ABSTRACT:
The objective of this work is to estimate how changes in soil conservation affect costs to downstream navigation. Models are developed to account for the hydrology and the subsequent flow of sediment within the conterminous states. The hydrologic models, along with detailed data on the location and costs of dredged harbors and shipping channels, provide an avenue for approximating erosion's impact on navigation costs. Results indicate that a ton of eroded soil in some areas imposes no costs to navigation, while costs reach $5 per ton in other areas. Costs vary significantly across relatively small geographic areas because some watersheds affect no downstream shipping channels or harbors, while others affect major shipping areas and can have high sediment disposal costs.
Footnotes
LeRoy Hansen and Cecil Davison, resource economists, and Vince Breneman and Chris Dicken, geographers, are with the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Copyright 2002 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Log in using your username and password
Purchase access
In this issue
Jump to section
Related Articles
Cited By...
- No citing articles found.