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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #344447
Research Project: Assessing and Managing Antibiotic Resistance, Nutrients, and Pathogens In Animal-Impacted Agroecosystems

Location: Agroecosystem Management Research

Title: Surface detention on cropland, rangeland, and conservation reserve program areas

Author
item Gilley, John

Submitted to: Transactions of the ASABE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2018
Publication Date: 6/27/2018
Citation: Gilley, J.E. 2018. Surface detention on cropland, rangeland, and conservation reserve program areas. Transactions of the ASABE. 61(3):955-966. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.12569.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.12569

Interpretive Summary: One of the factors contributing to runoff on upland areas is surface detention which is water stored temporarily in a thin sheet on the soil surface. Significant factors influencing surface detention include surface roughness, vegetation, slope, rainfall, and topography. This study was conducted to quantify surface detention on selected cropland, rangeland, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sites. Surface detention was determined from field rainfall simulation studies. Surface detention values generally increased as crop residue or surface vegetative cover increased. Mean surface detention values were reported in a tabular format for fallow – cropland, tilled – cropland, no-till cropland, rangeland, and CRP areas. The surface detention values determined in this study can be used in hydrologic design and modeling activities.

Technical Abstract: One of the factors contributing to overland flow on upland areas is surface detention which is water stored temporarily in a thin sheet on the soil surface. Significant factors influencing surface detention include surface micro-relief, vegetation, slope gradient, rainfall excess, and topography. This study was conducted to quantify surface detention on selected cropland, rangeland, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sites. Surface detention was determined from the recession portion of runoff hydrographs corresponding with the period when rainfall had ceased but runoff continued. The hydrographs were generated from rainfall simulation studies conducted at a design intensity of 64 mm h-1 on paired 3.7 m wide x 10.7 m long plots. Surface detention values generally increased as crop residue or surface vegetative cover increased. Mean surface detention for fallow – cropland, tilled – cropland, no-till cropland, rangeland, and CRP areas were 3.1, 5.0, 6.9, 9.6, and 10.8 mm, respectively. The surface detention values reported in this study are applicable on upland areas where broad sheet flow conditions predominate.