Cause Of Water Erosion In The United States

The implications for future government planning for land degradation include the Soil erosion policy and notices and the contaminated land policy.

There are six different types of water erosion: splash erosion, sheet erosion, rill erosion, gully erosion, valley or stream erosion, and bank erosion. Splash erosion is when raindrops hit soil and small soil particles are displaced. Sheet erosion is when raindrops remove soil in thin layers. During rill erosion, small concentrated flow paths are created. “These paths create a sediment source and delivery system for hillslope erosion. Areas where precipitation rates exceed soil infiltration rates are more prone to this type of erosion. During gully erosion, water flows in narrow channels during or after heavy rains or melting snow. The gullies can erode to considerable depths. Valley or stream erosion is created by water flowing alongside land. It extends downward, deepening a valley, and extending the valley into the hillside. This occurs more frequently

Thusly, chronic coastal erosion is beginning to become a huge problem along a majority of the U.S. coast, exclusively on Hawaiian Islands (Romine and Fletcher, 2013). “Kona” storms, with southerly winds and waves, can trigger momentary erosional events to south and west exposed beaches on the coast (Romine and Fletcher, 2013). Erosional events are undoubtedly proving to control most shoreline changes throughout the state Hawaii, let alone Kauai. Romine and Fletcher’s studies of historical shorelines on major Hawaiian Islands, including Kauai, have proven that shoreline changes on the islands are displaying a dominant trend of being caused by erosion (2013) on the leeward and windward sides of the

and environmental impacts on our society as a whole. Along with the rise of our sea levels due

At Nudgee Beach, erosion was found to have occurred on the edges of the mangrove forest and along the mudflat shorelines. Erosion is typically influenced by natural factors and occurs when pieces of weathered rock or soil are moved – typically by wind and water – from one place to another. Shorelines with lots of sediment and sand are more inclined to be effected by erosional progression. Erosion may also be provoked and accelerated by human interference. For example, if the decision to clear trees and plants from an area is made, erosion is likely to occur as the root systems of plants work to hold the soil in place. If these root systems are removed and erosion does occur, environmental conditions – such as; landslides and flooding – are more likely to take place. Erosion may also cause other plants to tip over, have their underground roots exposed and damaged and contribute to the pollution of local waters; as a result of mud and soil runoff [26]. Erosion at Nudgee Beach was likely to have been influenced by natural factors; however, the development and extension of the Kedron Brook golfing course may contribute to the acceleration of erosional processes and further damage the mangrove

The more coastal erosion there is, the higher the chance is for saltwater contaminating freshwater resources and the salt from the ocean can cause soil to be uninhabitable to plants (Again this can affect agriculture). Coastal erosion is not only an issue for water resources, it’s also a direct issue for the communities. The communities on islands lay very close to the coast and important infrastructures are one of them. Islands cannot get all of their resources from the local farmers, so they import it via plane or boat. The problem with that is the airports and ports are all on the coast. Coastal erosion has the power to ruin airport runways and docks of the harbors and ports; this means that eventually communities will be starved of basic necessities and there will be no way of getting in basic needs. Not only will airports be ruined, so will our tourism industry. Coastal erosion will eventually ruin the beaches that attract tourists. Island communities depend on the tourism industry because that industry brings in a lot of money every year. Without tourists, communities will struggle financially. Lastly, the ecosystem of the islands will suffer the

1 The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has stepped in to provide restorative practices upon 500,000 acres of heavily degraded public grasslands. This land is suffering from severe soil erosion as well as degradation due to overgrazing. The suppression of natural fires has caused shrubs and invasive weeds to encroach upon the grasslands. A full scale assessment will take place on this land before restoration efforts begin. The first thing that would need to be assessed is the soil, for it is eroding and holding little nutrient value. Samples would be taken of this soil from various parts of the grasslands including the eroded gullies. Each soil sample would be taken from at least 1 foot below the surface, to test for carbon richness below the topsoil. These would then be tested for texture, density, water retention, and chemical composition. Typically, powerful, healthy soil will contain amounts of both Nitrogen and Phosphorous, which are essential nutrients in sustainable plant growth. These samples would also be tested for any build-up of salts, something known as soil salinization. Unhealthy, salinized soil is created over years of over-hydrating and deep plowing. Excess water will suffocate root systems of once-healthy crops, and salinized soils will reduce crop output up to 20% (Withgott &Brennan, 2011). The next assessment would be in the shrubs and invasive weed species on the land. Knowing the volume and location of these plants gives way to a better understanding of

tides. There are also many programs which help to ensure the stabilization of dunes, these include the planting of new vegetation to combat erosion, fencing and designated

If you have ever lived in proximity to coastal areas you may have seen coastline erosion first hand. The beaches you frequent during the summer may seem to be getting smaller and smaller every year. Why does your favorite beach seem to be disappearing? Coastal erosion is to blame. The waves, wind, tides and currents all play a part in the mechanism that is coastal erosion. When water and wind batter the shoreline sediments are carried out to sea and deposited on the sea floor or at other points along the coastline. This is called an erosional coastline. This erosion may be very apparent or seem to have happened overnight when it happens due to a large storm or extremely high tide.

The aim is to identify and associate landforms, rock types and soils to the natural environment and its plants and animals and also to investigate the history of the local environment, comprising human impacts over the last 50 years. The impact of human alterations to the environment includes increased soil erosion and changes in river flows.

In urban areas, like Youngsville and Lafayette, there are many different hazards and risks that are found in these areas. Since these two areas developed so quick in such a small period of time, these risks have increased in intensity because of how fast these structures came up. One of the main risks in urban areas in Southwest Louisiana is soil erosion. Soil erosion is found to tremendously decrease plant life because of the nutrients and organic matter that is eroded away off the soil surface.

This is incredibly important in our area. With the amount of water and wind we have, these have played a major role in our formation. The waves crash into rocks and the shore and cause it to make a new formation. Wind also carries particles, sand, and dirt and carries it to new places. This cause the land that it is picked up from to change, along with the land that it is dropped at. This causes new formation in two different places. Water erosion and wind erosion have had major impacts in Michigan to help form us to what we have come to be and will continue to help form the land.

Every year the Wildlife Bureau of the DNR purchases land for public use and wildlife habitats. The restoration of Iowa’s prairie land is considered important because it can restore the natural ecosystem, benefit water quality, and reduces soil erosion caused by runoff. Other farming practices such as having buffer strips near streams and cover crops have helped manage the soil erosion in Iowa, but since 1850 we have lost nearly 14 inches in topsoil depth and growing.

The seepage of ground water and the overland flow of surface water runoff also contribute to the erosion of shorelines (http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/MMGI/Chapter6/ch6-4.html). The role of ground water is most important wherever permeable subsurface layers of sand are exposed in high bluffs along coastal bays. In these areas, the seepage of ground water into the waterway can cause erosion at the point of exit. The surface flow of upland runoff can also dislodge sediments through the creation of rills and gullies on the shoreline banks and bluffs (http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/MMGI/Chapter6/ch6-4.html).

Erosion removes the surface soils, containing most of the organic matter, plant nutrients, and fine soil particles, which help to retain water and nutrients in the root zone where they are available to plants. Thus it affects the productivity of plants. The remaining, the subsoil, tends to be less fertile, less absorbent and less able to retain pesticides, fertilizers, and other plant nutrients. There are over 17,000 soil types recognized worldwide. They vary widely in structure, erodibility, fertility, and ability to produce crops. A generalized soil profile for a humid, temperate climate is showed. When the natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture, soils become exposed to erosion and loss of soil fertility. The removal of the above-ground natural