TITLE:
USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory: A Historic Perspective
AUTHORS:
Robert R. Wells, Sean J. Bennett, Ronald L. Bingner, Seth M. Dabney, Eddy J. Langendoen, Henrigue G. Momm, Mathias J. M. Römkens, Glenn V. Wilson
KEYWORDS:
Soil Erosion, Sedimentation, Ephemeral Gully, Water Quality, Modeling
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.7 No.3,
February
25,
2015
ABSTRACT: Most
authorities concede sediment from soil erosion to be the largest single stream pollutant.
Physical damage from sediment includes reservoir storage loss, navigation
channel filling, stream channel morphology alterations, ecological impacts, and
clogging of drainage pathways. Ultimately, soil erosion is a very expensive
problem. In the United States, accelerated soil erosion has been an ongoing
issue since the establishment of the colonies. Through the initiative of great
minds and the labor of countless individuals, the USDA was established and
continues to fight for the people, providing assistance, guidance, and
research. In this manuscript, the historical groundwork is laid for the
establishment of the USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory (NSL) and a
synopsis of NSL research is provided. This brief perspective of soil erosion research
conducted on behalf of the people is but a small portion of the illustrious
history of the USDA.