A semiempirical model of irrigation-induced soil erosion in Tajikistan

A model for predicting the irrigation-induced erosion of Tajikistan soils was developed on the basis of the analysis of theoretical erosion equations and natural experimental data with account for the revealed features of the interaction between low-depth flows and the eroded soil. The proposed model consists of blocks for calculating the rates of detachment and transport of soil particles (aggregates), the bottom velocity of the flow, and the bottom eroding velocity under irrigation conditions. An equation was derived for calculating the length of the active erosion zone, from which the specific sites of eroded irrigation furrows can be found and the application ranges of the equations of soil erosion and soil loss can be determined for predicting and estimating the hazard of soil loss by erosion and the hazard of environmental contamination by erosion products and planning necessary erosion-control measures. The verification of the model and its blocks was performed.