Building something new, or breaking something down, requires a lot of earth and soil to be moved around. As larger pieces of dirt or rock are broken apart, smaller pieces break off as the chunk crumbles. Losing the stability that root systems bring as vegetation is stripped away also assists in this. These smaller particles are easy to pick up by wind and rain. Massive amounts of earth can be moved by erosion in not very much time.
5 Kinds of Erosion
- Rain or Splash Erosion - This is the impact of a raindrop hitting the ground, or lots of big raindrops all hitting the ground at once
- Sheet Erosion - Runoff spilling over preexisting bodies of water
- Rill Erosion - Distinct streams of precipitation carving paths
- Gully Erosion - Large channels capable of moving lots of particles
- Valley or Streambank Erosion - Rushing streams and rivers eating away at their banks and shores, expanding the stream and valley
Erosion can wear away at layers of topsoil. Topsoil is the most biologically active and fertile layer of soil, filled with organic material and plant nutrients. As topsoil is worn away, the area is unable to provide nutrients or prevent further erosion through growing vegetation.
As running water picks up sediment and debris running across the ground, it picks up a lot of pollutants along the way. This can include massive amounts of nutrients. Too many nutrients can cause algae blooms through a process known as “Eutrophication.” Eutrophication causes a severe lack of oxygen, eliminating the possibility of healthy, sustainable ecosystems. As this water flows into other waterways, it can suffocate fish, plants, and other lifeforms along the way.
How to prevent erosion?
- Vegetation: Root structures play a major part in keeping plants and dirt where they are. Refraining from pulling up or destroying root structures and vegetation will prevent a massive amount of sediment from being picked up and carried elsewhere.
- Consecutive, phased construction: Instead of clearing an entire field for immediate building — small parts can be built upon one by one. This lessens the amount of exposed soil at any one time, especially in the case of severe weather.
- A rain cover can be placed over some areas to prevent runoff or precipitation from reaching the exposed sediment. BTL’s ArmorCover is an excellent choice for covering and protecting exposed soil to prevent seepage and erosion.