In this instance water after infiltrating through the soil, reaches an impermeable clay layer. The water then flows laterally on top of the clay until reaching a hillslope where spring sapping occurs. The largest headcut is approximately 4.3 meters across and 8 meters long. All three headcuts have a layer of small grain soils on top of a gravel layer that lies over bedrock. As precipitation falls in this area, it strikes vegetation and is slowed by the litter layer.
Water then infiltrates into the soil until striking a semi-permeable clay membrane.
A small percentage of water flows on top of the clay layer until it seeps from the hillside forming a headcut and stream source. The remainder of the water continues infiltrating through the clay layer until it joins the local water table on top of bedrock. When a precipitation event occurs water takes a longer time to reach major channels, because water flowing within the soil flows relatively slow. In a situation where Hortonian overland flow occurs, water flows directly over land, and quickly reaches channels. The high velocity of flow over unvegetated land erodes surfaces and produces high sediment yields.