Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded areas. The study found that 1.5% of the 262.8 km2 study area exhibited channelized erosion. It was determined that the terrain analysis accurately identified 92 (79%) of the 116 survey points established for field verification. Finally, the findings support that the use of terrain analysis for erosion modeling in the Devils Lake basin is highly accurate, and can be a useful tool in locating and implementing best management practices (BMPs) to aid in the reduction of surface runoff entering Mauvais and Calio Coulees from channelized erosion.
","abstract_html":"<p>Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded areas. The study found that 1.5% of the 262.8 km2 study area exhibited channelized erosion. It was determined that the terrain analysis accurately identified 92 (79%) of the 116 survey points established for field verification. Finally, the findings support that the use of terrain analysis for erosion modeling in the Devils Lake basin is highly accurate, and can be a useful tool in locating and implementing best management practices (BMPs) to aid in the reduction of surface runoff entering Mauvais and Calio Coulees from channelized erosion.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dinger, Matthew J."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Geography & Geographic Information Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Gregory S. Vandeberg"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:24Z","subjects":["Devils Lake","GIS","Hydrology","LiDAR","Remote Sensing","Terrain Analysis"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.und.edu/theses/1346","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Gregory S. Vandeberg"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dinger, Matthew J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Geography & Geographic Information Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Devils Lake","GIS","Hydrology","LiDAR","Remote Sensing","Terrain Analysis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.und.edu/theses/1346"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded areas. The study found that 1.5% of the 262.8 km2 study area exhibited channelized erosion. It was determined that the terrain analysis accurately identified 92 (79%) of the 116 survey points established for field verification. Finally, the findings support that the use of terrain analysis for erosion modeling in the Devils Lake basin is highly accurate, and can be a useful tool in locating and implementing best management practices (BMPs) to aid in the reduction of surface runoff entering Mauvais and Calio Coulees from channelized erosion.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Identifying Locations Of Highly Eroded Agricultural Land In The Devils Lake Basin, ND Using GIS Terrain Analysis Modeling"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Gregory S. Vandeberg"],"dc:creator":["Dinger, Matthew J."],"dc:description.abstract":["Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded areas. The study found that 1.5% of the 262.8 km2 study area exhibited channelized erosion. It was determined that the terrain analysis accurately identified 92 (79%) of the 116 survey points established for field verification. Finally, the findings support that the use of terrain analysis for erosion modeling in the Devils Lake basin is highly accurate, and can be a useful tool in locating and implementing best management practices (BMPs) to aid in the reduction of surface runoff entering Mauvais and Calio Coulees from channelized erosion.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.und.edu/theses/1346"],"dc:subject":["Devils Lake","GIS","Hydrology","LiDAR","Remote Sensing","Terrain Analysis"],"dc:title":["Identifying Locations Of Highly Eroded Agricultural Land In The Devils Lake Basin, ND Using GIS Terrain Analysis Modeling"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Geography & Geographic Information Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:24Z"}