When does Soil Erosion Occur

[Zack Young]

Based on an Hjulstrom’s erosion chart, I’m trying to figure where erosion occurs on a site.  The chart shows when soil types will erode once water at a certain velocity will contact it.

I’m not very knowledgeable in engineering or soil types, so I have two questions:

1) Is there a formula I can use to calculate the peak velocity of water flow over constant slopes on the site?

2) Can the soil types for Woodland and lawn be typified? (woodland mostly loam?/silty loam? lawn mostly clay loam?)

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Rob Halpern]

Each soil must be understood for its own traits. Often a civil engineer will be needed on the team.

I worked on a project where the soils were a crumbly shale. They were not going to erode but more likely would collapse. Now I am working on a project 45 miles from that one. Soils are old Great Lakes dunes, 98%sand. Easily eroded. Forest cover looked similar in each case.

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