Use of WEPP modeling in watershed analysis and timber harvest planning

Conroy. 2001. Use of WEPP modeling in watershed analysis and timber harvest planning. ASAE paper number 01-8005, presented at the 2001 ASAE Annual International Meeting sponsored by American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, California, USA, July 30--August 1, 2001. ASAE--2001: An Engineering Odyssey. Technical Session 21: Forest soil erosion and water quality. St. Joseph, MI: ASAE. DOI:10.13031/2013.7501

Keywords: soil erosion, WEEP, modeling, timber harvest

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Abstract: As part of its Habitat Conservation Plan, the Pacific Lumber Company is evaluating the effects of its management activities on the water quality parameters of the streams within its 225,000- acre ownership. Our Science Staff, in conjunction with U.S. Forest Service researchers, have developed procedures for estimating the amount of sediment delivered to watercourses from past, present, and future timber harvest operations. These analyses are conducted at both large (Watershed Analysis) and small (Timber Harvest Plan project) levels. The evaluation tool we designed allows resource managers to compare the effects of varying levels of disturbance (e.g., silvicultural intensity, harvesting method, and site preparation method) so that they can develop appropriate management plans and, site-specific mitigation measures to minimize or completely offset the detrimental impacts. Currently, we are conducting research and monitoring activities to validate the model’s accuracy, and to expand the usage of the model to other areas of our operation. In the future, we expect that our procedures can be used by other resource professionals, instead of the ownership-specific usage of it’s current application.

Moscow FSL publication no. 2001b