Project Number: 5362-13610-009-04
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 26, 2007
End Date: Aug 12, 2011

Objective:
1. Develop risk assessment protocols for RHEM - Fall 2008. 2. Develop parameter estimation relationships/procedures for disturbed site conditions such as fire and juniper (Ke, Kss, Kf, ff, tc) - May 2008. 3. Assist Tucson effort in developing parameter estimation procedures for the basic infiltration (Ke) and sheet erosion (Kss) parameters - January 2008. 4. Assist Tucson effort in designing & coding model interface to represent risk assessment and parameterization protocols - May 2009. 5. Assist other project scientists with model documentation - September 2009. In the fall of 2009, the RHEM technology will be ready for application to assess runoff and erosion on NRI or similar data points and to run scenarios for alternative management scenarios in order to assess the effects of alternative rangeland management practices on hydrologic and erosional states as part of NRCS Conservation Environmental Assessment Program (CEAP).

Approach:
Aid development of the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) to provide quantitative, risk-based measures of water retention and erosion for rangeland sites in the Intermountain West using data available in the NRCS. National Resource Inventory (NRI). The model will be responsive to differences in vegetation biomass, cover, and life forms and fire. These attributes are expected to relate to NRCS rangeland practices, including: Prescribed grazing; prescribed burning; brush management; rangeland seeding; pest management. This work will be closely coordinated with work conducted at the USDA-ARS, Southwest Watershed Research Center, Tucson, AZ. Documents SCA with U. of ID. Formerly 5362-13610-007-10S (6/12/2008)