Maps of erosion potential were produced for an area in northern California where exploration of geothermal energy sources is in progress. The maps were derived from existing maps and other data on topography, soils, and vegetation. The simple procedure used to make these maps could easily be adapted to other situations where disturbance of range or forest lands is anticipated. Such maps are therefore effective tools for intelligent land-use planning.

Tawna Nicholas is Staff Research Associate and John McColl is Assistant Professor in the Department of Soils and Plant Nutrition, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. This article was aided by a gift from Republic Geothermal, Inc. The study was conducted with the approval of the Planning Department, Lake County, California.