The effect of road construction on sediment deposition in Loch Earn, Scotland

In 1982 an unmetalled road was constructed in a Scottish Highland glen, Glen Ogle, crossing several left bank tributaries of the Ogle Burn, one of the main influents to Loch Earn. As a result, at least 1824 tonnes of sediment were deposited over an area of 4-6 ha of loch bed in less than 2 months. This was over 20 times as much material by weight than had passed a temporary gauging station, near the confluence with the loch, during an earlier 12 month monitoring period. The mean thickness of the resultant deposit should, under normal circumstances, have taken some 20 to 25 years to accumulate. Thus, this study provides a quantified illustration of the potential impact of a specific human activity on the acceleration of erosion and deposition rates.