Biosystems Engineering

1. 471 BERKELEY DRIVE
CLEMSON, SC
BE 3220 - Hydrology Design Project
Kira Bartlett, Raymond Middleswarth, Ashleigh Hough
April 21, 2015

2. LOCATION (GEOGRAPHICAL)

3. LOCATION (TOPOGRAPHICAL)

4. LOCATION

5. CURRENT PROBLEM
• Two hills
– “Big Hill”: 52.5 feet long with a 20% slope
– “Small Hill”: 82.5 feet long with a 5% slope
• Rill formation where the hill bases meet
• Runoff moves through the adjacent shed and
occasionally causes a creek to form

6. PROJECT GOALS
• Transform the property into a community
garden
• Minimize erosion and runoff
• Reduce the runoff and sediment volume
entering the shed
– Dry conditions necessary to store equipment
– Reduce cleaning after rainstorms

7. PROPERTY DATA
Modeled as Two Separate Hillslopes
Cropping Factor: 0.012
25% Canopy of Tall Weeds
80% Ground Cover
Soil Type: Starr Loam (K=0.37)
(via Web Soil Survey)

8. USCLE: CURRENT SITUATION
Small Hill Big Hill
R 250 250
K 0.37 0.37
LS 0.601 2.283
C 0.012 0.012
P 1 1
T 0.667
tons/acre/year
2.53
tons/acre/year
Rate of Annual Soil Loss: 3.2
tons/acre/year
Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.233 tons

9. WEPP: CURRENT SITUATION
Slope: 52.5 ft. at 20% slope
Profile Width of 54 feet
Climate: Clemson College, SC
Management: Grass (cont.)
Average Annual Runoff: 5.29 in
Average Annual Soil Loss:
1.758 tons/acre
Slope: 82.5 ft. at 5% slope
Profile Width of 54 feet
Climate: Clemson College, SC
Management: Grass (cont.)
Average Annual Runoff: 4.58 in
Average Annual Soil Loss:
0.996 tons/acre
Big Hill Small Hill
Rate of Annual Soil Loss: 2.754 tons/acre
Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.2163 tons

10. PROPOSED SOLUTION
Four Terraces
Open Channel Flow

11. USLE: PROPOSED SOLUTION
Terrace 1 Terrace 2 Terrace 3 Terrace 4
R 250 250 250 250
K 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37
LS 0.442 0.442 1.45 1.45
Crop Seq. CCCCC SSSM CCCM CAAA
C 0.03 0.18 0.02 0.02
P 1 1 1 1
T (tons/acre) 1.226 7.359 2.683 2.683
SDR 10% 16%
T (tons/acre) 0.7482 0.497
Rate of Annual Soil Loss: 1.246 tons/acre
Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.1089 tons

12. WEPP: PROPOSED SOLUTION
Terrace 1 Terrace 2 Terrace 3 Terrace 4
Slope
Characteristics
40 ft. with 5%
slope
40 ft. with 5%
slope
25 ft. with 20%
slope
25 ft. with 20%
slope
Management Corn No Till Soybean No Till Corn No Till Alfalfa with
Cuttings
Average
Annual Soil
Loss
(tons/acre)
2.367 2.625 2.618 3.599
SDR 10% 16%
T (tons/acre) 0.2862 0.5110
Assumptions
Climate: Clemson College, SC
Profile Width: 54 feet
Rate of Annual Soil Loss: 0.7972 tons/acre
Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.0625 tons

13. ANALYSIS OF PROPOSED SOLUTION
USLE
Current Situation
– Rate of Soil Loss: 3.2 tons/acre
– Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.233
tons
Proposed Solution
– Rate of Soil Loss: 1.246
tons/acre
– Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.1089
tons
WEPP
Current Situation
– Rate of Soil Loss: 2.754 tons/acre
– Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.2163
tons
Proposed Solution
– Rate of Soil Loss: 0.7972
tons/acre
– Total Annual Soil Loss: 0.0625
tons
Erosion Reduction: 61% Erosion Reduction: 71%

14. OPEN CHANNEL DESIGN
• Use of WEPP Model (10-year Storm)
– Big Hill Peak Rate: 5.6 in/hr
– Small Hill peak Rate: 4.8 in/hr
• Parabolic Channel Design
• Vegetation Lined – Grass Mixture
– Short Vegetation (2-6 inches)
• Slope of Profile Width: 0.2 %
10-Year Storm
Q= 0.000257 cfs
Duration of 1 Day:
Total Runoff Volume: 166.4 gallons

15. ALTERNATIVE DESIGN OPTIONS
• Different Terracing Setups
– Change number of Terraces and Terrace Lengths
– Include terraces with grass or meadow
• Contouring or Contour Strip-cropping
• Some methods found to be more effective in erosion
control, but less practical and/or profitable

16. SUMMATION
• 4 Terraces
– Reduces Sediment Loss by 60-70%
– Allows for use of land as a garden
• Open Channel Flow
– Redirects runoff and sediment away from the
shed
OVERALL:
Balances Sediment Loss with
Practicality and Economics to
obtain Project Objectives

17. REFERENCES
“Web Soil Survey.” Web Soil Survey. USDA: Natural Resources
Conservation Service, n.d.
Owino, Tom. “Open Channel Hydraulic” Handout. Small
Watershed Hydrology and Sedimentology. Clemson
University. April 2015. Print (unpublished).
Owino, Tom. “Soil Erosion” Handout. Small Watershed
Hydrology and Sedimentology. Clemson University. February
2015. Print (unpublished).
Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP)