Upland Area Sediment Assessment Resources

Training Courses:

Agents of Watershed Change.

This EPA Watershed Academy Web online training module provides an overview of natural and human-made change processes and the ways in which they affect the structure and function of watersheds. The module explains how natural and human-caused erosion and sediment deposition in and along waterways affect watershed change.

Agricultural Management Practices for Water Quality Protection.

This EPA Watershed Academy Web online training module introduces eight basic types of agricultural practices, including several dealing directly with sediment and erosion control on agricultural land. These practices are suitable for reducing or minimizing water quality impacts as part of an overall watershed approach.

Design and Implementation of Erosion and Sediment Control.

A joint effort between the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this course reflects the agencies' commitment to providing education and training on planning, design, implementation, enforcement, inspection and maintenance strategies to control erosion and sediment on highway construction projects, as well as to ensure that regulatory issues are addressed accurately and uniformly.

Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Watersheds.

This EPA Watershed Academy Web online training module discusses the steps commonly involved in planning and carrying out timber harvest and reforestation, and describes several ways to reduce or avoid impacts - particularly from sediment - on water resources during these activities.

Geotechnical Training Courses.

The Federal Highway Administration offers several geotechnical training courses that address various aspects of soil stabilization. Course titles include: Soils and Foundations Workshop, Soil Slope and Embankment Design and Construction, Ground Improvement Techniques, Rock Slopes, Earth Retaining Structures, and Design/Construction/Inspection of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes.

IECA Digital Education Sediment Training Courses.

The International Erosion Control Association offers a series of digital training courses that can run on personal computers. Some of the courses available for purchase include:

• The Dynamics of Soil: New Practices and Methods for the 21st Century
• Low Impact Development: Saving Soil by Design
• How to Perform an Analysis of a Streambank Erosion Problem
• Select, Design, Install and Inspect Rolled Erosion Control Products (RECPs)
• Keys to Understanding How to use Compost and Organic Matter for Erosion and Sediment Control
• Monitoring is a Dirty Word
• The ABCs of Silt Fence Installation and Maintenance

IECA Sediment Training Courses.

The International Erosion Control Association offers a series of upland sediment process training courses that they can bring to your organization on demand. Some of the courses they offer include

• Designing for Sediment & Erosion Control on Construction Sites
• Environmentally Sensitive Streambank Stabilization
• How to Select, Establish and Use Plants for Erosion Control
• Inspection Ground Rules: How to Evaluate a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and Inspect a Construction Site
• Low Impact Development: Saving Soil by Design
• Phase II: How to Select, Install and Inspect Construction Site Erosion and Sediment Control BMPs for NPDES Storm Water Permit Compliance
• Soil-Loss Estimation for Construction Lands Using RUSLE 2.0
• Storm Water Management and Sediment Control Site Inspection Training
• The Erosion and Sediment Control Business: Strategies for Sustainable Contracting

Stream Corridor Structure.

This EPA Watershed Academy Web online training module is about the physical structure of one of the most ecologically and hydrologically important parts of the watershed and the environment in general -- the stream corridor (defined as the stream, its floodplains, and a transitional upland fringe). The module explains role of sediment and erosion in stream corridor structure.

USACE HEC Training.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Hydrologic Engineering Center offers several training courses using its computer software. Courses are open to the public if not filled by USACE employees. Courses include, but are not limited to

• Sediment Transport in Rivers and Reservoirs. Teaches principles of open channel hydraulics, channel aggradation and degradation, sediment transport, and the application of Scour and Deposition in rivers and Reservoirs computer program (HEC-6) to predict stream behavior.
• Hydrologic Analysis for River and Wetland Restoration. Provides an understanding of the role of hydrology in river and wetland restoration and equips participants with the tools for the various hydrologic analyses necessary in planning and design of these features.

The Web site has a complete course list.

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Software, Models and Databases:

USDA ARS Software.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has participated in the development of a series of software tools to assess sediment- and channel-related processes. The following tools are available from the ARS:

