Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Ephemeral gully channel width and erosion simulation technology

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Concentrated surface runoff, such as associated with ephemeral gully channels, increases erosion and transfers fine sediment and associated agrichemicals from upland areas to stream channels. Ephemeral gully erosion on cropland may contribute up to 40 % or more of the sediment delivered to the edge of agricultural fields, significantly threatening the health of downstream ecological services. Typically, conservation practices developed for sheet and rill erosion are also expected to treat ephemeral gully erosion, but technology and tools are needed to account for the separate benefits and effects of practices on various sediment sources. Without improved research studies, subjective observations will continue to be used to satisfy quality criteria in lieu of scientifically defensible, quantitative methods to estimate the impact of gully erosion. Ephemeral gully channels evolve by one, or combination of, complex physical process in the form of incision, headcut migration upslope, and channel sidewalls expansion (widening). This study focused on the latter, ephemeral gully channel widening relationships. The impact of various width functions on erosion can be very significant and is dependent on discharge, slope, soil properties, and management conditions. A description is provided on six ephemeral gully widening relationships, followed by recommended improvements, comparative application, and identification of future research needs. Improvements in the development of ephemeral gully width algorithms are critical to understanding the impact of conservation practices on controlling ephemeral gully erosion. Tools are needed to predict and quantify ephemeral gully erosion, including the capability to evaluate the effect of conservation practices to control erosion. An improved critical shear stress equation was developed and described that provides an approach to incorporating impacts of management practices on the resulting gully erodibility. Conservation management planning by organizations needs a systematic approach to determining the extent of ephemeral gully erosion problems on a field, watershed, or national basis, or to predict the recurring or new locations of ephemeral gullies prior to their development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdelwahab OMM, Bingner R, Milillo F, Gentile F (2014) Effectiveness of alternative management scenarios on the sediment load in a Mediterranean agricultural watershed. J Agric Eng 45(3):125–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso CV, Bennett SJ, Stein OR (2002) Predicting headcut erosion and migration in upland flows. Water Resour Res 38:1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Ascough JC II, Baffaut C, Nearing MA, Liu BY (1997) The WEPP watershed model: I. Hydrology and erosion. Trans ASAE 40(4):921–933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernard J, Bingner RL, Dabney SM, Langendoen EJ, Lemunyon J, Merkel W, Theurer F, Wells RR, Widman N, Wilson GV (2010) Ephemeral gully erosion—a natural resource concern. USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory Research Report. No. 69. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS

  • Bingner RL, Theurer FD (2001) AnnAGNPS: estimating sediment yield by particle size for sheet & rill erosion. In proceedings of the sedimentation: monitoring, modeling, and managing, 7th federal interagency sedimentation conference, Reno, NV, 25–29 March 2001. pp 1–7

  • Bingner RL, Theurer FD, Gordon LM, Bennett SJ, Parker C, Thorne C, Alonso CV (2007) AnnAGNPS ephemeral gully erosion simulation technology. In: Proceedings of the IV international symposium on gully erosion. September 17–19. Pamplona, Spain, J. Casali and R. Gimenez, eds. Public University of Navarre, pp 20–21

  • Bingner RL, Theurer FD, Yuan Y (2011) AnnAGNPS technical processes documentation, Version 5.2. USDA‐ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory. Oxford, MS

  • Capra A, Mazzara LM, Scicolone B (2005) Application of the EGEM model to predict ephemeral gully erosion in Sicily, Italy. Catena 59:133–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casali J, Lopez JJ, Giraldez JV (2003) A process-based model for channel degradation: application to ephemeral gully erosion. Catena 50:435–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chahor Y, Casalí J, Giménez R, Bingner RL, Campo MA, Goñi M (2014) Evaluation of the AnnAGNPS model for predicting runoff and sediment yield in a small Mediterranean agricultural watershed in Navarre (Spain). Agric Water Manag 134:24–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dabney SM, Vieira DAN, Yoder DC, Langendoen EJ, Wells RR, Ursic ME (2015) Spatially distributed sheet, rill, and ephemeral gully erosion. J Hydrol Eng 20(6):C4014009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das S, Rudra RP, Goel PK, Gharabaghi B, Gupta N (2006) Evaluation of AnnAGNPS in cold and temperate regions. Diffuse Pollut VIII 53(2):263–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster GR (1982) Channel erosion within farm fields. In ASCE specialty conference, Las Vegas, NV

  • Gordon LM, Bennett SJ, Bingner RL, Theurer FD, Alonso CV (2007) Simulating ephemeral gully erosion in AnnAGNPS. Trans Am Soc Agric Biol Eng 50(3):857–866

