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Title: HEADCUT EROSION RESEARCH

Author
item Robinson, Kerry
item Hanson, Gregory

Submitted to: Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2001
Publication Date: 3/27/2001
Citation: Robinson, K.M., Hanson, G.J. 2001. Headcut erosion research. Proceedings of the 7th Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference. 2:V-15-V-22.

Interpretive Summary: Gully erosion and headcut movement causes major damage by dissecting productive farmland and transporting vast quantities of sediment into streams. In addition to topsoil losses and environmental damage, headcut erosion can cause stream channel instability and damage to earth channels and spillways. This paper summarizes the results of a comprehensive research program on headcut erosion processes. The most important influences on headcut erosion such as soil forces, hydraulic forces, and overfall geometry are examined and discussed. This information has been used to develop headcut prediction methods. A brief summary is provided of the numerous projects conducted over the last seven years in a headcut test facility, and pertinent references are provided. This information should be of interest to researchers, engineers, and/or water resources managers responsible for predicting soil erosion, reducing sediment loading, and improving water quality.

Technical Abstract: A comprehensive research study was conducted to examine headcut erosion processes in compacted cohesive soils. A headcut erosion test facility was constructed, and a systematic examination of the dominant parameters that influence headcut formation and movement was performed. Major findings from the last seven years of headcut erosion research using this facility are briefly summarized, and pertinent references are provided. The influence of soil properties, hydraulic forces, overfall geometry, and multiple soil layers in the profile were examined. The influence of weathering and fractured materials are also being investigated. Predictive relationships are discussed that allow the user to predict the headcut advance rate and the rate of vertical scour downstream of a headcut. Investigation of this challenging topic is ongoing.