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Fannin Soil & Water Conservation District |
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Fannin Soil and Water Conservation District NEWSLETTER |
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NRCS |
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DIRECTORS: C. W. Jones, Chairman Billy Partridge, Vice Chairman Leon Bowman, Secretary-Treasurer Harvey Milton, Member David Keene, Member |
Sam Stewart, Team Leader Randy Moore, District Conservationist Steve Deckard, Soils Cons. Technician DISTRICT PERSONNEL Johnnie J. Kay, Technician Mary Jane Godwin, District Secretary |
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MEETS THIRD TUESDAY AT 8:30 A.M. |
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| Volume 11 |
Winter 2005 |
Number 3-4 |
Conserving the Soil by Controlling Erosion
Tracy Homfeld, Agricultural Engineer
The Natural Resources Conservation Service
To visualize the full enormity of
land impairment and devastation brought about by this ruthless agent is
beyond the possibility of the mind.
An era of land wreckage destined to weigh heavily upon the welfare
of the next generation is at hand.”
| The problem of erosion was present long before Hugh Hammond Bennett, founder of the Soil Conservation Service; (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) spoke about it in a 1928 article titled Soil Erosion, a National Menace. |
Soil erosion by water is initiated as the energy from raindrops dislodges soil particles and transports them by the runoff. As runoff increases in velocity, due to the slope of the land, it forms channels as it flows over land surface irregularities. This action detaches even more soil particles. After repeated flow in these areas, tiny well-defined channels called rills are formed. As the flows in these rills come together in larger channels, they form gullies. Aside from the unsightly affects of water erosion, ultimately, the detached sediment is deposited downstream creating water quality issues.
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Soil erosion by wind and water, and the impact of sediment on lakes and streams, creates problems for both agricultural land andwater quality. A loss in nutrients and production capability most often will result in an economic incentive for the landowner to prevent erosion. Several conservation management practices can be used to reduce or control soil water erosion. Maintaining soil structure is an effective way to prevent soil erosion. Soils high in organic matter (plant and animal residue in various stages of decomposition) have a more stable soil structure. This improves permeability resulting in less runoff and reduced erosion. Soil texture, or the average particle size, plays a significant role in soil loss. Soils that contain high percentages of silt and very fine sand are generally the most erodible. Clays act as a binder of soil particles and reduce erodibility. In the absence of good erosion resistant soils, other steps should be taken to prevent soil loss.
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Water erosion on conventionally tilled field. Photo source unknown. |
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Grassed waterway in a wheat field. |
Protecting soil surfaces is an extremely effective measure in controlling erosion. Having a good vegetative (permanent grass) or crop residue cover will shield the soil surface from the impact of falling rain. A soil cover holds the soil in place and slows flow thereby giving the soil time to absorb more water. Heavy tillage operations can increase soil loss by burying crop residue and disturbing the soil. Many conservation practices may also help to prevent erosion from destroying the land. In areas where there are highly erosive soils and crop rotations and changing tillage operations is not enough to control erosion in a field, utilizing certain conservation practices such as terrace systems and grassed waterways, diversions, buffer strips or field borders, shaping critically eroded areas, and planting permanent grasses (grass is the best solution to erosion). The local Natural Resources Conservation Service office located at 200 East First St. in Bonham, TX can help you in developing a conservation plan to fit your particular situation. |
Erosion will continue to pillage our nations land unless we address the cause and take action to prevent it. We are making significant progress in dealing with soil erosion however; more work is yet to be done to prevent productive soils from being lost and further damage to the land.
200 E. 1st St.
Bonham, TX 75418 
