Sixty-minute, constant-intensity simulated rains were applied to seven
infiltration treatments designed to evaluate the influence of strippi
ng and compaction on home lawns. Three treatments simulated home lawn
construction practices. The control treatment was undisturbed, the ''s
tripped'' treatment had the topsoil removed and replaced, and the ''co
mpacted'' treatment had the topsoil removed, the exposed surface compa
cted and the topsoil replaced. All plots were rototilled and raked bef
ore sodding to establish the grass. In addition, stripped and compacte
d treatments were identified and tested on a 6- and a 12-year-old lawn
. All treatments were replicated six times. The K and lambda = n psi na parameters in the Green and Ampt infiltration model were fitted to
the cumulative infiltration data far each replication of each of the
seven treatments. The time, t(r), when runoff began was recorded for e
ach replication. The treatments generally divided into three groups. T
he most rapid infiltration occurred on the newly constructed control a
nd stripped treatments (K = 85 mm/h), though the shape of the infiltra
tion response and the time to the start of runoff were quite different
The slowest infiltration occurred on the newly constructed and the 12
-year-old compacted treatments (K = 33 mm/h). The reduction in infiltr
ation into the compacted layer could still be seen 12 years after the
compacted layer was developed even though there was a trend toward fas
ter infiltration with age. An intermediate infiltration response occur
red on both the 6-year-old stripped and compacted lawn and the strippe
d portion of the 12-year-old lawn (K = 54 mm/h). The reduced infiltrat
ion into the compacted layer in the 6-year-old lawn was attenuated by
repeated aerations.