Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us
  • Follow SWCS on Twitter
  • Visit SWCS on Facebook
Research ArticleResearch Section

Identifying critical agricultural areas with three-meter LiDAR elevation data for precision conservation

J.C. Galzki, A.S. Birr and D.J. Mulla
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation November 2011, 66 (6) 423-430; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.66.6.423
J.C. Galzki
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
A.S. Birr
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
D.J. Mulla
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Determining which portions of agricultural landscapes are major sources of pollution within a watershed is time consuming and labor intensive. Small critical areas of the landscape contribute disproportionate amounts of sediment and phosphorus to nearby waterways. Critical areas are defined here as areas of accumulated overland runoff that are hydrologically connected to surface waters. With advancements in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies, landscape topography can be represented with highly accurate terrain data. The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using LiDAR–based terrain attributes to identify fine-scale critical areas in selected Minnesota watersheds and to analyze cost efficiency of this type of analysis. The LiDAR digital elevation model data were acquired for two south central Minnesota watersheds, and the terrain attributes slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index were calculated with a 3 m (9.8 ft) spatial resolution. Field surveys were conducted in these watersheds along the riparian corridor to identify side inlets and active gullies that contribute to surface water quality degradation. Terrain attributes were able to identify 80% of field-verified gullies in the study watersheds. Furthermore, an even higher percentage of gullies with a high sediment delivery potential were identified using terrain attributes. Gully size was ranked during field surveys, and 31 of the 32 largest gullies ranked in the field were successfully identified with LiDAR–based terrain attributes. In contrast, only 7 of these gullies could be identified using 30 m (98 ft) digital elevation model terrain attributes. The LiDAR approach for identifying critical source areas using terrain attributes has a large potential for cost savings relative to time-consuming field surveys. With an ever-increasing availability of LiDAR data, terrain analysis may prove very useful in the future for targeting best management practices to critical areas for reductions in nonpoint source pollution.

  • © 2011 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

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation: 66 (6)
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Vol. 66, Issue 6
November/December 2011
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Identifying critical agricultural areas with three-meter LiDAR elevation data for precision conservation
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
6 + 1 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Identifying critical agricultural areas with three-meter LiDAR elevation data for precision conservation
J.C. Galzki, A.S. Birr, D.J. Mulla
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Nov 2011, 66 (6) 423-430; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.66.6.423

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Request Permissions
Share
Identifying critical agricultural areas with three-meter LiDAR elevation data for precision conservation
J.C. Galzki, A.S. Birr, D.J. Mulla
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Nov 2011, 66 (6) 423-430; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.66.6.423
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Comparing Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) practice placements for runoff mitigation and controlled drainage among 32 watersheds representing Iowa landscapes
  • Perennial vegetation impacts on stream discharge and channel sources of sediment in the Minnesota River Basin
  • Land use and land cover in critical source areas on small dairy farms in the eastern United States
  • Using LiDAR and geographic information system data to identify optimal sites in southern Minnesota for constructed wetlands to intercept nonpoint source nitrogen
  • Estimating water quality effects of conservation practices and grazing land use scenarios
  • Recent advances in precision (target) conservation
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Smart control of agricultural water wells in western Iran: Application of the Q-methodology
  • Soil health through farmers’ eyes: Toward a better understanding of how farmers view, value, and manage for healthier soils
  • Policy process and problem framing for state Nutrient Reduction Strategies in the US Upper Mississippi River Basin
Show more Research Section

Similar Articles

Content

  • Current Issue
  • Early Online
  • Archive
  • Subject Collections

Info For

  • Authors
  • Reviewers
  • Subscribers
  • Advertisers

Customer Service

  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions and Reprints
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy

SWCS

  • Membership
  • Publications
  • Meetings and Events
  • Conservation Career Center

© 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society