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Application of the unit stream power erosion and deposition model at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Formally Refereed

Abstract

Soil erosion is a serious phenomenon which can be accelerated beyond sustainable levels by anthropogenic activities such as military training. Soil erosion modeling can be utilized in an effort to identify accelerated erosion and concomitant sedimentation before they reach unsustainable levels. Regrettably, most models are deficient in the way they account for topographic heterogeneity. While occasionally producing reasonable estimates of total soil erosion and sediment production from within a watershed, they provide no information regarding sources and sinks of eroded sediments within the watershed. Thus, placement and sizing of erosion and sedimentation control efforts can be deficient. This paper discusses the application of the new generation Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition (USPED) model at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. We incorporated a novel approach that compared model results with observed soil erosion and sediment deposition at 60 spatially distributed points within the watershed. The model results agreed with spatial observational estimates 83% of the time, exceeding a pre-determined threshold of 80% agreement to define acceptability. The USPED model is relatively simple to apply. Broad application of the model by the cognizant international scientific community suggests that, despite the large number of models available, the USPED model offers valuable capabilities that are either unavailable or operationally unfeasible in other models due to data demands.

Keywords

soil erosion, sediment deposition, predictive model, military training

Citation

Warren, Steven D.; Ruzycki, Thomas S.; Pizzolato, William N. 2019. Application of the unit stream power erosion and deposition model at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Florida Scientist. 82(2-3): 53-62.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/60197