Preventing erosion at home

By Bonnie Kirn Donahue

Editor’s note:  Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape architect in central Vermont.

Did you know that the condition of your yard can have an impact on regional water quality?

Areas where soil is left open and unvegetated are spots that are susceptible to erosion. Erosion happens when unprotected earth is moved by water from one place to another. 

Sediment from eroding soil can end up in rivers and eventually in larger water bodies, impacting water quality and aquatic health. Nutrients like phosphorus can travel with sediment and may accumulate and encourage the growth of algae and bacteria in water bodies.

Luckily, everyone can play a role in reducing the impacts of erosion.

One significant thing you can do is to vegetate any exposed soil that you aren’t actively working on. This could include patches of lawn that just aren’t growing well, ditches, hillsides, large driveways or dirt parking areas that aren’t often used. A simple way to do this is to use a seed mix.

If you have exposed soil in your vegetable garden, you could use a cover crop like buckwheat, oats, vetch or annual rye. These crops will only survive one growing season. If you are able to till or cut the crop back at the end of the season, the plant matter can add nutrients back into the soil.

If you have a patch of lawn that is open, and you need permanent cover, you could use a lawn mix with fine fescues and clover. For meadow areas, try a mix with native grasses and perennials. For steep slopes, mixes that include clover can help to stabilize banks.

If possible, try to use seed mixes that have native plants or are pollinator-friendly. This will not only help stabilize the soil but provide food and habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators.

Make sure to add mulch like hay or straw to open areas that you seed. If you want to avoid introducing weed species into the area, just use straw mulch instead.

This will help hold moisture in the soil and help prevent the area from eroding while turf is establishing. For slopes steeper than 30% (3:1), erosion-control blankets can be used for more protection.

Prioritize these improvements on exposed slopes or open soil near rivers or water bodies as these areas are most likely to have the most direct impact on water quality.

We all can help prevent sediment and phosphorus from ending up in larger water bodies. Sowing into exposed soil is a great start and one small technique that can make a big difference.