The Citizen, 1996-03-20, Page 42Stopping the flow of topsoil
A complete land management system for the prevention
of water erosion is essential in maintaining productive
land. Grass buffers will slow the flow of water and aid
absorption while standpipes help take away standing
water.
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PAGE A-18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1996.
Agriculture 1996
Problems of water erosion
Water flows over the land, nour-
ishing it, sustaining life and mov-
ing it, grain by grain.
Water erosion can have a devas-
tating effect on farm land, as well-
worked topsoil lays exposed to the
forces of the liquid. It can slowly
create streamlettes which flow to
lower lying areas or sweep massive
quantities of fertile soil away in
heavy rainfalls or spring thaws.
Proper field drainage to slow run-
off and stop surface water accumu-
lation is important, says Paul
McCallum of KMM Farm Drain-
age, Walton.
Contrary to many lines of
thought, the worst period for ero-
sion is not between fall harvest and
spring planting, but actually in the
first weeks after planting when the
crop has not yet emerged to cover
and protect the soil, says a study
from the Upper Thames Valley
Conservation Authority (UTVCA)
and Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
Soil erosion is a natural process,
but it is the acceptable level which
will permit the continuation of pro-
ductive agriculture which needs to
be determined for an effected prop-
erty.
Drops in productivity caused by
erosion can be counteracted by the
application of fertilizers, but long
term improvements can be found in
new cropping methods and land
management to slow or stop the
deterioration of the soil.
Studies from UTVCA have
shown that the maximum tolerable
rate of erosion is three tons per acre
per year and one ton per acre per
year of the eroded soil flows into
bodies of water. Tolerance levels
are much lower for highly suscepti-
ble land and areas with less than
three inches of topsoil.
When considering the type of
erosion management required for a
specific property, it is necessary to
consider the soil type, slope and
tillage practices.
Similar fields, in terms of soil
and slope, will require different
management if one has been con-
ventionally tilled for a long period
of time opposed to one which has
been recently cropped being main-
tained in ground cover.
The less-cultivated field will
have developed an improved filtra-
tion system, higher organic content
for particle binding and excellent
soil structure.
When calculating the potential
for erosion damage due to slope,
not only is the degree of the slope
important, but the distance of the
run. The longer the run, the greater
the potential to build up erosive
energy.
To rectify run-off problems, the
first methods to consider may be
contouring and conservation tillage
to slow the flow of water and aid
the bonding power of soil particles.
Contouring is the most effective
on gentle, short slopes. The addi-
tion of conservation tillage, strip
cropping, contour buffers and ter-
races on longer, uniform slopes,
provide more complete protection,
says the UTVCA report.
For slopes greater than 400 feet
in length, these methods may be
effective for sheet and rill erosion,
but ineffectual for concentrate
flows.
The creation of berms and instal-
lation of standpipes, is part of the
entire drainage plan for farmland,
says McCallum.
The installation of drainage, par-
ticularly in rolling land, allows
water to seep through the soil more
easily and run off through the
pipes.
Erosion is lessened as it flows off
the hills and surface water does not
Continued on A-19