Prediction of storm-related sediment-associated contaminant loads in a watershed scale

Suspended sediment moving in watersheds provides a pathway for the transport of sediment-associated contaminants. Information about sediment and nutrients exported from catchments as well as related erosive processes are required by catchment managers and decision-makers. Due to lack of adequate data in this respect, the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) model has been applied in storm-related sediment yield predictions in the Kojour watershed, Iran, to estimate the phosphorus (P) and organic matter (OM) loads associated with storm-related sediments The results of this study showed that a calibrated MUSLE model could estimate storm-related OM and P losses in the study area within an acceptable estimation error (RE) of 33% and 23%, respectively.