Simulation of spatial and temporal distribution on dissolved non-point source nitrogen and phosphorus load in Jialing River Watershed,China

Jialing River, which covers a basin area of 160,000 km² and a length of 1,280 km, is the largest tributary of the catchment area in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China. In recent years, water quality in the reservoir area section of Jialing River has been degraded due to land use and the rural residential area induced by non-point source pollution. Therefore, the semi-distributed land-use runoff process (SLURP) hydrological model has been introduced and used to simulate the integrated hydrological cycle of the Jialing River Watershed (JRW). A coupling watershed model between the SLURP hydrological model and dissolved non-point source pollution model has been proposed in an attempt to evaluate the potential dissolved non-point source pollution load; it enhances the simulation precision of runoff and pollution load which are both based on the same division of land use types in the watershed. The proposed model has been applied in JRW to simulate the temporal and spatial distribution of the dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) and dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) pollution load for the period 1990–2007. It is shown that both the temporal and spatial distribution of DTN and DTP load are positively correlated to annual rainfall height. Land use is the key factor controlling the distribution of DTN and DTP load. The source compositions of DTN and DTP are different, where average DTN pollution load in descending order is land use 67.2%, livestock and poultry breeding 30.5%, and rural settlements 2.2%; and for DTP, livestock and poultry breeding is 50%, land use 48.8%, and rural settlements 1.2%. The contribution rates of DTN and DTP load in each sub-basin indicate the sensitivity of the results to the temporal and spatial distribution of different pollution sources. These data were of great significance for the prediction and estimation of the future changing trends of dissolved non-point source pollution load carried by rainfall runoff in the JRW and for studies of their transport and influence in the Three Gorges Reservoir.     

黄河干流潼关断面非点源污染负荷估算

基于平均浓度法原理,根据黄河中游降雨径流特点,将年内过程分为汛期和非汛期两个阶段,同时将高含沙水流中的污染负荷分为水体中的溶解态污染负荷、泥沙吸附态负荷两部分,提出了多沙河流非点源污染负荷估算模型;根据黄河干流潼关断面1950-2006年实测水沙资料,结合水体、泥沙污染物浓度测定试验,分别计算了潼关断面2006年以及丰水年(P=25%)、平水年(P=50%)、枯水年(P=75%)3种不同代表年型下的非点源污染负荷.结果表明:黄河干流潼关断面年污染负荷以汛期为主,汛期污染负荷以非点源为主;非点源污染负荷中,硝酸盐氮、氨氮以溶解态为主,总磷以吸附态为主;潼关断面非点源污染负荷占全年负荷比例:丰水年时,硝酸盐氮占63.09%,氨氮占61.32%,总氮占87.17%、总磷占89.83%;枯水年时,硝酸盐氮占26.92%,氨氮占24.62%,总氮占67.60%、总磷占71.73%.2006年,硝酸盐氮、氨氮、总氮和总磷非点源污染负荷占全年比例依次为:17%、14%、15%和41%.     

Development of regional pollution export coefficients based on artificial rainfall experiments and its application in North China

The Export Coefficient Model (ECM) has been widely used to estimate nonpoint source (NPS) pollution loads due to its ease of application. Accurate pollution export coefficients are crucial for reducing uncertainties in load estimation. By integrating artificial simulated rainfall experiments with field survey data, we have developed a new method that estimates regional pollution export coefficients. Results showed that the export coefficients calculated using this new method accurately express the regional rainfall–runoff characteristics, as the simulation precision of this method had grown by 30% than the results with traditional ECM and export coefficients which surveyed from the literature. Based on the calculated regional pollutant export coefficient, the annual loads of TN and TP in the plains area of the Baiyangdian basin in 2010 were 25,967.13 t and 4349.29 t, respectively. Among different types of sources, rural livestock had the greatest contribution (over 60%), whereas rural domestic waste represented the smallest contribution (approximately 10%). Of the different sources, pigs contributed almost half of all NPS pollution from livestock, rural residential areas were the main land use pollution source, and rural living garbage was the main source of rural domestic waste. Spatially, NPS was mainly distributed in the Zhulong and Juma watersheds. Other watersheds only contributed approximately 5% NPS per watershed. However, the per-area loads of these lower load watersheds were larger or nearly equal to that of the Zhulong watershed. Therefore, the lower load watersheds should be addressed for the control of NPS pollution.     

