ABSTRACT:
Little has been done to evaluate the effectiveness of vegetative filter strips (VFS) in controlling sediment loading of surface waters from cropland soil erosion. We established study areas on 7% and 12% grades to evaluate VFS effects on sediment concentration, runoff volume, and soil loss from an 18.3-m continuous fallow strip. We designed a collector-sample splitter to collect representative runoff subsamples. We placed collectors at six intervals within the bromegrass filter strip and recorded data from 13 rainfall events. The initial 3.0 m of the VFS removed more than 70% of the sediment from runoff, while 9.1 m of the VFS removed 85%. Little decrease in sediment concentration was observed with greater VFS widths. The 12% grade had greater runoff and soil losses at all VFS widths than the 7% grade. The VFS promoted infiltration, reduced runoff volumes, and decreased runoff sediment concentration.
Footnotes
C.A. Robinson, formerly a graduate research assistant at Iowa State University, Ames, is now assistant professor of plant science at West Texas A&M University, Canyon. TX 79016–0001; telephone (806) 656–2553. M. Ghaffarzadeh, postdoctoral research associate, and R.M. Cruse, professor of soils, are with Iowa State University, Ames 50011; telephone (515) 294–7850. Funding was provided by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Ames, Iowa. The authors thank the Allamakee County, Iowa, Soil and Water Conservation District for assistance in this study. Journal paper number J-16066 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station.
- Copyright 1996 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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