Erosion
Soil erosion from wind and water is detrimental to cropland soil productivity, surface water quality, and air quality. Soil erosion removes precious top soil from our cropland which in itself reduces productivity. This topsoil loss represents lost nutrients as well as a reduced volume of soil for optimum crop root growth. Delivery of sediments to surface waters increase the turbidity and is the #1 contaminate of surface waters throughout the U.S. This turbidity reduces light penetration in water which reduces aquatic plant life. Sediments that settle on the bottom of water bodies can also bury plant life and can ultimately fill reservoirs, which limits their life expectancy as water storage structures. Wind erosion can be damaging to young plants and can represent a regional or local air quality issue.
