摘要
Illegal deforestation changes in land use and climate change have resulted in increased runoff and surface erosion from the upper areas of watersheds, affecting directly the lower lands where human settlements are common. Such is the case of Angangueo in the state ofMichoacam, Mexico, where in 2010 an unusual weather event caused substantial damage to infrastructure, and unfortunately human deaths. Against disasters, the government has carried out actions such as implementing infrastructure to alleviate flooding and mudslides. Gabions dams were used to control erosion and runoff, as they are considered environmentally friendly as compared to most of the constructed impermeable weirs. This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of gabions dams in sediment retention in a small watershed East of Michoacan. Eight gabions dams and five masonry dams two years after of construction were studied. The results indicated that the gabions dams retained less gravel than masonry dams, more sand, but no significant differences were found for fine sediments. Regarding the efficiency of gabions dams, there were not identified relationships since the building volume and contribution area is different in each one of them.
