

Required:
Relative increase in erosion by water assuming all other factors equal

Solution: Assuming all other factors equal, the relative increase in erosion will only
be due to the increase in slope factor, S. Determining the slope factor, S:

At 2% slope: Ꝋ = tan −1 0.02 = 1.145o s < 9 % and L = 60 m > 4 m

Using Eq. 7.8b: S1 = 10.8 sin 1.145o + 0.03 = 0.245

At 10 % slope: Ꝋ = tan −1 0.1 = 5.71o s > 9 % and L > 4 m

Using Eq.7.8c: S2 = 16.8 sin 5.71 − 0.5 = 1.171

𝑆2−𝑆1 1.171−0.245 378%
Thus, the relative increase in % = ( ) 100 = ( ) 100 % =
𝑆1 0.245

PROBLEM 7.3
If the soil loss for a given set of conditions is 4.5 Mg/ha for a 60-m length of
slope, what soil loss could be expected for a 240-m slope length if the slope is 5%?

Given:
A1 = 4.5 Mg/ha at l1 = 60-m and s = 5%

Required: Expected soil loss A at I2 = 240-m

Solution:
Ꝋ = tan −1 (0.05) = 2.86o
sin Ꝋ
m = sin Ꝋ +0.269 (sin Ꝋ )^0.80+0.05
 sin(2.86)
m = sin(2.86) +0.269 (sin(2.86))^0.80+0.05 = 0.4013

Computing L factor for 60-m length of slope, L1

𝑙1 60
L1 = ( 22)m = ( 22 )0.4013 = 1.50

Computing L factor for 240-m length of slope, L2

𝑙2 240
L2 = (22)m = ( 22 )0.4013 = 2.61

Computing S factor, for slopes longer than 4 m and s < 9 percent;

S = sin Ꝋ 10.8 + 0.03 = 10.8 sin (2.86) + 0.03 = 0.57

For 60-m slope-length:

𝑀𝑔
A = 4.5 𝐻𝑎

LS = (1.50) (0.57) = 0.855

4.5
𝑅KCP = = 5.263
0.855

For 240-m slope-length:

LS = (2.61) (0.57) = 1.4877

A = 𝑅KCP(LS) = 5.263 × 1.4877

𝑴𝒈
A = 7.83 𝒉𝒂

PROBLEM 7.4
Given your present location, assume that K = 0.015, l = 91 m, s = 10%, C = 0.2,
and that up- and downslope farming is practiced. What is the soil loss? What
conservation practice should be adopted if the soil loss is to be reduced to 5Mg/ha?

Given:
K = 0.015 l = 91 m s = 10 % C = 0.20
Upslope and downslope farming: P = 1
Assume present location at Missouri: R = 4000

Required:
1) Soil loss at your present location
2) Conservation practice to be adopted if soil loss is to be reduced to 5 Mg/ha
Solution:

Ꝋ = tan −1 (0.10) = 5.71o

sin Ꝋ
m = sin Ꝋ +0.269 (sin Ꝋ )^0.80+0.05

sin(5.71)
m = sin(5.71) +0.269 (sin(5.71))^0.80+0.05 = 0.5185

𝑙 91
L = ( 22)m = ( 22 )0.5185 = 2.088

S2 = 16.8 sin 5.71o – 0.5 = 1.171

Computing for annual soil loss, A;

A = 𝑅𝐾𝐿SCP

A = 4000 × 0.015 × 2.09 × 1.17 × 0.2 × 1

A = 29.34 Mg/ha

From the textbook, the P-factor of contour strip cropping is around 0.25 which is the
closest to the calculated P of the desired soil loss. Thus, contour strip cropping should
be the conservation practice adopted.

PROBLEM 7.5
If the soil loss for up- and downslope farming at your present location is 80
Mg/ha from a field having a slope of 6% and a slope length of 120 m, what will be the
soil loss if the field is terraced with a horizontal spacing of 24 m? Assume that the
cover-management conditions remain unchanged and the P factor is 0.5 for contour
farming.

Given:
upslope-downslope farming: P = 0.5
Soil loss: A = 80 Mg/ha
Field slope: s = 6 %
Slope length: l = 120 m

Required: Soil loss, A, if the field is terraced with horizontal spacing of 24 m assuming
cover management conditions unchanged

Solution: Assuming all other factors the same, P is the only factor that changes. Now,
when the field is terraced with a horizontal spacing of 24 m, and referring to Example
7.2, P becomes

PNEW = 0.45

Since all other factors the same, for the initial condition:
 𝐴 80
𝑅𝐾LSCP = = 0.5 = 160
𝑃

Then if the field is terraced now;

A = (RKLSCP)PNEW
A = 160 (0.45)
A = 72 Mg/ha Thus, the soil loss decreases
from 80 to 72 Mg/ha because
of the conservation.
PROBLEM 7.6
A farmer wishes to install stiff-grassed buffers on an 8% slope. What width of
cropping strip is necessary to allow 3 rounds (6 passes) with 6-row equipment 170
Soil and Water Conservation Engineering with a row spacing of 0.75 m? What width
of crop sprayer boom is necessary to cover the strip in 2 rounds (4 passes)?