• AGNPS. AGricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model (AGNPS) is a joint USDA Agricultural Research Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service system of computer models developed to predict nonpoint source pollutant loadings within agricultural watersheds. It contains a continuous simulation, surface runoff model designed to assist with determining BMPs, the setting of TMDLs, and for risk & cost/benefit analyses.
• Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model. The Bank Stability Model is an spreadsheet-based model that calculates bank Factor of Safety for new or existing channel banks. The model will help to assess the stability of existing channel banks, predicting the effect that changes in riparian land use will have, or designing new channels.
• CONCEPTS. The National Sedimentation Laboratory has developed the CONservational Channel Evolution and Pollutant Transport System (CONCEPTS) computer model to simulate the evolution of incised streams and to evaluate the long-term impact of rehabilitation measures to stabilize stream systems and reduce sediment yield.
• RIST. The Rainfall Intensity Summarization Tool (RIST) is a Windows-based program designed to facilitate analysis of time-and-date stamp tipping-bucket precipitation records.
• RUSLE 1.06 and 2.0. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equations (RUSLE) are erosion prediction technologies, also referred to as erosion models, that are widely used to estimate rates of soil erosion caused by rainfall and associated overland flow. RUSLE1 and RUSLE2 are used by government agencies around the world to assess and inventory erosion to assist public policy development.

USGS Surface Water Software.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed numerous software packages for assessing surface water and sedimentation. Some might be applicable for streambank sediment assessment, including

• DAFLOW. Streamflow routing in upland channels or channel networks
• DR3M. Distributed Routing Rainfall-Runoff Model--version II
• MODEIN. Computation of total sediment discharge by the modified Einstein procedure
• NCALC. Manning's n value calculation program
• PRMS. Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System
• SAC. Slope-Area Computation Program
• WSPRO. A Computer Model for Water-Surface PROfile Computations

Go to the Web site for these or other USGS surface water software packages.

Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) Model.

The WEPP model is a process-based, distributed parameter, continuous simulation, erosion prediction model for use on personal computers running Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP. The current model version (v2004.600) available for download is applicable to hillslope erosion processes (sheet and rill erosion), as well as simulation of the hydrologic and erosion processes on small watersheds.

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Publications, Web Sites & Other Resources:

Applied River Morphology (Rosgen, 1996).

This book outlines the fundamental principles of river behavior and the classification of natural rivers, depicting major stream types. It offers field techniques and forms for stream classification reference reach, bank erosion prediction, fish habitat structure evaluation, sediment relations, hydraulics, and channel stability evaluations. The book offer information useful for watershed management, ecosystem assessment, habitat evaluation for fish, river restoration, and reduction of non-point source pollution.

The First Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds (ICRW): In-Stream Sediment Assessment Papers.

The ICRW was held in Benson, Arizona, in October 2003. The conference proceedings are available online and include a number of number of upland sediment assessment-related documents, such as

• Calculating the Cost of Reducing Erosion from a Small Rangeland Watershed
• Impacts of Fire on Hydrology and Erosion in Steep Mountain Big Sagebrush Communities
• Impact of Grass Hedges on Sediment Yield from a HEL Watershed
• Long-Term Rainfall and Runoff Characteristics of a Small Southern Piedmont Watershed
• Modeling Hydrologic Variables and Terrain Features for Strategically Locating Riparian Buffers
• Monitoring and Modeling Runoff in Semi-arid Areas from the Hillslope to the Watershed Scale
• Runoff and Sediment Losses from Annual and Unusual Storm Events from the Alto Experimental Watersheds, Texas: 23 Years after Silvicultural Treatments
• Soil Contributions to Sediment Properties in Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed: Influence of Slope Factors
• Variable Rainfall Intensity Rainfall Simulator Experiments on Semi-arid Rangelands

See the Web site for a complete list.

About PDF Files... Many of the documents listed on this site are PDF files. Viewing a PDF file requires use of Adobe's free Acrobat Reader software.  *EPA's PDF page  provides information on downloading the software.

Instructional Manual for USGS Sediment Observers (Johnson, 1997). (PDF)

This instruction manual provides an overview of the U.S. Geological Survey Sediment Program, presents basic theory on sediment transport, and provides step-by-step instructions on when and how to sample for sediment.

Measures to Control Erosion and Turbidity in Construction Site Runoff. (McLaughlin, 2003). (PDF)

North Carolina State University Associate Professor Richard McLaughlin evaluated the use of polyacrylamides (PAM) for both erosion and turbidity control on construction sites. The final report indicates that there is no one PAM that is effective for turbidity reduction on all sediment sources, but several are promising for many soils.

National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Agriculture (2003).

This technical guidance and reference document is designed to help State, local, and tribal managers implement nonpoint source pollution management programs. It contains information on the best available, economically achievable means of reducing nonpoint source pollution (including sediment) from agricultural activities.

National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Forestry (2001).

This draft technical guidance and reference document is designed to help State, local, and tribal managers implement nonpoint source pollution management programs. It contains information on the best available, economically achievable means of reducing nonpoint source pollution (including sediment) that can result from forestry activities.

National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas (2005).

