Factors that Affect Infiltration

1. Precipitation

Precipitation can impact infiltration in many ways. The amount, type and duration of
precipitation all have an impact. Rainfall leads to faster infiltration rates than any other
precipitation events, such as snow or sleet. In terms of amount, the more precipitation that
occurs, the more infiltration will occur until the ground reaches saturation, at which point the
infiltration capacity is reached. Duration of rainfall impacts the infiltration capacity as well.
Initially when the precipitation event first starts the infiltration is occurring rapidly as the soll is
unsaturated, but as time continues the infiltration rate slows as the soil becomes more
saturated.

2. Soil characteristics

The porosity of soils is critical in determine the infiltration capacity. Soils that have smaller
pore sizes, such as clay, have lower infiltration capacity and slower infiltration rates than soils
that have large pore size, such as sands. One exception to this rule is when clay is present in dry
conditions. In this case, the soil can develop large cracks which leads to higher infiltration
capacity.

Soil compaction is also impacting infiltration capacity. Compaction of soils results in

3. Soil moisture content

Soil that is already saturated has no more capacity to hold more water, therefore infiltration
capacity has been reached and the rate cannot increase past this point. This leads to much
more surface runoff. When soil is partially saturated then infiltration can occur at a moderate
rate and fully unsaturated soils have the highest infiltration capacity.

4. Organic materials in soils

Organic materials in the soil (including plants and animals) all increase the infiltration capacity.
Vegetation contains roots that extent into the soil which create cracks and fissures in the soil,
allowing for more rapid infiltration and Increased capacity. Vegetation can also reduce surface
compaction of the soil which again allows for increased infiltration. When no vegetation is
present infiltration rates can be very low, which can lead to excessive runoff and increased
erosion levels. Similarly, to vegetation, animals that burrow in the soil also create cracks in the
soil structure.

5. Land cover

If land is covered by impermeable surfaces, such as pavement, infiltration camt occur as the
water cannot infiltrate through an impermeable surface This relationship also leads to
increased runoff. Areas that are impermeable often have storm drains which drain directly into
water bodies, which means no infiltration occurs.

Vegetative cover of the land also impacts the infiltration capacity. Vegetative cover can lead to
more interception of precipitation, which can decrease intensity leading to less runoff, and more
interception. Increased abundance of vegetation also leads to higher levels of
evapotranspiration which can decrease the amount of infiltration rate. Debris from vegetation
such as leaf cover can also increase infiltration rate by protecting the soils from intense
precipitation events.

6. Slope

When the slope of land is higher runoff occurs more readily which leads to lower infiltration
rates.

Infiltration Process

The process of infiltration can continue only if there is room available for additional water at
the soil surface. The available volume for additional water in the soil depends on the porosity of
the soil and the rate at which previously infiltrated water can move away from the surface
through the soil. The maximum rate that water can enter a soil in a given condition is the
infiltration capacity. If the arrival of the water at the soil surface is less than the infiltration
capacity, it is sometimes analyzed using hydrology transport models, mathematical models that
consider infiltration, runoff and channel flow to predict river flow rates and stream water quality.

Why it is infiltration is important?

Infiltration is an indicator of the soil's ability to allow water movement into and through the
soil profile. Soil temporarily stores water, making it available for root uptake, plant growth and
habitat for soil organisms.

Conservation practices that lead to poor infiltration include:

 Incorporating, burning, or harvesting crop residues leaving susceptible to erosion, soil

 Tillage methods and soil disturbance activities that disrupt surface connected pores and
 prevent accumulation of soil organic matter, and

 Equipment and livestock traffic, especially on wet soils, that cause compaction and
reduced porosity.

What are the interventions?

Several conservation practices help maintain or improve water infiltration into soil by
increasing vegetative cover, managing crop residues, and increasing soil organic matter.
Generally, these practices minimize soil disturbance and compaction, protect soil from erosion,
and encourage the development of good soil structure and continuous pore space. As a short-
term solution to poor infiltration, surface crusts can be disrupted with a rotary hoe or row
cultivator and plow plans or other compacted layers can be broken using deep tillage.

Long-term solutions for maintaining or improving infiltration include practices that increase soil
organic matter and aggregation, and reduce soil disturbance and compaction. High residue
crops, such as corn and small grains, perennial sod, and cover crops protect the soil surface
from erosion and increase soil organic matter when reduced tillage methods that maintain
surface cover are used to plant the following crop. Application of animal manure also helps to
increase soil organic matter. Increased organic matter results in increased aggregation and
improved soil structure leading to improved infiltration rates. Conservation tillage, reduced soil
disturbance, and reducing the number of trips across a field necessary to produce a crop help
leave continuous pore spaces intact and minimize the opportunity for soil compaction.
Conservation practices resulting in infiltration rates favorable to soil function include:

 Conservation Crop Rotation

 Cover Crop

 Prescribed Grazing

 Residue and Tillage Management

 Waste Utilization

INFILTRATION RATE

The infiltration rate is the velocity or speed at which water enters into the soil. It Svaly
measured by the depth (in mm) of the water layer that can enter the soil in one hour An
Intitration rate of 15 mm/hour means that a water layer of 15 mm on the soil surface, will take
one hour to infiltrate.

In dry-soil water infiltrates rapidly. This is called the initial infiltration rate. As more water
replaces the air in the pores, the water from the soil surface infiltrates more sowy and eventually
reaches a steady rate. This is called the basic infiltration

The infiltration rate depends on soil texture (the size of the soil particles) and soil srvcture and
is a useful way of categorizing soils from an irrigation point of view. rate.

The most common method to measure the infiltration rate is by a field test using cylinder or
ring Infiltrometer.

BASIC INFILTRATION RATES FOR VARIOUS SOIL TYPES

Sand Less than 30

sandy loam 20-30

Loam 10-20

Clay loam 5-10

Clay 1-5