The Natural Process of Soil Erosion

Signs of Erosion

• Signs of damaging erosion can be missed if not evaluated properly. Streams or ponds that become red, murky or excessively muddy after a rain are usually suffering from the adverse effects of erosion. Bare patches on lawns or fields and gullies or sand in low-lying areas are also signs. Storm drains can become crowded with sand or other soil particles in an area suffering from erosion.

Adverse Effects of Erosion

• Soil erosion can cause many problems for land and water resources. Heavy erosion increases the risk of flooding streams, the cost of removing sediment from municipal water supplies, property damage and nutrient input to lakes and streams. This nutrient increase encourages algae growth, which in turn, crowds out other aquatic life. Erosion problems also decrease the capacity of storm water and reservoir facilities, kill fish and reduce habitats for aquatic life.

Control Methods for Landscaping

• Homeowners can help control erosion on their property with a few simple techniques. The first is the most obvious: increase plant life. Plants form root and beneficial fungi networks that help build soil structure and keep it in place. Trees and shrubs planted along borders can do double duty by also providing windbreaks. If you have low-lying areas where water tends to run off, plant plenty of grass there; it will help absorb the excess water and prevent it from taking soil with it.

Control Methods for Farming

• Because farming is a major contributor to soil erosion, farmers have developed techniques to help minimize this damage. Planting cover crops like fall rye and winter wheat during those highly erosive seasons helps, as does planting crops in the spring along the natural contours of the land -- versus cutting into the land to make perfect rows. These somewhat irregular rows break up the water flow, which makes it more difficult for the soil to wash away. Specialty tilling techniques and leaving previous seasons' crop residues in place instead of removing them also helps maintain the soil.