辽河大伙房水库汇水区农业非点源污染入库模拟

利用输出系数法和SWAT模型,对大伙房水库汇水区农业非点源污染(ANSP)进行了入库模拟研究,并用2006—2009年的水文和水质监测数据对模型进行了校准和验证。研究结果表明:汇水区年均输入到水库的泥沙量、总氮和总磷负荷分别为82.65×103 t、1 873.49t和81.97t;月入库泥沙量、总氮和总磷负荷与径流量有着较强的相关性,ANSP的产生和迁移受降水、径流过程影响很大,每年7、8月份的氮、磷和泥沙流失量达到年内最大值,分别占全年流失总量的42.64%、44.42%和67.91%。水库汇水区各流域对水库氮、磷污染的贡献率由大到小依次为:浑河流域(清原段)、苏子河流域、社河流域和水库周边小流域。     

颗粒态氮磷负荷模型研究

为研究妫水河流域的颗粒态氮磷非点源污染来源,以控制非点源污染,在官厅水库周围进行了野外人工降雨试验。试验数据表明,氮磷输移率与产沙率具有很好的相关性,颗粒态氮、磷的平均相关系数分别为0.9594和0.9772。建立了新的颗粒态氮磷负荷模型,其中富集系数等于泥沙中总氮总磷百分含量与土壤中百分含量之比。根据妫水河流域的土壤图、土地利用图及数字高程模型,应用新的模型研究了妫水河流域颗粒态氮磷污染负荷的空间分布。结果表明,颗粒态氮磷主要来自地表植被覆盖差的丘陵和山地。     

GIS-based lake sediment budget estimation taking into consideration land use change in an urbanizing catchment area

The objective of this study was to assess the lake sediment budget of land use changes using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), sediment delivery ratio (SDR), and trap efficiency (TE). The geographic information system was combined with the USLE to estimate the soil erosion of the Lake Asan watershed. Spatial data for each of the USLE factors were obtained from the land use, soil, and 1/25,000 scale digital contour maps. Landsat-5 TM images were selected for analyzing soil erosion changes due to land use changes. The sediment yield to Lake Asan was estimated using the SDR and TE. The estimated sediment budget was compared with observed data from the Lake Asan watershed between 1974 and 2003. The total estimated annual mean sediment budgets from Lake Asan in 1986, 1992, and 2000 were 0.267, 0.301, and 0.339 × 10⁶ ton, respectively, with an average of 0.302 × 10⁶ ton. The average measured sediment budget was 3.15 × 10⁶ ton year^?1. The average estimated value shows reasonable agreement with the observed sediment balance. The average estimated and measured sediment budgets contain uncertainties due to both the methods and the approach used by the observers. The simulated results indicated that soil erosion in the Lake Asan watershed increased at a rate of approximately 2 % per year from 1986 to 2000 due to land use change. This study may be useful for managers to identify reservoir rehabilitation management methods for stable irrigation water supply.     

Relating soil erosion and sediment yield to geomorphic features and erosion processes at the catchment scale in the Spanish Pre-Pyrenees

Erosion and sediment redistribution are important processes in landscape changes in the short and long term. In this study, the RMMF model of soil erosion and the SEDD model of sediment delivery were used to estimate annual soil loss and sediment yield in an ungauged catchment of the Spanish Pre-Pyrenees and results were interpreted in the context of the geomorphic features. The Estaña Catchment is divided into 15 endorheic sub-catchments and there are 17 dolines. Gullies and slopes were the main erosive geomorphic elements, whereas the colluvial, alluvial, valley floor, and doline deposits were depositional elements. Spatially distributed maps of gross soil erosion, sediment delivery ratio (SDR), and sediment yield (SY) were generated in a GIS. Severe erosion rates (>100 Mg ha^?1 year^?1) were found in gullies, whereas mean and maximum erosion rates were very high on slopes developed on Keüper Facies and high in soils on Muschelkalk Facies. Where crops are grown, the depositional-type geoforms were predicted by the models to have an erosive dynamic. Those results were consistent with the rates of erosion quantified by ¹³⁷Cs which reflects the significant role of human activities in triggering soil erosion. Catchment area was positively correlated with erosion rate, but negatively correlated with SDR and SY. The latter were negatively correlated with the proportion of the surface catchment covered with forests and scrublands. The topography of the area influenced the high SDR and SY in the dolines and valley floors near the sinks. Intra-basin stored sediment was 59.2% of the total annual eroded soil in the catchment. The combination of the RMMF and SEDD models was an appropriate means of assessing the effects of land uses on soil erosion and obtaining a better understanding of the processes that underlie the geomorphic changes occurring in mountainous environments of the Mediterranean region.     

