Watershed Yield

The ebb and flow of sediment movement in a watershed is spatially and temporally complex and difficult to quantify. However, attempting to quantify and understand sediment dynamics in a watershed is important for the successful management of aquatic and terrestrial ecology and [Page 3075]the associated health of the watershed. Soil erosion is a worldwide problem that has degraded small and large watersheds. Estimating the sediment yield of a watershed helps resource managers understand the amount of soil erosion that exists and how much sediment is stored in the watershed. Within the fluvial hierarchy, watersheds provide a spatial framework by which the physical and environmental metrics influencing sediment movement can be evaluated. A watershed is defined as the contributing area of land that captures and drains ...