How to Monitor Soil Erosion

Whether you have a small flower or vegetable garden in your backyard or a large farm field, soil erosion can pose a risk to your crops. Every time it rains or the wind picks up during a drought, any exposed dirt may erode away, leaving you with less soil in which to maintain the plants you planted. While there are things you can do to prevent erosion, such as planting ground cover or placing edging stones, it is important to monitor for soil erosion so you can see if your preventative measures are enough or if you need more.

Craft stick
Marker

Instructions

- 1
  Place several craft sticks into the ground at various spots in your garden and mark the height of the soil with a marker. Check your garden each day, especially after rain, to see if the soil has receded from the previous line. If so, make a new mark where the soil level is.
- 2
  Check for gulleys that may have formed where water has run through your garden, washing away precious soil your plants need to grow. These gulleys look similar to a dry riverbed and can be shallow or deep depending on the speed and size of the water flow.
- 3
  Make note of any new stones or roots that appear in your garden or other areas of your yard. These stones often appear because the soil that once covered them has washed away.
- 4
  Check for soil that has collected in a low-lying area where there previously was none. When soil erodes, it often travels from a higher level to the lower levels where it is left behind when the water absorbs into the ground.

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