Application of the WEPS and SWEEP models to non-agricultural disturbed lands

Abstract

Wind erosion not only affects agricultural productivity but also soil, air, and water quality. Dust and specifically particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM-10) has adverse effects on respiratory health and also reduces visibility along roadways, resulting in auto accidents. The Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) was developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service to simulate wind erosion and provide for conservation planning on cultivated agricultural lands. A companion product, known as the Single-Event Wind Erosion Evaluation Program (SWEEP), has also been developed which consists of the stand-alone WEPS erosion submodel combined with a graphical interface to simulate soil loss from single (i.e., daily) wind storm events. In addition to agricultural lands, wind driven dust emissions also occur from other anthropogenic sources such as construction sites, mined and reclaimed areas, landfills, and other disturbed lands. Although developed for agricultural fields, WEPS and SWEEP are useful tools for simulating erosion by wind for non-agricultural lands where typical agricultural practices are not employed. On disturbed lands, WEPS can be applied for simulating long-term (i.e., multi-year) erosion control strategies. SWEEP on the other hand was developed specifically for disturbed lands and can simulate potential soil loss for site- and date-specific planned surface conditions and control practices. This paper presents novel applications of WEPS and SWEEP for developing erosion control strategies on non-agricultural disturbed lands. Erosion control planning with WEPS and SWEEP using water and other dust suppressants, wind barriers, straw mulch, re-vegetation, and other management practices is demonstrated herein through the use of comparative simulation scenarios. The scenarios confirm the efficacy of the WEPS and SWEEP models as valuable tools for supporting the design of erosion control plans for disturbed lands that are not only cost-effective but also incorporate a science-based approach to risk assessment.

Keywords: Environmental Science.

Fig. 1

WEPS model components, submodels, and databases (from Wagner, 2013).

Fig. 2

WEPS graphical user interface (GUI) main screen.

Fig. 3

The SWEEP GUI main screen showing the Field tab for a 500 × 500 m field with two wind barriers (red lines) in place.

Fig. 4

Example SWEEP output screen for the field configuration shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5

Straw bale grid placed on the surface to act as a wind barrier (top) until vegetation is established (bottom).

Fig. 6

SWEEP GUI Soil Surface tab screen with soil properties entered for simulating a dust suppressant.

Fig. 7

SWEEP GUI Biomass tab screen with soil properties entered for simulating crimped straw with an average residue height of 0.1 m, stem area index of 1 (i.e., estimated for 10 cm high and 3.0 mm diameter straw and 3200 standing stems), and flat cover of 20%.

Fig. 8

April threshold and wind data by direction for a loamy sand soil located in Albuquerque, NM with ridges (200 mm height, 100 mm spacing, and 200 mm width) oriented east-west (90 degrees from north).

Fig. 9

April threshold and wind data by direction for a loamy sand soil located in Albuquerque, NM with ridges (200 mm height, 100 mm spacing, and 200 mm width) oriented north-south (0 degrees from north).