Erodibility and critical shear stress in the drainage channel of a rural unpaved road

The erosion in unpaved roads associated with the runoff generates a great environmental impact, being the main cause of flooding, water contamination and alteration of aquatic fauna, among others. It is necessary to develop strategies for prevention and control. For this, obtaining reliable indices of soil resistance to erosion is required. In this context, the aim of this study was to determine the indices of erodibility and critical shear stress in the channel of an unpaved road implanted in a Red-Yellow Latosol. Study was conducted on an unpaved road in Viçosa-MG, Brazil, which presented problems of erosion, using a flow simulator for direct determination of field. Erodibility and critical shear stress data were obtained by applying model identity test.The erodibility value determined was 0.0044 g cm^-2 min^-1 Pa^-1, and its associated confidence interval with 95% probability was 0.0035 to 0.0053 g cm^-2 min^-1 Pa^-1. The critical shear stress determined was 7.61 Pa.

water erosion; soil and water conservation; modeling; erosion processes