Runoff and Erosion Characteristics of Surface-Mined Sites in Western North Dakota
ABSTRACT A rainfall simulator was used to measure runoff and erosion from rangeland, spoil and topsoil sites. Measured soil losses were greatest on bare top-soil plots and least on the non-cultivated rangeland site. Application of a straw mulch reduced erosion on topsoil by over 90 percent. However, the measured erosion and runoff values from the mulched topsoil sites were still over 50 percent higher than from the rangeland site.