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Calcimator

Soil Erosion (RUSLE)

Calculate soil erosion using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). Enter R, K, LS, C, and P factors to estimate annual soil loss in tons per acre.

Inputs

Results

Annual Soil Loss

20.25 tons/acre/yr

Severity Rating

Very Severe

Soil Loss Tolerance (T)5 tons/acre/yr
Exceeds T ValueYes
Erosion / Tolerance405%
Years to Lose 1 Inch Topsoil7 years
Est. Sediment Delivery8.1 tons/acre/yr
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter your slope length in feet and slope steepness percentage.
  2. Input the rainfall erosivity R-factor for your region and the soil erodibility K-factor from NRCS data.
  3. Set the cover management C-factor and the support practice P-factor.
  4. Review the Estimated Annual Soil Loss in tons per acre (RUSLE output).
  5. Compare against the Tolerable Soil Loss (T-value) and adjust management factors to reduce erosion.

How the result changes with Rainfall Erosivity (R)

Rainfall Erosivity (R)Annual Soil LossSeverity Rating
8010.8 tons/acre/yrVery Severe
28037.8 tons/acre/yrVery Severe
52070.2 tons/acre/yrVery Severe
72097.2 tons/acre/yrVery Severe

What each input means

Rainfall Erosivity (R)
Rainfall-runoff erosivity factor. Eastern US: 100–350; Western US: 10–100. Units: hundreds of ft·tonf·in/(acre·hr·yr).
Soil Erodibility (K)
Soil erodibility factor from NRCS soil survey. Silt loam ~0.40, sandy loam ~0.12, clay ~0.22.
Slope Length & Steepness (LS)
Combined slope length and gradient factor. Flat land ~0.1, moderate slopes ~1–3, steep slopes >5.
Cover Management (C)
Cover and management factor. Bare soil = 1.0, corn = 0.3, no-till corn = 0.05, forest = 0.001.
Support Practice (P)
Conservation practice factor. No practice = 1.0, contour farming = 0.5, terraces = 0.1–0.2.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Rainfall Erosivity (R) = 150, Soil Erodibility (K) = 0.3, Slope Length & Steepness (LS) = 1.5, Cover Management (C) = 0.3 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Annual Soil Loss
    20.25 = 20.25
  3. Calculate Severity Rating
    Very Severe = Very Severe
  4. Calculate Soil Loss Tolerance
    Soil Loss Tolerance
    5 = 5
  5. Calculate Exceeds T Value
    Yes = Yes

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