Subsurface water flow on a slope in the loamy region of Belgium

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Abstract
In order to evaluate the different water flow processes in a silt loam soil susceptible to erosion (slope 16 per cent), a hydrological study was started in 1987 on a standard bare erosion plot under conventional tillage.Tensiometer sets were used to determine the soil water potential status along a 20m transect during the growing season. From these measurements, hydralic head profiles were constructed and the depth of the saturated zone was derived.Through daily measurements, different directions of water flow were observed within the soil profile and within time, and temporary and permanent saturated zones could be recognized along the studied transect. During rainy periods, a subsurface water flow was observed in a saturated zone just below the soil surface. It appears that the presence of a shallow compacted plough pan can cause this temporary perching of water.