Introduction to Precipitation Runoff Process and Soil Erosion Risk Analysis in a Specific Area of Interest to Design Control Measures
The knowledge on the spatial variability and hydrological behaviour of contributing areas to specific outlet is a fundamental input for developing appropriate water resource planning and management actions that take part in various areas of human activities. The aim of this contribution is to present the possibilities to assess the precipitation runoff process and soil erosion risk in a specific area using the theoretical approaches with the simplest requirements for meteorological and surface runoff data. Considering the connectivity and behaviour of natural processes, the analysis of precipitation runoff process and soil erosion risk is crucial prior to the design of technical water management practices and technical erosion control measures in the landscape. The characteristics of design rain, e.g. the intensity, annual frequency and duration can be determined using practical tools or according to the analysis of the cost and damages related to specific technical measure. The intensity of design rain can be estimated according to the long term meteorological observations and intensity duration frequency curves developed using region specific equations (Dub's formula, Urcikan's formula) For the design of water management, conservation (especially erosion) or other measures for ecological stabilization and protection of the area, it is important in particular to determine the following characteristics of surface runoff: beginning of surface runoff, design discharge from the contributing area, the depth of the surface runoff, and the volume of surface runoff. Estimating the soil erosion risk by water erosion can be done according to the slope gradient or USLE calculation and subsequent comparison of estimated value with tolerable soil loss. Regardless of the location of specific areas, we have found that the design parameters of water management and technical erosion control practices, facilities and measures, including their localization can be determined by applying and modifying the existing theoretical and practical hydrological knowledge. We also found that this design cannot be executed without an analysis of the precipitation runoff process and the erosion risk of this territory. In relation to the climate change and changing rainfall patterns in all regions worldwide, further studies should be conducted to specify the regional characteristics of precipitation, soil and its usage.
Journal of Ecological Engineering