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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL
ENGINEERING
BY
GLORIA ORIZU
(U11AE1017)
FEBRUARY, 2016
INTRODUCTION
Gullies are formed by excess runoff flowing with high velocity and force that can
detach and carry away the detached soil particles from the area. The runoff flow can start
from bare land, faulty drainage, farm roads, neglected rills and furrows in the field. Gully
Gullies starts when concentrated, fast-flowing water hits a small surface depression,
caused naturally on the land surface or as a result of livestock tracks, furrows and ruts left
by farm machinery. The energy of the water scours away the soil and undermines the
vegetation. Once the vegetation and top soil are removed, gullies spread rapidly up and
drown drainage lines until there is insufficient runoff to continue the erosion that forms
the gully and it gradually becomes stable. Although they spread quickly and look
dramatic, once stable, the head of the gully loses very little soil and the bulk of the
sediment comes from new channel networks that are often generated from the gully
walls. Once formed, gullies can continue to generate sediment long after the triggering
which are small gullies, medium and even very large gullies, a section of the area have
been tried to be reclaimed by the university authority by tree planting, the trees are
planted at equal length horizontally, vertically and even diagonally. This gullies leads to
the siltation of the ABU Dam. Some of the sites gullies are shown below:
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Fig: 1: Gully scouring site
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CAUSES OF GULLY IN THE SITE
The main cause of this gully is the excavation of the soil for the building of the university
staff quarters as a result the soil is well exposed to the activity of erosion, and this bring
about repeated erosion which in turn reduces soil fertility by; Removing soil which is
rich in nutrients and organic matter, Reducing infiltration of water into soil and
increasing runoff
rehabilitation options can be considered. Gullies can rapidly grow to large dimensions,
The potential high costs associated with stabilization of the gully can often be a major
disincentive for landholders, however, it must be emphasized that impacts of leaving the
2. Assess the stability of the drainage line where the gully line occurs
The first step which must be taken to initially control or manage the eroding gully is to
remove the existing pressures. Gullies often indicate that the soil is beyond its capacity to
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cope with the current land use. A review of the land management practices and
alternative options for the land will provide the first step towards its rehabilitation.
Gully erosion can look dramatic, but if the has stabilized is better to leave it alone.
Disturbing dispersive soil may reactivate the gully and cause more erosion. To check
whether the gully is active, careful assessment of the severity of the entire gully,
Four main variables evaluated to determine the degree of gully floor activity are:
The shape and profile of the drainage line and type and condition of the materials
The nature of the bank edge and regulation of lateral flow into the drainage line
(that is, whether there are barriers or opportunity for water to flow into the gully
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3. IDENTIFYING THE WATER SOURCE
Gully erosion result from lateral and upstream flow and also from sub-surface flow
(ground water). For the gully site visited it seems likely that the water comes from both
surface and sub-surface. For the surface water, rehabilitation work will involve diversion
of the water away from the gully by earthworks (hard management option) or the slowing
down of the water using vegetation (soft option). For the ground water source the best
option would be to revegetate the surrounding area to take up some of the ground water
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4. IDENTIFY THE APPROPRIATE RECLAMATION OPTIONS
For the small and medium gullies, adequate vegetation is vital for soil protection.
Varying layers of tree, shrubs and ground cover intercept the force of rain drops hitting
the ground and slowing the speed of surface runoff. Plants root holds the soil together,
improving soil physical properties such as stability and porosity (the capacity to have
water infiltrate into the soil, and also take up groundwater which may otherwise cause
sub-surface erosion. Grassed and vegetated areas also provide important for birds and
terrestrial animals.
Key points to keep in mind when considering vegetation as a remediation option include:
high water flow this needs to be thicker up to 100% cover; in areas above gully
The complete removal of stock from the gully area and runoff area above the
gully is preferred.
Deep-rooted perennial grasses are recommended for planting in and on the sides
of the gullies and ephemeral water ways that have the potential to become gully.
Trees and larger shrubs should be planted further away from the gully to take up
ground water.
For the large gullies in the area that are so severe that simple vegetation and stock
exclusion techniques will not be adequate to arrest erosion let alone remediate area, in
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this cases earthwork is required the gullies can be reclaimed using the permanent
Drop structures
Chute spillways
Sand bags
If the gully is left as it is, the gully will grow wider and wider until appropriate measures
are put to place and also more of the productive land will be lost, pest and invasive
weeds will continue to be harboured, property values will be very minimal. The
reclaimed and also, Its highly recommended that the method to be considered should
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REFERENCES
1 Boucher, SC & Powell, JM (1994), Gullying and tunnel erosion in Victoria, Austrian
2. Micheal A.M. and Ojha, T.P. (2014), Principle of Agricultural Engineering Vol. II