Estimate of sediment yield in a basin without sediment data

Abstract In this study, three mathematical models for the estimate of sediment yield, due to soil and stream erosion, at the outlet of a basin are presented. Each model consists of three submodels: a rainfall-runoff submodel, a soil erosion submodel and a sediment transport submodel for streams. The rainfall-runoff and the stream sediment transport submodels are identical in the three mathematical models. The rainfall-runoff submodel that is used for the computation of the runoff in a sub-basin is a simplified water balance model for the soil root zone. For the estimate of soil erosion in a sub-basin, three different submodels are used alternatively, owing to the fact that erosion or sediment yield data are not available. The soil erosion submodels are (a) a modified form of the classical Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE, [Foster, G.R., Meyer, L.D., Onstad, C.A., 1977. A runoff erosivity factor and variable slope length exponents for soil loss estimates. Transactions of the ASAE, 20 (4), 683–687]) taking into account both the rainfall erosion and the runoff erosion, (b) the relationships of Poesen [Poesen, J., 1985. An improved splash transport model. Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie, 29, 193–211] quantifying the splash detachment, as well as the upslope and downslope splash transport, (c) the relationships of Schmidt [Schmidt, J., 1992. Predicting the sediment yield from agricultural land using a new soil erosion model. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on River Sedimentation. Karlsruhe, Germany, pp. 1045–1051] including the momentum flux exerted by the droplets and the momentum flux exerted by the runoff. The sediment transport submodel for streams aims to estimate the sediment yield at the outlet of a sub-basin. This quantity results by comparing the available sediment amount in the main stream of a sub-basin with the sediment transport capacity by stream flow, which is computed by the relationships of Yang and Stall [Yang, C.T., Stall, J.B., 1976. Applicability of unit stream power equation. Journal of the Hydraulics Division, ASCE, 102, 559–568]. The mathematical models were applied to the basin of Kompsatos River, in northeastern Greece, with an area of about 565 km2. The whole basin was divided into 18 natural sub-basins for more precise calculations. Monthly rainfall data were available for 27 years (1966–1992); therefore, the calculations were performed on a monthly basis. The deviation between the three mean annual values of sediment yield at the basin outlet, for 27 years, resulting from the three mathematical models is relatively small.