Evaluation of Modeling Approach for Suspended Sediment Yield Reduction by Surface Cover Material using Rice Straw at Upland Field

Sediment-laden water leads to water quality degradation in streams; therefore, best management practices must be implemented in the source area to control nonpoint source pollution. Field monitoring was implemented to measure precipitation, direct runoff, and sediment concentrations at a control plot and straw-applied plot to examine the effect on sediment reduction in this study. A hydrology model, which employs Curve Number (CN) to estimate direct runoff and the Universal Soil Loss Equation to estimate soil loss, was selected. Twenty-five storm events from October 2010 to July 2012 were observed at the control plot, and 14 storm events from April 2011 to July 2011 at the straw-applied plot. CN was calibrated for direct runoff, and the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and coefficient of determination were 0.66 and 0.68 at the control plot. Direct runoff at the straw-applied plot was calibrated using the percentage direct runoff reduction. The estimated reduction in sediment load by direct runoff reduction calibration alone was acceptable. Therefore, direct runoff-sediment load behaviors in a hydrology model should be considered to estimate sediment load and the reduction thereof.