RUSLE Annual Soil Loss
Tons per acre per year a disturbed site sheds by the USDA public-domain RUSLE method.
Example
You enter
- Rainfall-runoff erosivity R 150
- Soil erodibility K 0.32
- Slope length-steepness LS 1.5
- Cover-management C 1
- Support-practice P 1
- Disturbed area (acres) 5
You get
- Soil loss rate 72 tons/acre/yr
- Site soil loss 360 tons/yr
Checked against published worked examples from: New York State DEC; USDA NRCS New Mexico.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeA = R x K x LS x C x P, plus the site total - the driver that sizes every SWPPP BMP. A bare 5-acre site (R 150, K 0.32, LS 1.5) loses 72 tons/acre/yr; a blanket dropping C to 0.10 pulls it to 7.2. Every factor is user-entered; the permitting AHJ governs.
Formula or tablea_tons_ac_yr = r_factor x k_factor x ls_factor x c_factor x p_factor; site_tons_yr = a_tons_ac_yr x acres.
Source and editionRUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) by name - the USDA public-domain method (Agriculture Handbook 703); every factor user-entered.
Free accessRUSLE is USDA public-domain; the factors come from the SWPPP designer or published state guidance the user enters (no isoerodent map or nomograph reproduced).
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesr_factor, k_factor, ls_factor, c_factor, p_factor, acres, a_tons_ac_yr, site_tons_yr
- Factors R (rainfall erosivity), K (soil erodibility), LS (slope length-steepness), C (cover-management), P (support-practice) all user-enteredUSDA Agriculture Handbook 703 / state SWPPP guidance
- Scope sheet-and-rill loss only; not gully, channel, or streambank erosionRUSLE method