Select Page

Assessment of Soil Loss, Sediment Yield and Water Quality of an Agricultural Watershed

Leyma L. Cero1 and Victor S. Luis, Jr.2

ABSTRACT

The average sheet and rill erosion from 200-ha Angasin watershed was estimated at 45.72 tons/ha/yr using a modified Universal Soil Loss Equation. Among the types of land cover and slopes ranges studied, soil loss per unit area was found highest in areas under diversified cropping followed by shrub lands and the least was in coconut areas.

The relation between sediment concentration and streamflow discharge, expressed as a power function, was found highly significant. The estimated suspended sediment yield was 37.88 tons/ha/yr. Water temperature, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity and iron concentration were significantly higher during the wet season while pH values were higher during the dry season.

Keywords: erosion, sediment yield, sediment rating curve, water quality, Taal Lake basin

1Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, College of Engineering and Information Technology, Cavite State University, 4122 Indang, Cavite, Philippines; 2Former Professor, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031 College, Laguna, Philippines.