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.
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© 2000 American Society of Civil Engineering.
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Published online: Apr 26, 2012
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Climates
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Federal government
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Government
- Hydrologic engineering
- Hydrology
- Information management
- Meteorology
- Organizations
- Practice and Profession
- Precipitation
- Rain water
- River engineering
- River systems
- Runoff
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil water
- Terminology and definition
- Water (by type)
- Water and water resources
- Water management
- Watersheds
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