Effects of land-use change on nutrient discharges from the Patuxent River watershed

We developed an empirical model integrating nonpoint source (NPS) runoff, point sources (PS), and reservoir management to predict watershed discharges of water, sediment, organic carbon, silicate, nitrogen, and phosphorus to the Patuxent River in Maryland. We estimated NPS discharges with linear models fit to measurements of weekly flow and 10 material concentrations from 22 study watersheds. The independent variables were the proportions of cropland and developed land, physiographic province (Coastal Plain or Piedmont), and time (week). All but one of the NPS models explained between 62% and 83% of the variability among concentration or flow measurements. Geographic factors (land cover and physiographic province) accounted for the explained variability in largely dissolved material concentrations (nitrate [NO₃], silicate [Si], and total nitrogen [TN]), but the explained variability in flow and particulates (sediment and forms of phosphorus) was more strongly related to temporal variability or its interactions with land cover and province. Average concentrations of all materials increased with cropland proportion and also with developed land (except Si), but changes in cropland produced larger concentration shifts than equivalent changes in developed land proportion. Among land cover transitions, conversions between cropland and forest-grassland cause the greatest changes in material discharges, cropland and developed land conversions are intermediate, and developed land and forest-grassland conversions have the weakest effects. Changing land cover has stronger effects on NO₃ and TN in the Piedmont than in the coastal Plain, but for all other materials, the effects of land-use change are greater in the Coastal Plain. We predicted the changes in nutrient load to the estuary under several alternate land cover configurations, including a state planning scenario that extrapolates current patterns of population growth and land development to the year 2020. In that scenario, declines in NPS discharges from reducing cropland are balanced by NPS discharge increases from developing an area almost six times larger than the lost cropland. When PS discharges are included, there are net increases in total water, total phosphorus, and TN discharges.     

Evaluating the impact of management scenarios and land use changes on annual surface runoff and sediment yield using the GeoWEPP: a case study from the Lighvanchai watershed,Iran

This study was undertaken to evaluate land use change impact and management scenarios on annual average surface runoff (SR) and sediment yield (SY) using the GeoWEPP tool in the Lighvanchai watershed (located in northwestern Iran). Following a sensitivity analysis, the WEPP model was calibrated (2005–2007) and validated (2008–2010) against monthly observed SY and SR. The coefficient of determination (R ²), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), mean bias error (MBE), and root-mean-square error (RMSE) were applied to quantitatively evaluate the WEPP model. The results indicate a satisfactory model performance with R ² > 0.80 and NSE > 0.60. Therefore, the model for current land use (scenario 1) was run for a 30-year time period (1982–2011). The annual average of SR and sediment load were predicted as 93,584 m³/year and 4340 ton/year, respectively. To reduce the annual average surface runoff and sediment yield at the watershed scale, the second scenario (alfalfa cultivation with suitable tillage) and the third scenario (grassland development) as two management scenarios of land use changes were defined by identifying the critical hillslopes. The rate of SR and sediment load in the second scenario were 42,096 m³/year and 429 ton/year, respectively. For the third scenario, the model predictions were 30,239 m³/year and 226 ton/year, respectively. Compared to the first scenario, the reduction rates in annual average of sediment load were about 90 and 94%, respectively. Moreover, for the second and third management scenarios, the reduction rates in annual average of SR were about 55 and 67%, respectively.     

