Several studies have incorporated the trench effect into the steel catenary riser's (SCR) fatigue analysis based on two main approaches: artificial insertion of a trench profile in the touchdown zone (TDZ), and automated trench formation using nonlinear hysteretic riser-seabed interaction models. There have been contradictory results with no coherent agreement on the beneficial or detrimental effect of the trench on fatigue life. The current study has been conducted to resolve existing challenges by proposing a reliable methodology by defining an equivalent stiffness to generate a consistent trench profile entirely compatible with the natural curvature of the SCR in the TDZ.