Sediment Transport from Urban, Urbanizing, and Rural Areas in Johnson County, Kansas, 2006-08

1. Studies have commonly illustrated that erosion and sediment transport from construction sites is extensive, typically 10-100X that of background levels.

2. However, to our knowledge, the affects of construction and urbanization have rarely been assessed (1) since erosion and sediment controls have been required at construction sites, and (2) at watershed (5-65 mi2) scales. This is primarily because of difficulty characterizing sediment loads in small basins. Studies (such as that illustrated from Timble, 1999) illustrated how large changes in surface erosion may not result in substantive changes in downstream sediment loads (b/c of sediment deposition on land-surfaces, floodplains, and in stream channels).

3. Improved technology (in-situ turbidity) sensors provide a good application b/c they provide an independent surrogate of sediment concentration that is more accurate at estimating sediment concentrations and loads that instantaneous streamflow.