The Intensity of Basin and Riverbed Erosion in the Forest-Steppe Landscapes of the Yenisei River Basin

Assessment of the basin and channel components of sediment runoff, determination of the values of the introduction of flushing products from meltwater and stormwater into the riverine catchment area network is an urgent topic of geographical research. In this research for the Krasnoyarsk, Kansk and Yuzhno-Minusinsk island forest-steppe regions of the Yenisei River basin a quantitative assessment of river sediment runoff, annual erosion intensity, total basin and channel erosion volumes, and their ratios for selected representative rivers is performed. Certain differences in the areas of arable land, in the plowing degree and annual erosion intensity between forest-steppe areas determine a significant difference in the average annual volume of basin erosion—from 0.5 to 43.3 Mt/year in the basins of the case-study rivers. The coefficient of sediment delivery to river channels is determined based on data of the average annual values of sediments and soil particles washed from catchments. Its value varies from 0.12–5.19%, with the maximum in the Yuzhno-Minusinsk forest-steppe. The contribution of sediments of channel origin increases in the south direction. An integrated assessment of basin and channel erosion shows that the total inflow of washout products from the entire forest-steppe zone into the Yenisei River erosion network is 26.62 Mt/year, which is comparable to the sediment runoff of the Lower Yenisei and thus indicates the significant role of erosion and channel processes in the forest-steppe zone in sediment runoff of Russia’s largest river.

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