Sediment yield assessment at basin scale using geospatial technique

Soil erosion and sediment yield from catchments are key limitations to achieving sustainable land use and maintaining water quality in nature. One of the important aspects in protecting the watershed is evaluation of sediment produced by statistical methods. Controlling sediment loading in protecting the watershed requires knowledge of soil erosion and sedimentation. Sediment yield is usually not available as a direct measurement but is estimated using geospatial models. One of the geospatial models for estimating sediment yield at the basin scale is sediment delivery ratio (SDR). The present study investigates the spatial SDR model in determining the sediment yield rate considering climate and physical factors of basin in geographic information system environment. This new approach was developed and tested on the Amammeh catchments in Iran. The validation of the model was evaluated using the Nash Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient. The developed model is not only conceptually easy and well suited to the local data needs but also requires less parameter, which offers less uncertainty in its application while meeting the intended purpose. The model is developed based on local data. The results predict strong variations in SDR from 0 in to 70 % in the uplands of the Basin.     

三峡库岸滑坡变形特征及影响因素分析

三峡库区涉水滑坡主要影响因素是水位和降雨量,也是库区滑坡体失稳的主要影响因素和诱发因素。库区每年重复着水位升降不利于滑坡的稳定,而降雨特别是大强度的降雨也诱发产生滑坡。当水位波动遇到降雨,出现工况叠加,滑坡将加剧。因此,有必要对影响滑坡变形的主导因素进行了解分析。2016年6月三峡库区全面展开了自动化监测,使得数据统计方便可靠。本文采用滑坡变形速率、降雨量、库水位变化、最大水位变化速率、淹没程度,运用灰色关联度分析法对涉水滑坡进行了计算分析。水位下降阶段,文中土质滑坡变形受库水位影响最大。水位上升阶段,该土质滑坡上部变形受降雨影响最大,下部受水位影响最大。文中岩质滑坡总是受库水位影响最大。     

The combined RUSLE/SDR approach integrated with GIS and geostatistics to estimate annual sediment flux rates in the semi-arid catchment,Turkey

Quantitative evaluation of the spatial distribution of the erosion risk in any watershed or ecosystem is one of the most important tools for environmentalists, conservationists and engineers to plan natural resource management for the sustainable environment in a long term. This study was performed in the semi-arid catchment of the Saraykoy II Irrigation Dam, Cankiri, located in the transition zone between the Central Anatolia Steppe and the Black Sea Forests of Turkey. The total area of the catchment is 262.31 ha. The principal objectives were to quantify both potential and actual soil erosion risks by the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and to estimate the amount of sediments to be delivered from the hillslope of the catchment to the reservoir of the dam using the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) in combination with the RUSLE model. All factor and sub-factor calculations required for solving the RUSLE model and SDR in the catchment were made spatially using DEM, GIS and Geostatistics. As the main catchment was divided into twenty-five sub-catchments, the predicted actual soil loss (by the model) was 146,657.52 m³ year^?1 and the weighted average of SDR estimated by areal distribution (%) of the sub-watersheds was 0.344 for whole catchment, resulted in 50,450.19 m³ year^?1 sediment arriving to the reservoir. Since the Dam has a total storage capacity of 509 × 10³ m³, the life expectancy of the Dam is estimated as 10.09 year. This estimation indicated that the dam has a relatively short economic life and there is a need for water-catchment management and soil conservation measures to reduce erosion.     

三峡库区汛期洪峰和沙峰异步运动特性的三维数值模拟

三峡水库蓄水后水深的增加导致洪水传播过程中沙峰滞后于洪峰的时间增加,利用洪峰和沙峰异步运动特性进行沙峰排沙调度是减缓水库淤积的重要手段之一。采用三维数值模型SCHISM（Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model）研究三峡库区洪峰和沙峰的异步运动规律,基于2013年的汛期水沙传播过程验证模型的可靠性和准确性,初步分析不同洪水位下洪峰和沙峰的异步运动特性。结果表明:数值模型能够准确地模拟三峡水库汛期洪峰和沙峰长距离的传播过程;坝前蓄水位对洪峰传播时间的影响不大,但是对沙峰传播时间的影响较为显著;坝前水位增加使水流的流速减小和挟沙能力降低,沙峰传播速度减慢且峰值沿程不断降低,最终导致库区中沙峰滞后于洪峰出现的时间沿程越来越长。研究结果可为进一步优化三峡水库的沙峰排沙调度等提供科学依据。     

Water Discharge and Sediment Load from the Western Slopes of the Colombian Andes with Focus on Rio San Juan

Small rivers draining high-rainfall basins and mountainous terrain west of the Cordilleras in South America have disproportionately high water discharge and sediment load. Fifteen rivers in western Colombia discharge a combined 254 km3 yr-1 or 8020 m3 s-1 of water into the Pacific. Sediment yield is strongly correlated with basin area (R2=0.97), and sediment load is correlated with water discharge (R2=0.73). Rio San Juan occupies a 16,465-km2 basin with a mean annual rainfall of 7277 mm. It has the highest water discharge (2550 m3 s-1), sediment load (16x106 t yr-1), and basin-wide sediment yield (1150 t km-2 yr-1) on the entire west coast of South America. Rio Patía drains a 23,700-km2 basin with a mean annual rainfall of 2821 mm. Its water discharge, sediment load, and basin-wide sediment yield are 1291 m3 s-1, 14 t yr-1, and 972 t km-2 yr-1, respectively. Rio San Juan and Rio Patía deliver 30x106 t of suspended sediment annually into the Pacific. Analysis of data for an additional 22 rivers in Colombia that drain into the Caribbean Sea indicates that the Pacific rivers have at least twice the sediment yield compared with the larger Rio Magdalena. Our results confirm that the Pacific rivers of Colombia need to be accounted for in global sediment budgets.     

一维水质模型结合改进的输出系数法在流域非点源污染负荷估算中的应用

非点源污染是导致流域水体水质恶化的关键污染来源之一,为了估算流域非点源污染负荷,本文提出将一维水质模型应用于分离监测断面点源污染负荷和非点源污染负荷的方法,并结合了改进的输出系数法,以COD_Mn和NH₃-N为代表性指标,将该模型应用于潮河下游流域,并与传统的水文分割法结合改进的输出系数法估算非点源污染负荷的结果进行对比。结果表明,一维水质模型结合改进的输出系数法估算流域非点源COD_Mn和NH₃-N污染负荷模拟值的纳什系数均在0.800以上,具有良好的模拟精度,同时避免了水文分割法无法较好地模拟枯水期非点源污染负荷的弊端。该方法在运用SWAT（soil and water assessment tool）模型预测得到水文数据的情况下,能够预测流域非点源污染负荷,作为SWAT模型对COD模拟的补充。     

长江流域水沙周期特征及可能影响原因

运用小波变换的方法研究了长江流域干流站(屏山站、宜昌站、大通站与汉口站)以及位于支流嘉陵江流域的北碚站近40年来月均流量与输沙率,研究认为:(1)水利工程(本文主要指水库)对下游河道输沙率的影响远远大于对流量的影响;(2)葛洲坝是低水头径流式发电站,对下游流量变化影响不大,虽然在建库初期对输沙率有一定影响,导致下游河床下切,但远未达到使输沙率固有的1年周期受到影响的程度;(3)三峡大坝的建设已经对下游输沙率产生严重影响,使其固有的1年周期消失,但三峡大坝下游河道输沙率对这种影响的响应与距三峡大坝的距离成反比,即愈往下游,输沙率受三峡大坝的影响愈小;(4)输沙率变化对水利工程影响的敏感程度受流域尺度的影响,流域尺度越大,其反应就愈迟钝,反之亦然。     

1956—2008年鄱阳湖流域水沙输移趋势及成因分析

利用鄱阳湖流域代表性水文站1956—2008年实测年径流量及年输沙量资料序列,采用Mann-Kendall秩相关检验法,研究鄱阳湖流域水沙量年际变化趋势和可能发生突变的时间,并从流域降雨、用水、水库拦沙、水土流失及其治理等方面分析了鄱阳湖流域水沙变化的主要影响因素。研究结果表明:鄱阳湖地区来水量和出湖水量有小幅增大趋势;鄱阳湖流域来沙量呈异常显著减小趋势,发生突变的年份为1998—1999年;实测出湖沙量从2002年开始呈明显的减少趋势。通过对有关影响因素的研究,发现鄱阳湖流域气候变化降雨量减少对近10年鄱阳湖出入湖径流量的减少影响显著;水库滞沙是鄱阳湖入湖沙量减少的主要原因;出湖沙量变化主要受上游水库群的影响,还有近年湖区采砂的影响。     

Integrated assessment of nonpoint source pollution of a drinking water reservoir in a typical acid rain region

Nonpoint source pollution generated by agricultural production and city construction has been studied for decades, but very few researches have been conducted on the regional assessment of nonpoint source pollution in the acid rain regions, particularly relating to the control of pollutant in the drinking water source areas. In this study, an integrated framework was applied to estimate nitrogen and phosphorous load in a typical acid rain influenced reservoir, China. The method comprised three separate steps: (1) a watershed model—soil and water assessment tools—was used to estimate nitrogen and phosphorous load from the upper stream watershed; (2) collection of acid rain samples, together with a GIS-based calculation to estimate the atmospheric deposition flux; (3) introduction of a simple export coefficient method. The case study indicated atmospheric deposition accounted for 56.75 % of total nitrogen load during the year, with the highest level of deposition load taking place during the wet season. Maximum phosphorous (93.37 %) was linked to the upstream runoff, originating from the upper watershed. Further analysis by watershed model and export coefficient method indicated forest exported most total nitrogen (27.72 %) and total phosphorous (58.78 %) in the upstream watershed. Results indicated that in the region influenced by acid rain, the nitrogen management should encompass the management of land use practices and the control of acid rain in catchments feeding into drinking water storage areas. It could be inferred that NOX emissions might cause both globe warming and eutrophication in the drinking water sources. This paper could provide a basis for water quality management in such regions.     

An assessment of human versus climatic impacts on large-sized basin erosion: the case of the upper Yangtze River

Riverine sediment load, a reflection of basin erosion and sediment yield, is influenced by both climatic and human factors. Complex interaction between various factors within a basin dampens and counteracts the forces that drive sediment variations. The gross human impact index and the index estimation method have both been proposed to reflect the impacts of human activities on soil erosion and sediment yield. Sediment load and daily rainfall data from 1955 to 2010 in the upper Yangtze basin, and in the Wu, Jialing, Min and Jinsha subbasins, were collected to assess the human versus climatic impacts on sediment yield. From 1955 to 2010, the average annual runoff in the study area was 428.2 billion m³, and the average annual suspended sediment load was approximately 0.43 billion t. There was a critical point in 1984, 1985, 1991, 1993 and 1999 when the sediment load decreased in the Wu, Jialing, upper Yangtze, Min and Jinsha river, respectively. The annual regional rainfall erosivities in the upper Yangtze basin in most years ranged between 2,500 and 3,500 MJ mm hm^?2 h^?1 year^?1 and fluctuated around 3,000 MJ mm hm^?2 h^?1 year^?1 with a small coefficient of variation of 0.11. In the Jinsha subbasin, the index indicated that increasing rainfall erosivity could not account for the reduction in riverine sediment load and that anthropogenic erosion-control measures played a key role. The index values for the Min, Jialing and Wu subbasins ranged from 76 to 97 % and for the upper Yangtze basin is 95 %, demonstrating the joint effects of precipitation and human activities in all basins, with erosion-controlling measures playing a major role in sediment load reduction.     

Soil erosion and sediment yield modeling using RS and GIS techniques: a case study, Iran

Water erosion is a serious and continuous environmental problem in many parts of the world. The need to quantify the amount of erosion, sediment delivery, and sediment yield in a spatially distributed form has become essential at the watershed scale and in the implementation of conservation efforts. In this study, an effort to predict potential annual soil loss and sediment yield is conducted by using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model with adaptation in a geographic information system (GIS). The rainfall erosivity, soil erosivity, slope length, steepness, plant cover, and management practice and conservation support practice factors are among the basic factors that are obtained from monthly and annual rainfall data, soil map of the region, 50-m digital elevation model, remote sensing (RS) techniques (with use of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and GIS, respectively. The Ilam dam watershed which is located southeast part of Ilam province in western Iran is considered as study area. The study indicates that the slope length and steepness of the RUSLE model are the most effective factors controlling soil erosion in the region. The mean annual soil loss and sediment yield are also predicted. Moreover, the results indicated that 45.25%, 12.18%, 12.44%, 10.79%, and 19.34% of the study area are under minimal, low, moderate, high, and extreme actual erosion risks, respectively. Since 30.13% of the region is under high and extreme erosion risk, adoption of suitable conservation measures seems to be inevitable. So, the RUSLE model integrated with RS and GIS techniques has a great potential for producing accurate and inexpensive erosion and sediment yield risk maps in Iran.