Soil Erosion and Sedimentation in Upper Mill Creek, Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Abstract
Soil erosion, buffer zone deposition, and sediment transport processes were studied over a five-month period in the upper reaches of Mill Creek, on Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The objectives of the study were to approximate the erosional contribution of dirt roads to sediment detachment and transport, to assess the deposition of eroded soil in wetland buffer zones, and to measure suspended sediment leaving the basin. Repeat cross-section surveys and bulk density samples of selected "rill erosion" road hill slopes and roadside gullies were used to measure soil loss during the period. Soil 2 loss from rain splash was monitored from small field plots (4.0 ft ). Wetland buffer zone deposition was measured by a series of plastic mats as sediment traps across a buffer transect. Particle-size distributions from wetland buffer zone deposits were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of transport and storage along the buffer zone transects. Suspended sediment concentrations were collected from two tributaries above their confluence and from the main channel below the confluence. Combinations of instrumentation, field observations, and comparisons with regional values reported in the literature and from model output were used to approximate the relative importance of sediment sources and sinks in the upper basin of Mill Creek. Soil-loss rates and sediment deposition results were used to evaluate erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment from the dirt roads and buffer zones. Unit sediment mass from dirt road small box plots were significantly higher than forested small box plots unit sediment masses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA378099
Entities
People
- Randall E. Wheeler
Organizations
- University of South Carolina