Evaluation of a Small, In-field Runoff Collector

Abstract

Increased environmental concern about surface water pollution has heightened the need for small, in-field runoff collectors to assess the impact of land management practices without altering the landscape. We modified a surface flow sampler designed for sheet flow in Coastal Plain soils. Modifications were made to accommodate steep slopes (3 to 15% ), large flow rates, and channelized flow which are common in the Southern Piedmont. The runoff collector consists of two sample splitters (10x and 100x) and two sample collectors. Runoff collector performance was evaluated in the laboratory to determine percent flow captured by 10x and 100x splitters relative to flow rate and slope. Average flow captured on a 5% slope was 10.3% for 10x and 1.8% for the l00x. When the slope was increased to 12% the percent flow capture also increased slightly, 10.4% for l0x and 2.3% for l00x. It was determined that the small, in-field runoff collector captures runoff volumes at specific rates at fairly consistent ratios.