Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #64107
Title: OVERVIEW OF THE WATER EROSION PREDICTION PROJECT EROSION MODEL, CHAPTER 1

Author
item Flanagan, Dennis
item Ascough Ii, James
item Nicks, Arlin
item Nearing, Mark
item Laflen, John

Submitted to: Water Erosion Prediction Project Documentation
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The USDA - Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model represents a new erosion prediction technology based on fundamentals of stochastic weather generation, infiltration theory, hydrology, soil physics, plant science, hydraulics, and erosion mechanics. The hillslope or landscape profile application of the model provides major advantages over existing erosion prediction technology. The most notable advantages include capabilities for estimating spatial and temporal distributions of soil loss (net soil loss for an entire hillslope or for each point on a slope profile can be estimated on a daily, monthly, or average annual basis), and since the model is process-based it can be extrapolated to a broad range of conditions that may not be practical or economical to field test. In watershed applications, sediment yield from entire fields can be estimated. The model accommodates the spatial and temporal variability in topography, surface roughness, soil properties, crops, and land use conditions on hillslopes. In watershed applications, the model allows linkage of hillslope profiles to channels and impoundments. Water and sediment from one or more hillslopes can be routed through a small field- scale watershed. Almost all of the parameter updating for hillslopes is duplicated for channels. The model simulates channel detachment, sediment transport and deposition. Impoundments such as farm ponds, terraces, culverts, filter fences and check dams can be simulated to remove sediment from the flow. This chapter briefly describes the model user requirements, the basic concepts involved in the development of the mathematical models, the model components, and the program design and development.