Soil Erosion Analysis of Watersheds in Series a Thesis Presented to The
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Soil Erosion Analysis of Watersheds in Series A thesis presented to the faculty of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Andrew K. Lucas June 2012 © 2012 Andrew K. Lucas: All Rights Reserved 2 This thesis titled Soil Erosion Analysis of Watersheds in Series by ANDREW K. LUCAS has been approved for the Department of Civil Engineering and the Russ College of Engineering and Technology by Tiao J. Chang Professor of Civil Engineering Dennis Irwin Dean, Russ College of Engineering and Technology 3 Abstract LUCAS, ANDREW K., M. S., May 2012, Civil Engineering Soil Erosion Analysis of Watersheds in Series Director of Thesis: Tiao J. Chang The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between soil erosion and sedimentation within Wills Creek, Senecaville Lake, and Salt Fork watersheds of Ohio. Both Senecaville Lake and Salt Fork Lake watersheds are entirely located within the watershed of Wills Creek Lake. Experimental results using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and a sediment delivery equation in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems are compared to sedimentation reports prepared by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Results of this comparison show that the type of land cover has the highest impact on the amount of soil erosion, specifically the lands associated with cultivated crops. Furthermore, the sediment yield of a watershed is not accurately calculated based on average annual sedimentation and present RUSLE erosion potential. Approved: Tiao J. Chang Professor of Civil Engineering 4 Acknowledgements I would like to thank those involved in the research, development, and completion of my thesis. Specifically, I would like to thank Dr. Tiao J. Chang for his support throughout the development and research processes. I would like to thank Dr. Lloyd Herman, Dr. James Dyer, and Dr. Teruhisa Masada for serving on my thesis committee and providing helpful insight, comments, and suggestions. I would also like to thank Luisa Chinchilla, Brett Blevins, Josh Minnich, and Yanhui Fang for their support and guidance throughout the completion of my thesis. Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to any other friends and family members. 5 Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………... 3 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………… 4 List of Tables………………………………….……………………………………. 7 List of Figures………………………………………………………………………. 8 List of Symbols and Abbreviations….……………………………………………... 11 Chapter I – Introduction…………………………………… ………………………. 14 I.1 Soil Erosion Types………………………………………………………... 15 I.2 Soil Erosion Estimation Models………………………………………….. 17 I.3 Nature of the Study……………………………………………………….. 20 I.4 Objective of the Study…………………………………………………….. 24 Chapter II – Literature Review……………………………………………………... 25 II.1 Improvements in Soil Loss Calculations………………………………… 25 II.2 RUSLE…………………………………………………………………… 27 II.2.1 Rainfall Runoff Erosivity Factor………………………………... 28 II.2.2 Soil Erodibility Factor…………………………………………... 30 II.2.3 Slope Length and Slope Steepness Factors……………………... 30 II.2.3.1 Slope Length Factor……………………………………. 31 II.2.3.2 Slope Steepness Factor…………………………………. 33 II.2.4 Cover-Management Factor……………………………………… 34 II.2.5 Support Practice Factor…………………………………………. 37 II.3 Use of Geographic Information Systems………………………………… 40 II.4 Sediment Delivery Ratio…………………………………………………. 41 Chapter III – Theory and Methodology…………………………………………….. 43 III.1 – Lake Sedimentation…………………………………………………… 43 III.2 – GIS Data Analysis…………………………………………………….. 44 III.2.1 – Bathymetry…………………………………………………… 44 III.2.2 – Watershed Delineation……………………………………….. 45 III.2.3 – RUSLE Factor Interpretation………………………………… 46 III.2.3.1 – R Factor……………………………………………… 46 III.2.3.2 – K Factor……………………………………………… 47 III.2.3.3 – LS Factor…………………………………..………… 47 III.2.3.4 – C Factor……………………………………………… 50 III.3 – Erosion Potential Determination……………………………………… 51 6 Chapter IV - Application and Results………………………………………………. 58 IV.1 Bathymetric Analysis…………………………………………………… 58 IV.2 Watershed Soil Erosion Model…………………………………………. 61 IV.3 Sediment Delivery………………………………………………………. 86 IV.4 RUSLE Factors Correlation to Annual Soil Erosion…………………… 89 Chapter V - Conclusions and Recommendations…………………………………... 96 V.1 Conclusions…………………………………………………………….... 96 V.2 Recommendations……………………………………………………….. 97 References…………… ………………………………………………………….….. 99 Appendix A - Soil Type Abbreviations and Percent Watershed Land Cover............ 105 Appendix B - C++ Program for Computing LS Factor (Van Remortel, Maichle, Hickey, 2004) …….……………………………… 141 Appendix C – L Factor Maps………………………………………………………. 157 Appendix D – S Factor Maps………………………………………………………. 161 Appendix E – Watershed Land Cover Maps……………………………………….. 165 Appendix F – C Factor with Percent Land Cover and Percent Erosion……………. 169 Appendix G – GIS Watershed Modeling Tutorial………………………………….. 