[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 81053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27633]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 222 / Thursday, November 17, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 81053]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2016-0009]


Notice of Implementation of the Water Erosion Prediction Project 
(WEPP) Technology for Soil Erodibility System Calculations for the 
Natural Resources Conservation Service

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of WEPP for soil erodibility system 
calculations scheduled for implementation for public review and 
comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to implement 
the WEPP technology to replace the use of the Revised Universal Soil 
Loss Equation, Version 2 (RUSLE2), where applicable.

DATES: Effective Date: This is effective November 17, 2016.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before December 19, 2016. The 
final version of the new WEPP water erosion prediction technology will 
be adopted after the close of the 30-day period, and after 
consideration of all comments.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket Number NRCS-
2016-0009, using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail or hand-delivery: Norman Widman, National Agronomist, 
Ecological Sciences Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
1400 Independence Avenue Southwest, Room 6150, Washington, DC 20250.
     Email: [email protected].
    NRCS will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. In 
general, personal information provided with comments will be posted. If 
your comment includes your address, phone number, email, or other 
personal identifying information, your comments, including personal 
information, may be available to the public. You may ask in your 
comment that your personal identifying information be withheld from 
public view, but this cannot be guaranteed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norman Widman, National Agronomist, 
Ecological Sciences Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
1400 Independence Avenue Southwest, Room 6153, Washington, DC 20250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RUSLE2, an empirical erosion prediction 
model for calculating sheet and rill water erosion, is being replaced 
by WEPP technology for selected highly erodible compliance 
applications. The WEPP model is for use where water erosion is the 
primary causal factor for comparing the annual level of erosion before 
conservation system application to the expected annual level of erosion 
after conservation system application (i.e., substantial reduction for 
highly erodible land conservation). The use of the Universal Soil Loss 
Equation (USLE) to calculate potential erodibility remains unchanged. 
The regulation for USLE is located at 7 CFR 610.14.
    The implementation of the WEPP technology does not affect the 
highly erodible soil map unit list contained in the NRCS Field Office 
Technical Guide as of January 1, 1990. The factor values from the 1990 
list will continue to be used for all erodibility index calculations, 
including sodbuster determinations and review of previous 
determinations.
    The WEPP technology computer model is a process-based, daily time-
step model that predicts soil erosion by simulating the fundamental 
processes controlling water erosion. WEPP calculates sheet and rill 
erosion rates and sediment deposition and delivery. The WEPP model also 
provides the user with spatial information regarding soil flux, 
deposition, and loss from specific regions of a field over time. The 
model is intended for conservation planning, assessing water erosion 
for NRCS' National Resources Inventory, and aiding the development of 
regional and national policy.
    The WEPP modular design is amenable to incorporation of new 
features; thus, WEPP utility also is for estimating long-term soil 
productivity, the effect of climate change on crop growth and erosion, 
sediment depositional loading of lakes and streams, and ephemeral 
erosion prediction.
    Further, WEPP aids in calculating onsite and offsite economic costs 
of erosion and assessing impacts of management strategies on public 
lands when used in conjunction with other models.
    A complete summary of the processes utilized by the WEPP model can 
be seen in ``WEPP Model Documentation'' on the USDA Agricultural 
Research Service Web page at http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=10621. Additional WEPP documents also are also available 
on this Web page.
    The proposed implementation timeframe for WEPP in each NRCS field 
office with a water erosion concern is December 1, 2016. Section 
1201(a)(11)(C) of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, (16 U.S.C. 
3801(a)(11)(C)) requires NRCS to make available for public review and 
comment all proposed changes to equations to carry out the highly 
erodible land provisions of the law in a manner consistent with section 
553 of title 5.

    Signed this 4th day of October, 2016, in Washington, DC.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-27633 Filed 11-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-16-P