Performance of water and sediment control basins in northeastern Nebraska

L. N. Mielke

ABSTRACT:

Water and sediment control basins formed with discontinuous, parallel terraces using riser inlets and underground pipe outlets were evaluated for soil erosion and sediment control on a loess-derived association of Ustorthents and Haplustolls in northeastern Nebraska. The structures, parallel to existing field boundaries, provided straight rows as well as erosion protection on severely dissected landscapes that were too undulating to farm using conventional terrace systems. With clean-cultivated corn, sediment trapping efficiency exceeded 97%, and the basins retained sediment near its point of origin. The small quantity of sediment discharged from the outlet contained 12% silt and 88% clay after about 2 hours of runoff. Based on sediment trapped in the basins, an 86-mm storm transported about 40 t/ha of sediment into the basins. A smaller storm (50 mm) deposited about 17 t/ha. Sediment discharged during the initial runoff from a storm was high in silt and low in clay particles.

Footnotes

L. N. Mielke is a soil scientist with the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, located at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 68583. Contribution from ARS, USDA, in cooperation with the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Lincoln, Nebraska. Published as Paper No. 7485, Journal Series. The author thanks Norris P. Swanson, ARS, USDA (retired), Lincoln, Nebraska; Steve Oltmans, Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, Norfolk, Nebraska; and Lee Jackson, Lincoln, Gene T. Phillips, Stanton, Sydney H. Haakenstad, Norfolk, of SCS, USDA, for technical inputs and field assistance during the project.
Copyright 1985 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

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