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon LM, Bennett SJ, Alonso CV, Bingner RL (2008) Modeling long-term soil losses on agricultural fields due to ephemeral gully erosion. J Soil Water Conserv 63(4):173–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong HS, Huang JL, Zhang LP, Du PF (2005) Modelling pollutant loads and management alternatives in Jiulong River watershed with AnnAGNPS. Environ Sci 26(4):63–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhnle RA, Bingner RL, Alonso CV, Wilson CG, Simon A (2008) Conservation practice effects on sediment load in the Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed. J Soil Water Conserv 63(6):496–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Momm H, Bingner RL, Wells RR, Wilcox D (2012) AnnAGNPS GIS-based tool for watershed-scale identification and mapping of cropland potential ephemeral gullies. Appl Eng Agricu 28(1):17–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Momm HG, Bingner RL, Yuan Y, Locke MA, Wells RR (2014) Spatial characterization of riparian buffer effects on sediment loads from watershed systems. J Environ Qual 43:1736–1753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nachtergaele J, Poesen J, Steegen A, Takken I, Beuselinck L, Vandekerckhove L, Govers G (2001) The value of a physically based model versus an empirical approach in the prediction of ephemeral gully erosion for loess-derived soils. Geomorphology 40:237–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nachtergaele J, Poesen J, Sidorchuk A, Torri D (2002) Prediction of flow width in ephemeral gully channels. Hydrol Process 16:1935–1953

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parajuli PB, Nelson NO, Frees LD, Mankin KR (2009) Comparison of AnnAGNPS and SWAT model simulation results in USDA-CEAP agricultural watersheds in south-central Kansas. Hydrol Process 23:748–763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renard KG, Foster GR, Weesies GA, McCool DK, Yoder DC, coordinators. (1997) Predicting soil erosion by water: a guide to conservation planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook No. 703, p 404

  • Souchere V, Cerdan O, Ludwig B, Le Bissonnais Y, Couturier A, Papy F (2003) Modelling ephemeral gully erosion in small cultivated catchments. Catena 50:489–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taguas EV, Yuan Y, Bingner RL, Gomez JA (2012) Modelling the contribution of ephemeral gully erosion under different soil managements: a case study in an olive orchard microcatchment using the AnnAGNPS model. Catena 98:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Theurer FD, Clarke CD (1991) Wash load component for sediment yield modeling. In Proceedings of the fifth federal interagency sedimentation conference, March 18–21 1991, pp 7-1–7-8

  • Theurer FD, Alonso CV, Bernard JM (1996) Hydraulic geometry for pollutant loading computer models using geographical information systems to develop input data. In Proceedings of the sixth federal interagency sedimentation conference, March 1996, p 8

  • US Department of Agriculture (2009) Summary Report: 2007 National Resources Inventory, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC, and Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, p 123

  • USDA (1980) CREAMS: a field-scale model for chemicals, runoff, and erosion from agricultural management systems. In: Knisel WG (ed) Conservation Research Rep. No. 26, Washington, DC

  • Wells RR, Momm HG, Rigby JR, Bennett SJ, Bingner RL, Dabney SM (2013) An empirical investigation of gully widening rates in upland concentrated flows. Catena 101:114–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson G (2011) Understanding soil-pipe flow and its role in ephemeral gully erosion. Hydrol Process 25:2354–2364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward DE (1999) Method to predict cropland ephemeral gully erosion. Catena 37:393–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan Y, Locke MA, Bingner RL (2008) Annualized agricultural non-point source model application for mississippi delta beasley lake watershed conservation practices assessment. J Soil Water Conserv Soc 63(6):542–551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zema DA, Bingner RL, Denisi P, Govers G, Licciardello F, Zimbone SM (2012) Evaluation of runoff, peak flow and sediment yield for events simulated by the AnnAGNPS model in a Belgian agricultural watershed. Land Degrad Dev 23:205–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, PO Box 1157, Oxford, MS, 38655, USA

    R. L. Bingner, R. R. Wells & J. R. Rigby

  2. Department of Geosciences, Middle Tennessee State University, Kirksey Old Main 322G, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA

    H. G. Momm

  3. USDA-NRCS (Retired), Gaithersburg, MD, 20879, USA

    F. D. Theurer

Authors
  1. R. L. Bingner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. R. Wells
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. G. Momm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. R. Rigby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. F. D. Theurer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. L. Bingner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bingner, R.L., Wells, R.R., Momm, H.G. et al. Ephemeral gully channel width and erosion simulation technology. Nat Hazards 80, 1949–1966 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-2053-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-2053-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation