| Abstract: | The river systems observed today is the cumulative result of surface, rill, and gully erosion, and sediment transport, scour, and deposition. The divisions of approach between these two related areas are man-made, and are not based on sound science. Most of the erosion studies are done by geologists and agricultural engineers who are concerned of the surface, rill, and gully erosion and the loss of agricultural land productivity. Hydraulic engineers are more interested in the study of sediment transport, scour, and deposition, and their impacts on river engineering and hydraulic structures in rivers and reservoirs. Erosion studies are often based on empirical relationships or field data to determinate the annual sediment yield from a watershed. On the other hand, hydraulic engineers focus their attention on solving equations based on assumed initial and boundary conditions with a time scale of days, hours, or seconds. Both approaches have their complementary strengths and weaknesses. It is important to provide a forum for specialists in both areas to communicate, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. |
