This paper reports on research conducted in support of a coastal zone management effort to reduce erosion and sedimentation impacts in a wetland watershed, Elkhorn Slough, Monterey County, California. The research reviews methods of determining soil erosion susceptibility and relating it to land‐use intensity within the watershed, measured by a land disturbance index. Erosion susceptibility is measured in three ways: by a combination of slope and the erosion factor of the Universal Soil Loss Equation; by field measurement of erosion and deposition on selected sites; and by computer‐assisted terrain analysis of data from secondary sources. Land use is shown to be a more important factor than landform in influencing relative erosion susceptibility.