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Published in Soil Sci Soc Am J 47:1063-1067 (1983)
© 1983 Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Tracing Subsurface Flow on Roadcuts on Steep, Forested Slopes1

Walter F. Megahan and James L. Clayton2

ABSTRACT

In situ hydraulic conductivity was determined in a forested soil in the Idaho batholith by a tracer technique, and values were compared to hydraulic conductivity determined in the laboratory on cored samples. We injected NaCl solutions into piezometers placed in soil above a roadcut, and determined time for Na+ or Cl- to appear in outflow at the roadcut during saturated subsurface flow generated from spring snowmelt. Hydraulic conductivity values determined with the NaCl tracer averaged an order of magnitude greater than laboratory derived values. This is likely due to rapid flow in macropores formed from root channels or other biological activity that cannot be sampled by conventional coring and laboratory conductivity tests. Although the field tests indicated flow was clearly non homogeneous and anisotropic, an evaluation of the Reynold's number for the test conditions indicated Darcy flow was occurring. Sodium analysis provided a more distinct peak than Cl- when both concentrations were plotted vs. time.

NOTES

1 Contribution from Intermountain Forest and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Service, U.S. Dep. of Agriculture, 507 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401.

2 Principal Research Hydrologist and Research Soil Scientist, respectively, Intermountain Station's Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Boise, Idaho.

Received for publication October 7, 1982. Accepted for publication June 2, 1983.






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