U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2003





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 Photo: ARS hydraulic engineer Gregory J. Hanson using the jet test apparatus in Mississippi. ARS hydraulic engineer Gregory J. Hanson using the jet test apparatus in Mississippi. (Image courtesy G. Hanson; not available in 300 dpi)
Device to Gauge Erodibility of Soil Can Aid Watershed Planners
By Luis Pons June 9, 2003
Watershed managers and structural engineers may benefit greatly from a soil-erodibility testing device developed by the Agricultural Research Service.
The Jet Test Apparatus, developed by hydraulic engineer Gregory J. Hanson of the ARS Plant Science and Water Conservation Research Laboratory in Stillwater, Okla., applies stresses to soil beds by means of a water jet that can be pumped at various flow rates.
It may become vital equipment during testing of aging, earthen flood-control structures such as dams and dikes, as well as in ARS efforts to understand, predict and control soil erosion and sedimentation within the nation's streams and lakes.
The device already has been used in cooperative research of stream bank stability with the ARS Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford, Miss.
The apparatus allows users to measure resistance to erosion in cohesive soils by analyzing the portion of the soil bed scoured by the jet stream in relation to the hydraulic stress placed upon the surface.
The water-jet test is simple, quick and relatively inexpensive, and can be used under field and laboratory conditions, according to Hanson. In addition, it produces coefficients that can be used in common equations fed into computer models to forecast future erosion.
Hanson works in the Stillwater laboratory's Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
Originally, the jet-test device, patented in 1993, only differentiated soil materials in earthen auxiliary spillways on dams. But recent modifications also allow it to characterize streambed and stream bank materials. The new version is also smaller and faster than the original.
The device can be set up at different angles, including vertical ones, and move soil ranging in consistency from fine sand to hard clays. It has worked in streambeds at depths up to three feet. It can also be used on soils away from waterways, if a water source is provided.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov