Optimal timber harvest scheduling with spatially defined sediment objectives

This note presents a simple model formulation that focuses on the spatial relationships over time between timber harvesting and sediment levels in water runoff courses throughout the watershed being managed. A hypothetical example is developed to demonstrate the formulation and show how sediment objectives can be spatially defined anywhere in the watershed. Spatial sensitivity in the example is shown, indicating that, at least in some cases, tracking sediment levels below a watershed may be inadequate for achieving sediment objectives within the watershed itself.