Surface Erosion Control on Roads in Granitic Soils

by Edward R. Burroughs, Jr., USDA, Forest Service, Intermountain, Forest & Range Experiment, Station, Moscow, ID, USA,
John G. King, USDA, Forest Service, Intermountain, Forest & Range Experiment, Station, Moscow, ID, USA,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Watershed Management in the Eighties

Abstract:

The impact of forest road construction on water quality and fish habitat is a serious problem for engineers, hydrologists, and foresters. Control of surface erosion is an important and expensive item in forest road construction. But, erosion control is hampered by our limited ability to estimate sediment yield from forest roads and to evaluate the effectiveness of erosion control treatments. Simulated rainfall was used to generate runoff and sediment yield from forest roads and fillslopes built in granitic soils to test the effectiveness of various surfacing materials, mulches, and barriers as erosion control treatments. An empirical equation is presented and used to estimate the relative effectiveness of gravel, dust oil, and bituminous surface treatments in reducing sediment yield relative to that of an unsurfaced road.

Subject Headings: Erosion | Sediment | Forests | Highways and roads | Highway and road management | Runoff | Rainfall-runoff relationships

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search