Chapter
Apr 26, 2012

Antecedent Moisture Conditions: NRCS View Point

Publication: Watershed Management and Operations Management 2000

Abstract

Over the years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), has developed several definitions for the moisture condition of a watershed before a rainfall/runoff event occurs. In 1964 SCS published the concept of using the five-day antecedent precipitation as an index of the watershed condition prior to a major storm. NRCS published the initial concept in the National Engineering Handbook Section 4 (NEH-4), which related the magnitude of the five-day precipitation to three watershed conditions of dry, average and wet. This association was published in Table 4.2. conditions were dry, average and wet. The latest revision of Chapter 4 in 1993 does not include the relationship of five-day antecedent precipitation to watershed conditions. The three watershed conditions are now described in Chapter 10 NEH-4 with the same classifications. NRCS now uses antecedent runoff conditions rather than antecedent moisture conditions. NRCS has determined that the prior five-day precipitation is not the best indicator of the antecedent runoff conditions.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Watershed Management and Operations Management 2000
Watershed Management and Operations Management 2000
Pages: 1 - 5

History

Published online: Apr 26, 2012

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

ASCE Technical Topics:

Authors

Affiliations

Donald E. Woodward
National Hydraulic Engineer, NRCS, Washington DC
Arlis Plummer
Hydraulic Engineer, NRCS, Lincoln NE

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Paper
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Paper
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share