Given:
6-row equipment with a row spacing of 0.75m

Required:
Width of cropping strip is necessary to allow 3 rounds (6 passes)
Width of crop sprayer boom is necessary to cover the strip in 2 rounds (4
passes)

Solution:

𝑊1 = 6 × 0.75 = 𝟒. 𝟓𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑

4.5
𝑊2 = = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟐𝟓𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒑 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓
4

PROBLEM 7.7
A rill channel is observed at two locations during a storm, 20 m and 60 m from
the top of the hill. The slopes are 5% and 4%, the rill widths are 150 mm and 220 mm,
and the hydraulic radii are estimated to be 0.01 and 0.04 m, respectively. The sediment
transport rate is measured and found to be 0.2 kg m-1s-1 and 0.8 kg m-1s-1. The rill
erodibility (Kr) is estimated to be 0.004 s/m, critical shear (τc) to be 2.5 Pa, and
transport coefficient (B) to be 0.1. Assume that the specific weight of water is 9810
N/m3. Calculate the total sediment transport capacity and erosion rate for each
position.

Given:
Rill channel observed at two locations: 20 and 60 m from hilltop
Slopes: s1 = 5 % s2 = 4 %
Rill widths: w1 = 150 mm w2 = 220 mm
 Hyd. Radii: r1 = 0.01 m r2 = 0.04 m
Sediment transport: Q1 = 0.2 kg/m-s Q2 = 0.8 kg/m-s
Rill erodibility: Kr = 0.004 s/m
Critical shear: c = 2.5 Pa
Transport coefficient: B = 0.1

Required: Total sediment transport capacity Erosion rate for each position

Solution: Computing for the hydraulic shear () for each position;

 = pgrs p = 1000 kg/m3 g = 9.81 m/s 2

1 = 1000 × 9.81 × 0.01 × 0.05 = 4.905 Pa

2 = 1000 × 9.81 × 0.04 × 0.04 = 15.696 Pa

Computing for the total sediment transport capacity (Tc);

𝑘𝑔
Tc1 = B1 1.5 = 100 × 4.905 1.5 = 1086.32 𝑚 𝑠

𝑘𝑔
Tc2 = B2 1.5 = 100 × 15.696 1.5 = 6218.47 𝑚 𝑠
𝒌𝒈
Tc = 7304.79
𝒎𝒔

Computing for the erosion rate (Dr) for each position;

𝑄𝑠
Dr = Kr ( - c) (1- 𝑇𝑐 )

𝑠 0.2𝑘𝑔/𝑚 𝑠
Dr1 = 0.004 𝑚 (4.905Pa − 2.5 Pa) (1 − )
1086.32𝑘𝑔/𝑚 𝑠

Dr1 = 9.62 x 10-3 kg/m2s

𝑠 0.8𝑘𝑔/𝑚 𝑠
Dr2 = 0.004 𝑚 (15.696Pa − 2.5 Pa) (1 − 6218.47𝑘𝑔/𝑚 𝑠)

Dr2 = 0.053 kg/m2s

PROLEM 7.12
A research plot in a Montana forest is 1 m wide and 1 m long. The slope is 40%.
Rainfall is applied at 60 mm per hr. When runoff reaches equilibrium, 0.8 liters of runoff
are collected in 1 minute. (a) What is the infiltration rate? (b) The sediment
concentration in the runoff sample is 15 g L-1. If Ki and cover are lumped into a single
value (KiCv), calculate KiCv.

Given:
 Area: 1𝑚2
Rainfall intensity: 60mm/hr
Runoff: 0.8liters/min

Required:
Infiltration rate
Calculate KiCv

Solution:
Infiltration rate:
0.001𝑚3 1000𝑚𝑚 3
𝑅𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑓𝑓 = 0.8 𝑙𝑖𝑡/𝑚𝑖𝑛 × ×( ) = 800,000 𝑚𝑚3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛
1 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 1𝑚

60𝑚𝑚 1ℎ𝑟 𝑚𝑚
𝑅𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = × 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 = 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒
ℎ𝑟

1000𝑚𝑚2
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 = 1𝑚2 = 1,000,000𝑚𝑚2
1 𝑚2
𝑚𝑚
800,000−1
𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒
𝐼= 1 ,000,000 𝑚𝑚2

𝒎𝒎
𝑰 = 𝟎. 𝟖
𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆

KiCv:
𝜃 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 (0.4) = 21.8
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑘𝑔 1 𝑘𝑔
𝐷𝑖 = 0.8 × × 0.015 × = 2 × 10−4
𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 60 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 1𝑚2 𝑚2 −𝑠

𝐷𝑖 = 𝐾𝑖 𝑖𝑞𝑆𝑓 𝐶𝑣

2 × 10−4 = 𝐾𝑖 × (1.67 × 10−5 ) × (1.33 × 10−5 ) × (0.86) × 𝐶𝑣

𝒌𝒈 − 𝒔
𝑲𝒊 𝑪𝒗 = 𝟏, 𝟎𝟒𝟕, 𝟎𝟒𝟎. 𝟑𝟖𝟑
𝒎𝟒