Validation of the Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition (USPED) Model at Fort Hood, Texas

Abstract

Soil erosion has been recognized as a significant environmental malady in the United States for over 200 years. Numerous attempts have been made to model and quantify the issue, yet significant issues remain that hinder the accuracy and effectiveness of such models. This manuscript describes an attempt to model soil erosion and concomitant sedimentation with the Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition (USPED) model at an active military training installation. The model accurately determined both soil erosion and sediment deposition on a spatial basis at 83% of 60 randomly assigned points where model estimates were compared to visual estimates. While not perfect, the USPED model estimates exceeded a predetermined threshold of 80% established, recognizing that model estimates represent long-term estimates while visual estimates are based on recent conditions only.