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Mistreatment of Land, Natural Disaster, and Drought Created the Dust Bowl in America

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The Dust Bowl was a time period in which many dust storms affected the agriculture and economy of the United States. Before the dust storms and droughts, the land being used by the farmers was already being damaged. Overuse had caused the soil to become useless, and by over-cultivating the land, farmers were no longer able to use the once fertile soil, causing a major impact on the lives of those involved in agriculture.
Before the infamous Dust Bowl, the lands to the West were unknown until the exploration of Lewis and Clark. On the expedition of Lewis and Clark, they discovered and explored new land west of the Mississippi River, finding beautiful nearly unused land that was only being used by some Native Americans. When the lands were…show more content…
Recently, we have had our own periods of drought and high summer temperatures, so in reality, yes, the United States could have their own Dust Bowl in this time period. However, I believe that after the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s happened, farmers were much more conscious of their actions. Because of the Dust Bowl, farmers tended to the soil with more care. For example, farmers use a method known as the Crop Rotation. Crop Rotation is the practice of planting different crops on the same land. Using the crop rotation method improves soil fertility, so that the risk of overuse similar to the 1930’s is not as high. Another example of a simple method that promotes soil conservation that farmers use today is the planting of trees. Trees help prevent soil erosion with their roots and they also block the wind of possible wind or dust storms. Another method farmers use is the method of terracing. By using the terracing method, farmers decrease the amount of erosion going on. The terracing method is when farmers make short steps out of a large slope to reduce the erosion that would normally occur on such a large slope.
If farmers were to not treat their land with care, then I would say that it would be completely possible to have another Dust Bowl in America, especially once you add in the time periods without rain and the high
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