Erosion control potential with conservation tillage in the Lake Erie Basin: Estimates using the universal soil loss equation and the land resource information system (LRIS)

T. J. Logan; D. R. Urban; J. R. Adams; S. M. Yaksich

ABSTRACT:

The universal soil loss equation (USLE) was used with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Land Resources Information System (LRIS) to estimate soil loss in the U.S. portion of the Lake Erie drainage basin. Annual soil loss averaged 2.2 tons per acre (4.9 metric tons/hectare) in the basin, from 0.4 to 4.4 tons per acre (0.8-9.8 metric tons/hectare) for individual watersheds. The Raisin (Michigan); Maumee, Sandusky, Huron, Vermilion (Ohio); and Cattaraugus (New York) River Basins had the highest soil losses. Reducing soil loss on all soils to the tolerance value (T) would reduce soil loss in the basin by 40 percent. Reductions of 46 percent and 69 percent would be possible by using conservation tillage and maximum conservation tillage (includes no-till on some soils), respectively.

Footnotes

T. J. Logan is an associate professor in the Department of Agronomy, Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210. D. R. Urban is with the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. J. R. Adams and S. M. Yaksich are on the staff of the Lake Erie Management Study, Buffalo District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1776 Niagara Street, Buffalo, New York 14207.
Copyright 1982 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

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