KaiB
Silver Member
In most cases, erosion on the farm and on the lawn is best prevented - as opposed to redirected.
Erosion occurs in three stages: Sheet then rill then gully. Sheet erosion is simply a thin plane of water moving down grade; once it gathers, it causes rills...it is these rills which eventually cause gullies.
The answer (as others here have touched) is to not allow the sheet erosion to begin. This takes ground cover. In highly erodable areas, the ground cover must be tall enough to prevent raindrops from impacting the ground (if this happens, ultimately the cround compacts and sheet erosion will occur).
The ideas regarding cover above are good ones; check and see what works in your area, lay in a cover (nurse) crop and then sow in good native stuff. As with all forbs and grasses, you will want to check your soil first.
Water re-direction will only cause problems somewhere else.
Erosion occurs in three stages: Sheet then rill then gully. Sheet erosion is simply a thin plane of water moving down grade; once it gathers, it causes rills...it is these rills which eventually cause gullies.
The answer (as others here have touched) is to not allow the sheet erosion to begin. This takes ground cover. In highly erodable areas, the ground cover must be tall enough to prevent raindrops from impacting the ground (if this happens, ultimately the cround compacts and sheet erosion will occur).
The ideas regarding cover above are good ones; check and see what works in your area, lay in a cover (nurse) crop and then sow in good native stuff. As with all forbs and grasses, you will want to check your soil first.
Water re-direction will only cause problems somewhere else.
