Erosion Control

What is Erosion?

Erosion is the slow process of water or wind carving into earth and even material like concrete and asphalt. The Grande Canyon is a result of the Colorado river eroding through the desert rock over a long, long time.

Erosion can be good, like when it creates beautiful landscape features, but many times erosion can cause damage and instability to soil. When soil washes out it allows water to wash away from an area very fast, causing floods downstream and not allowing infiltration of water into the soil upstream. Did you know that Beaver dams actually help create natural ponds because they hold water back from running down hill? When water is slowed down, plants that require more water can grow and if enough water stays behind, fish populations emerge.

Be like a beaver and slow the water down!                                                                               

The Types of Erosion:

-Sheet erosion

-Splash erosion

-Rill erosion

-Gully erosion

The Types of Erosion Control Structures:

-One rock damn (ORD)

-Rock mulch run down

-Zuni bowl

-Media Luna

Follow this guide to see how to build each of the types of erosion control structures mentioned above.

Erosion-Control-Field-Guide