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 erosion involves the removal
of soil by excessive concentration of running water, resulting in the formation of deep narrow
channels.
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
causes have ceased.

THE STUDY AREA

The area visited was at Area E and this site is facing a severe case of gully, some of 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:

Fig: 1: A deep Gully site Fig 2: tree planting activity

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

RECLAIMATION OF THE GULLY

Gully reclamation is site specific and careful assessment is required before rehabilitation
options can be considered. Gullies can rapidly grow to large dimensions, making effective control
technically difficult or prohibitively expensive in some cases. 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 channel to stabilize of its own accord would need to be
carefully considered.
There are four stages of fixing gully erosion:
1. Remove existing land pressure
2. Assess the stability of the drainage line where the gully line occurs
3. Identify the source of the water causing the erosion
4. Identify the appropriate remediation options

1. REMOVE EXISTING LAND PRESSURE

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 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.

2. ASSESS THE STABILITY OF THE DRAINAGE LINE

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, especially on foot, is required (this
is the essence of our field trip).
Four main variables evaluated to determine the degree of gully floor activity are:
 The type and condition of the vegetation present, if any.
The shape and profile of the drainage line and type and condition of the materials on the
drainage line floor.
The nature of the drainage line wall material, and
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 from the sides).

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 and lower the water table.
 4 IDENTIFY THE APPROPRIATE RECLAMATION OPTIONS

Vegetation cover- the soft option

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:
As a general rule of thumb, 70% groundcover is needed to protect soil. In areas of high
water flow this needs to be thicker up to 100% cover; in areas above gully where rain is
likely to fall.
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.

Use of permanent structures

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 this cases earthwork
is required the gullies can be reclaimed using the permanent structures and temporal structures
such as:
Drop structures
Chute spillways
Drop-inlet or pipe spillway.
Sand bags
Loosened rock dam
Rock filled dams
POTENTIAL THREATS IF THE GULLY IS LEFT AS IT IS
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 smothering of roads making them
impassable, downstream sedimentation of waterways. The transportation of nutrients and
contaminants from agricultural catchments

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In conclusion, based on the above given facts and conditions, the gully can be easily reclaimed
and also, Its highly recommended that the method to be considered should weigh the cost-benefit
of carrying out the work.

REFERENCES
1 Boucher, SC & Powell, JM (1994), Gullying and tunnel erosion in Victoria, Austrian
Geographical Studies, 32, pp. 17-26.
2. Micheal A.M. and Ojha, T.P. (2014), Principle of Agricultural Engineering Vol. II New Delhi.
Pp. 754.
3. AGEN 503 Lecture Note by: Engr. Prof. Henry Igbadun