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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #63694
Title: EVALUATION OF WEPP: HILLSLOPES AND SMALL WATERSHEDS

Author
item Nearing, Mark
item Nicks, Arlin

Submitted to: NATO-Advanced Research Workshop on Global Change Modelling Soil Erosion by
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Thorough evaluation and testing of the WEPP model is critical to acceptance of the technology. A critical aspect of the evaluation process involves determining how well the model results match existing data and information on rates of erosion, including both soil loss and sediment yield. It is also very important to the land owner and the conservation planner. WEPP is a conservation planning tool, which implies that land management decisions, which always have associated monetary and social costs, will be based in part on the results of the model. It is very important that the WEPP model results be critically and thoroughly evaluated relative to the best existing information on rates of soil erosion. Runoff predictions fit very well with measured runoff data for uncalibrated parameters on a storm-by-storm basis. Erosion prediction exhibited a reasonable correlation on an event basis, but to a lesser degree of accuracy than the runoff predictions, which was expected. The cumulative probability distributions for predicted erosion were representative of those for the measured data, as were the average annual erosion rates as a function of treatment. The model follows general soil loss trends as described by USLE/RUSLE technology, but exhibits a much greater and more realistic interdependence of factors which influence erosion.