ASABE Technical Library - Abstract

Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.
If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, view access and subscription options

Application of RUSLE2 for Erosion Control on Construction Sites

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Soil Erosion Research Under a Changing Climate, January 8-13, 2023, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, USA  .(doi:10.13031/soil.23529)
Authors:   Adriana Ramirez-Cuebas, Walter F. Silva-Araya
Keywords:   BMPs, Erosion, RUSLE2, Sedimentation Control Plans.

Abstract

Erosion is the main source of sediment that pollutes streams, fills reservoirs, creates hazardous situations in rural and urban environments, and affects marine ecosystems (Julien, 2010). It has accelerated to unnatural speeds due to the intensification of droughts and precipitation events propelled by climate change (Olsson et al., 2019) and other human activity such as construction, which produces 10-20 times more erosion than agricultural activity if preventative measures and best management practices are not applied (Morgan, 2005). With the expected increase in construction activities as a part of Puerto Rico‘s economic development and infrastructure recovery and acknowledging that erosion poses a large risk to economic, social, and ecological health and well-being, it is undisputable that erosion is not only a serious environmental problem but a sustainability problem demanding urgent attention in Puerto Rico and the rest of the world. Engineering methods assisted by computer algorithms, like RUSLE2, play a crucial role in the design of effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) for erosion and sediment control in construction projects.

RUSLE2 is a computer algorithm created cooperatively by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Biosystems Engineering and Environmental Science Department of the University of Tennessee based on the use of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) (USDA, 2013). It is used to estimate soil loss during a period in (tons/acre) per period considering the site‘s climatology, soil type, topography, land cover, and management practices. The methodology involves 1) using RUSLE2 to compare alternative erosion control practices in Puerto Rican construction site scenarios with the construction template, 2) comparing RUSLE and RUSLE2 soil loss estimates in construction site scenarios, and 3) developing an installation and user guide. The construction site template provides additional views and features for building the soil profile and the applied best management practices that may allow for more precise soil loss modeling for complex field sites. While a RUSLE2 user and installation guide for Puerto Rico, including its designated databases, will promote the introduction and use of this tool in the preparation of erosion and sedimentation control plans. The databases required by RUSLE2 for Puerto Rico were identified through consultation with the USDA-NRCS and although the guide‘s database is tailored for Puerto Rico, the program interface explanation serves a general audience.

(Download PDF)    (Export to EndNotes)