How can erosion be prevented

For the most part, soil will stay put. However, on steep slopes and embankments, there is the elevated risk of erosion. It is essential to put as much effort as possible into actions that will stop the soil from washing away. This is because not only could this make the area that has been eroded barren, but it could also adversely affect water supply and introduce pollutants.

Additionally, it could take decades to rebuild even the initial layer of topsoil, so it essential to have some insight on how to keep topsoil in place.

There are many methods that could be used to help prevent or stop erosion on steep slopes, some of which are listed below. Grass and shrubs are very effective at stopping soil erosion. This is primarily because plant roots tend to hold soil together, making it harder to erode.

The leaves of the plants also help to reduce the velocity of raindrops falling on the ground, making it harder for them to dislodge the soil and erode it. Ornamental grass and low, spreading shrubs work best as they leave no areas of bare soil exposed to the elements. Rolled mats are usually made from mulch that is held together by a fiber mesh.

They degrade slowly, allowing vegetation that may have been grown in the area to grow and take over the job of protecting the soil from erosion when the mats have finally degraded completely. Compost erosion control blankets act similarly to mulch products but provide organic nutrients that promote vegetation growth, even in areas where germination, moisture management and irrigation could be challenging.

If you are planning on trying to control the erosion on very steep slopes or embankments, sometimes planting vegetation may just not cut it as the slope may be too steep to support anything other than the hardiest grass due to the rapid rate of erosion. If this is the case, you should consider building terraces to help slow down erosion as the vegetation takes hold.

The beds that are created by the terraces can then be used to plant vegetation such as ornamental plants or grass. Depending on the incline of the slope or embankment, one of the most effective ways to help prevent erosion is to create diversions which will channel excess water down the slope along a predetermined path.

One of the simplest ways to do this is to create open ditches or drains by simply digging along the slope at regular intervals. Use of pipes and gutters is also very effective, and work just as well as natural drains when designed and installed properly.

We have been living right next to a very steep slope on the side of a mountain for 2 years now and it looks like a landslide is going to happen soon or so says the news. I was surprised to read that building a terrace helps slow down erosion as the vegetation takes hold. Vegetation Definition: Plants considered collectively, especially found in a particular area or habitat. Geotextiles Definition: They are permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain.

Mulch Definition: A material such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost spread around to enrich or insulate the soil. Erosion Mats Definition: A protective soil cover of straw, wood, coconut fiber, or other suitable plant residue, or plastic fibers formed into a mat, usually with a plastic or biodegradable mesh on one or both sides.

Vegetation prevents erosion in several different ways. First, the roots of plants hold the soil in place, keeping it from washing away during rainstorms. Second, vegetation provides ground cover which keeps harsh rain from washing away soil. By the time rivers draining large catchments reach the coast, they are usually just a few hundred meters wide. Even though surface cover encourages runoff to spread, runoff concentration is inevitable.

Coordination across the catchment is important when implementing runoff control measures. Runoff may pass through several properties and cross several roads sometimes railway lines as it passes from the most remote part of a catchment to a major drainage line or creek. The importance of cover was shown in an experiment at Mt Mort, near Ipswich see table below. The soil loss from this one event was 22 tonnes per hectare. Treatments A and B with higher cover levels had much less runoff, soil and nutrient loss.

It can take thousands of years to form an inch of soil. The depth of soil lost from treatment C from this one storm event may take hundreds of years to replace, provided no further erosion occurs. Trees are often considered to be the universal answer to control soil erosion. In forests, the soil surface is usually protected by a layer of mulch from decaying vegetation as well as a variety of surface growing plants. If the soil is bare under the tree canopy from over grazing, vehicles or pedestrians, soil erosion will still occur.

Conservation cropping practices that maintain cover on soils include minimum and zero tillage practices. Nowadays during the fallow period, farmers use tillage implements that kill weeds without burying stubble and herbicides to minimise the frequency of tillage. Runoff concentration is managed by structural measures such as contour banks in upland areas, or strip cropping on floodplains.

These systems involve a total change in the way a farm is managed. Runoff systems must be carefully planned. Flow between properties and across roads and railway lines must be coordinated and suit those affected by the changes. When runoff water can impact neighbouring properties or infrastructure, land owners are encouraged to discuss with their neighbours and seek professional advice.

The banks channel the runoff at low speed into grassed waterways. Good surface cover between contour banks and in waterways will ensure their stability and dramatically reduce the amount of soil deposited in waterways. On flood plains, strip cropping is used to spread flood flows rather than allowing it to concentrate. This protects the soil from erosion by raindrop impact.