This technical guidance and reference document (is designed to help State, local, and tribal managers implement nonpoint source pollution management programs. It contains information on the best available, economically achievable means of reducing nonpoint source pollution (including sediment) from urban areas.

Polyacrylamide (PAM) Research Project.

This site, maintained by the USDA's Northwest Irrigation Soils and Research Lab, provides information about the use of PAM to reduce turbidity in surface water. The site offers links to publications, PAM-related regulations, and information about other PAM projects throughout the world.

Post Workshop Summary, The Sino-U.S. Joint Workshop on Sediment Transport and Sediment Induced Disasters. (PDF)

This report summarizes the presentations at the workshop (held March 15-17, 1999 in Beijing, China) and the discussions following each. Presentation topics fell into one of nine categories:

1. Physical and Numerical Modeling of Sedimentation
2. Morphological Changes and Disasters
3. River training and Strategies for Sediment Disaster Reduction
4. Alluvial Sedimentation
5. Sediment Movement in Rivers
6. Fluvial Hydraulics and Sediment Transport
7. Slope and Channel Erosion Control
8. Human Activities Induced Sediment Problem
9. Reservoir Sedimentation and Irrigation

Recent Progress in the Development of a SPARROW Model of Sediment for the Conterminous U.S. (Schwarz et al., 2003). (PDF)

This paper reports on recent progress made to empirically address the question of sediment fate and transport on a national scale. The model presented is based on the SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) methodology, first used to estimate the distribution of nutrients in streams and rivers of the US, and subsequently shown to describe land and stream processes affecting the delivery of nutrients.

Sediment Transport Investigations on the National Forests of Alabama (Grace, 2003). (PDF) This USDA Forest Service publication describes two studies that evaluated the effectiveness of sediment control on forest roads in the National Forests of Alabama. The first study investigated the effect of three erosion control techniques on soil movement from cutslopes and fillslopes. Treatments were detected to significantly affect sediment yield and runoff from the road sideslopes. The second study evaluated the effect of selected techniques to control sediment movement in the forest turn-out ditch. Synopsis of Technical Issues for Monitoring Sediment in Highway and Urban Runoff. (Bent et al., 2001). This report (U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 00-497, 51 p) addresses technical issues pertinent to the methods for the collection, processing, and analysis of sediment samples to determine the concentration and physical characteristics of sediment in highway and urban runoff, best management practice (BMP) structures, and receiving waters. Data-quality issues and appropriate quality-assurance techniques for sediment data collection and laboratory-analysis methods are also discussed. Urbanization and Streams: Studies of Hydrologic Impacts (no date cited - estimated 1996). This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency online publication discusses the water quality problems such as sedimentation, increased temperatures, habitat changes, and the loss of fish populations that can occur in a stream after urbanization. This report was derived from a literature search to find and document physical impacts and indications of water quality problems.

Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices (FISRWG, 1998 - revised 2001).

Developed by the Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group, this document represents an unprecedented cooperative effort by the 15 participating federal agencies to produce a common technical reference on stream corridor restoration. The manual, available online, discusses the ecological processes, structure, and functions forming stream corridor systems; stream corridor characterization and condition analysis; developing a restoration plan; and restoration design, implementation, and monitoring.

USDA ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory: Sediment Research Projects. (PDF)

U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) maintains the National Sedimentation Laboratory (NSL) in Oxford, MS. The NSL focuses on three areas of research:

1. Channel and Watershed Processes Research,
2. Water Quality and Ecology Research, and
3. Upland Erosion Processes Research.

Users may download a brochure (PDF) or go on a virtual tour for a summary of the history and current research pursued by the NSL. The NSL's major research projects include

• Demonstration Erosion Control Project (DEC). The DEC addresses problems associated with watershed erosion, sedimentation, flooding, and environmental degradation. The study objectives include
  1. a demonstration of a systems approach for stabilizing watersheds suffering from erosion and sedimentation associated with channel incision, and
  2. research, monitoring, and evaluation of the performance of control measures.
• Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed. This watershed is organized and instrumented for conducting extensive research on upstream erosion, stream erosion and sedimentation, and watershed hydrology. Data collection is directed towards providing information needed to test physical concepts and mathematical models of watershed runoff, streamflow, and sediment transport processes. Download a comprehensive documentation of the Goodwin Creek projects and the database compiled for the period 1982-1993.
• James Creek Watershed Project. The NSL determined "actual" sediment-transport rates and rates for similar, but stable or unimpaired ("reference") streams by which the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality could develop water-quality targets for sediment. A report from this project, titled Actual and Reference Sediment Yields for the James Creek Watershed - Mississippi (PDF) is available online.
• Little Topashaw Creek Stream Corridor Rehabilitation Project. This project emphasizes the use of large woody debris and biotechnical techniques for stream restoration. Research projects include collection of data on water quality, fish, macroinvertebrates, vascular plants, geomorphology, and hydrology.
• Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Area project (MDMSEA). The MSMSEA is part of a national, multi-partner program entitled Agricultural Systems for Environmental Quality. The objectives of the study include developing alternative and innovative farming systems for improved water quality/ecology in the Mississippi Delta and increasing the knowledge to design and evaluate economical environmentally-sound best management practices.
• USDA Flood Control Dam Investigations. The NSL investigates acoustic imaging and other ways to characterize the sediment impounded by USDA-NRCS flood control dams.