177 7 List of Tables Table I.3.1 Physical Features of Wills Creek Lake………………………….…...... 21 Table I.3.2 Physical Features of Senecaville Lake………………………………… 22 Table I.3.3 Physical Features of Salt Fork……………………………….....……... 22 Table III.2.3.1.1: R Factors for Watershed Counties………………………………. 46 Table III.2.3.4.1: C Factors for Land Cover…………………………………….…. 51 Table III.3.1 Average RUSLE Erosion Potential and RUSLE Factor Values…...... 57 Table IV.3.1 Maner (1958) SDR and Estimated Sediment Yield……………...….. 87 Table IV.3.2 Calculated SDR Based on USACE Annual Sedimentation…….…… 88 Table IV.4.1 RUSLE Factors Correlation to Annual Soil Erosion in Wills Creek Lake Watershed.......................................................................... 89 Table IV.4.2 RUSLE Factors Correlation to Annual Soil Erosion in Senecaville Lake Watershed………………………………………............... 90 Table IV.4.3 RUSLE Factors Correlation to Annual Soil Erosion in Salt Fork Lake Watershed……………………………………..……............. 90 Table IV.4.4 RUSLE Factors Correlation to Annual Soil Erosion in Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area………………………………..…..….. 90 Table A.1 Soil Type Abbreviations and K Factor…………………………………. 105 8 List of Figures Figure I.3.1 Map of Wills Creek Lake, Senecaville Lake, and Salt Fork Lake Watershed………………………………………...……. 23 Figure II.2.1.1: Ohio Rainfall-Runoff Erosivity Factor………………………...…... 29 Figure III.2.3.3.1 LS Computation Flowchart (Van Remortel, Maichle, & Hickey, 2004)……………….………………… 49 Figure III.3.1 Cumulative histogram of the erosion model for Wills Creek Lake Watershed………………………………….……………. 53 Figure III.3.2 Cumulative histogram of the erosion model for Senecaville Lake Watershed…………………………………………..……. 54 Figure III.3.3 Cumulative histogram of the erosion model for Salt Fork Lake Watershed…………………………………………………... 55 Figure III.3.4 Cumulative histogram of the erosion model for Wills Creek Lake contributing Area………………………………………... 56 Figure IV.1.1 Senecaville Lake 1937 and 1998 Bathymetric Maps………………... 59 Figure IV.1.2 Senecaville Lake 1998 Sediment Depth……………….…………..… 60 Figure IV.2.1 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Rainfall Runoff Erosivity Factor………………...…………………………………… 62 Figure IV.2.2 Senecaville Lake Watershed Rainfall Runoff Erosivity Factor………………………………...…………………… 63 Figure IV.2.3 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Rainfall Runoff Erosivity Factor…………………………………...………………… 64 Figure IV.2.4 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Rainfall Runoff Erosivity Factor…………………………………………...………… 65 Figure IV.2.5 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Soil Erodibility Factor………………... 67 Figure IV.2.6 Senecaville Lake Watershed Soil Erodibility Factor………………... 68 Figure IV.2.7 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Soil Erodibility Factor………...………… 69 Figure IV.2.8 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Soil Erodibility Factor………... 70 Figure IV.2.9 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Slope Length and Slope Steepness Factors………………...…………………………………... 72 Fig ure IV.2.10 Senecaville Lake Watershed Slope Length and Slope Steepness Factors…………………………………………………….. 73 Figure IV.2.11 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Slope Length and Slope Steepness Factors………………...…………………………………... 74 Figure IV.2.12 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Slope Length and Slope Steepness Factors………………………………………………... 75 Figure IV.2.13 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor…………. 77 Figure IV.2.14 Senecaville Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor………...... 78 9 Figure IV.2.15 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor……….…. 79 Figure IV.2.16 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Cover-Management Factor…………………...…………………………... 80 Figure IV.2.17 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Potential Annual Erosion……….... 82 Figure IV.2.18 Senecaville Lake Watershed Potential Annual Erosion………........ 83 Figure IV.2.19 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Potential Annual Erosion………...…… 84 Figure IV.2.20 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Potential Annual Erosion…... 85 Figure IV.4.1 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor….………. 91 Figure IV.4.2 Senecaville Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor…………... 92 Figure IV.4.3 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor…………….. 92 Figure IV.4 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Cover-Management Factor……………...………………………………..... 93 Figure IV.4.5 Wills Creek Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor (99th Percentile)……………..……………………………………... 93 Figure IV.4.6 Senecaville Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor (99th Percentile)…………………………………..………………... 94 Figure IV.4.7 Salt Fork Lake Watershed Cover-Management Factor (99th Percentile)…………………………………………..………... 94 Figure IV.4.8 Wills Creek Lake Contributing Area Cover-Management Factor (99th Percentile)………………………………………………..…..