Concentrated flow channel protection requirements

The 590 standard (2015) requires that planners list fields with gullies and/or ephemeral erosion concentrated flow channels. Planners also need to indicate time and methods of planned mitigation measures.

Gullies

Definition: Concentrated flow channels formed when rills converge to form well defined permanent incised drainage ways that cannot be crossed by ordinary farming operations.

Protection requirement: The 590 standard requires establishing perennial vegetative cover in all areas of concentrated flow that result in reoccurring gullies.

 

Ephemeral erosion channels

Definition: Rill erosion that has converged to form shallow channels. These shallow channels can easily be filled with soil by typical tillage operations and are usually re-formed in the same general location by subsequent runoff events.

Protection requirement: The 590 standard requires that a minimum of one of the following runoff-reducing practices be implemented in crop fields where ephemeral erosion is an identified problem:

(1)Install/maintain contour strips and/or contour buffer strips. Refer to NRCS FOTG, Section IV, Standard 585, Strip Cropping, and/or Standard 332, Contour Buffer Strip.

(2)Install/maintain filter strips (NRCS FOTG, Section IV, Standard 393, Filter Strip) along surface waters and concentrated flow channels that empty into surface waters.

(3)Maintain greater than 30% crop residue or vegetative cover on the soil surface after planting.

(4)Establish fall cover crops.