What causes soil to erode? The simple answer is many activities that people take for granted — such as building homes, yards, streets, shopping centers and roads. If not properly managed, all of these changes to the natural landscape can erode soil.

The effect on the environment
Environmental problems directly associated with pollution from building and construction sites include:

• Water carrying pollutants like soil and soil nutrients, as well as building materials such as concrete residues, runs off building sites and enters creeks or stormwater drains. This pollutes waterways.
• Changes to natural land surfaces and drainage patterns that accompany development can result in waterways becoming turbid, silted, littered and undesirably enriched with nutrients. This nutrient-rich water often results in algae blooms.
• Waterways are subject to increased flooding. Lakes, creeks and rivers become shallower when soil washes into the water. This means when it floods, these water bodies are no longer capable of holding the floodwaters within its banks.

What people can do to help prevent erosion
At your home:

• Keep soil undercover – covered by grass, shrubs and trees so that the rain doesn’t have a chance to get to it and move it into our waterways.
• Replant bare or exposed areas in your lawn with native grasses or trees and shrubs. These help keep the soil in place as well as filter any materials or chemicals such as fertilizer, before they can reach the lake and river.
• Direct runoff from your roof or parking areas to a vegetated area.

At construction sites:

• Restrict vehicle access to one stable entry and exit point.
• Preserve vegetated areas and maintain the maximum amount of vegetation by minimizing the amount of land disturbed by construction or clearing.
• Ensure that stockpiles of sand, gravel, soil and other similar materials are located so that the material does not spill onto the road or pavement. Do not place stockpiled material in a drainage area.
• Remove accidental spills of soil or other materials on the roadway or gutter prior to completion of the day's work.
• Maintain silt fences or berms to trap runoff from job sites and prevent it from entering a waterway.
• Perform inspections of temporary and permanent erosion controls after a rain event to ensure proper performance.

Learn more
Follow these links to read more about LCRA programs designed to help:

• LCRA's Creekside Conservation Program helps farmers and ranchers in Central Texas reduce soil erosion.
• LCRA Nonpoint-Source Pollution Program regulates construction and other activities most responsible for nonpoint-source pollution in the Highland Lakes area: total suspended solids, total phosphorus and oil and grease.

Write Finley

Got a question for Finley? Just drop him a line by e-mail: Ask Finley.

Do you have a question or concerns about soil erosion? Contact watershed@lcra.org.