THE EFFECTS OF RIPARIAN CORRIDORS AND CONSERVATION TILLAGE ON SOIL EROSION FOR CLEAR CREEK, OHIO

Nonpoint source water pollution is a serious concern throughout the world and costs tens of billions of dollars annually just in the United States (Engel et al. 1992). Besides influencing water quality, loss of topsoil also results in a reduction of agricultural productivity. When compared with undisturbed watersheds, agricultural watersheds show an increased rate of erosion between one and three orders of magnitude (Evans and Seamon 1997). Of the many attributes affecting erosion rates, humans can control a number of significant variables including land use, land management, vegetation type and density. Land management strategies, also called Best Management Practices (BMPs) are implemented throughout the United States to control nonpoint source pollution. The BMPs effect the hydrologic characteristics of a watershed and are designed to control, and manage the flow of water and sediment in the watershed. Geographic Information Systems (GIS-based) models are well suited to analyzing and modeling the effectiveness of a BMP. This study integrates multi-temporal aerial photography for the land use analysis and the Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model (AGNPS). The AGNPS model combines information on climatology, topography, soil characteristics, and land management practices for a particular watershed to simulate sediment loading and erosion. Integrating AGNPS with a GIS allows several data sources to be combined and manipulated while maintaining spatial heterogeneity. The AGNPS model predicts water quality and sediment transport variables, while the use of a GIS provides us with a greater ability to assess on the effectiveness of different management strategies (Tim and Jolly 1994). This study presents the effects of several BMP techniques on the 58,725 acre Clear Creek watershed located in Southeast Ohio. The use of conservation tillage and the addition or expansion of riparian corridors is modeled to achieve a reduction in soil erosion in the watershed. This technology and technique will be a powerful technique for the development of future management strategies in the watershed.