Descriptions and contact information for the individual NSL projects being carried out under the umbrella of the above major research projects may be reviewed online. Type your keyword of interest, such as "sediment" or "transport," in the search box. Some examples of the NSL's instream sediment assessment projects underway include

• Acoustic Techniques in Support of Soil Resource, Stream Flow, and Sediment Transport Management
• Sediment Transport by Fluid Wave Power Action in Shallow Flow
• Engineering Measures for Rehabilitation of Flood Control Structures and Channels

USDA ARS National Sediment Laboratory: Upland Area Sediment Publications.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) maintains the National Sedimentation Laboratory (NSL) in Oxford, MS. The NSL focuses on three areas of research:

1. Channel and Watershed Processes Research,
2. Water Quality and Ecology Research, and
3. Upland Erosion Processes Research.

The Web site contains abstracts, citations, and contact information for NSL authored or co-authored publications. Some examples of publications listed include

• Modeling Ephemeral Gully Erosion in Upland Areas
• Processes, Control, and Prediction of Erosion and Runoff on Upland Areas in Agricultural Watersheds
• Characterization of Stream Morphology and Sediment Yields for Watersheds in Mississippi

USDA FS Water & Watersheds Web Site.

This U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS) site (www.fs.fed.us/psw/topics/water) offers links to FS sediment project Web sites, including

• Caspar Creek Watershed Study. This Web site provides extensive information about the nature of hydrologic, erosion, and sedimentation impacts of logging operations on this northern California watershed.
• Fine Sediment in Pools. This Web site describes how fine sediment can influence channel form, and offers links to publications.
• Turbidity Threshold Sampling. This Web site detailed information about turbidity threshold sampling, an automated procedure for measuring turbidity and sampling suspended sediment. The site describes ongoing projects and provides links to many publications.

USGS Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Projects.

This Web site provides lists and descriptions of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Research Program project disciplines. The following geomorphology and sediment transport deposition projects support research to understand stream-channel morphology and erosion processes that govern the source, mobility, and deposition of sediment. Click on each of the following projects for a more complete description and a list of related publications:

• River Mechanics: The primary focus of this research project is to understand the dynamics and rate of river channel change and develop numerical models to make predictions of river channel characteristics given a particular change in flow regime and sediment supply.
• Environmental Fluid Dynamics: The morphology of alluvial river channels is determined by relatively complicated mutual interaction between the pattern of flow in the channel, the transport of sediment through the channel as suspended load and bedload, and the topography of the bed and banks of the channel. This project specifically addresses fluid and sediment-transport physics within the context of river channel morphodynamics.
• Sediment Impacts from Disturbed and Undisturbed Lands. Objectives of this project are to
  1. evaluate the extent and utility of sediment data from a variety of land-use areas;
  2. predict the movement of sediment from drainage basins affected by those land uses; and
  3. assess existing techniques and develop new ones based on geomorphic principles and the application of statistics, geochemistry, and botany to the limited data available as aids in improving interpretive capabilities.
• Applications of Fluid and Sediment Mechanics to Basin and Regional Scale Hydrologic and Geomorphic Problems. The long-term goal of this project is to develop precise, process-based algorithms for flow, sediment transport, stream channel adjustment, erosion, and deposition in characteristic segments of a wide variety of fluvial systems. These algorithms then can be used to assess local environmental problems along particular types of stream segments, or they can be coupled with each other and with analogous algorithms for hill slope processes in order to produce models for erosion, sediment transport, and deposition on a regional scale.
• Response of Fluvial Systems to Climatic Change. The objectives of this project are to define historic climatic variability in the western United States over the past century; to identify specific time periods of statistically stationary precipitation, discharge, flood frequency, and sediment transport; to assess the net effects of climatic variability on watershed conditions and fluvial systems; and to determine the extent that historic changes reflect Holocene climatic fluctuations.