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43 Erosion Control Strategies

Amber Anderson

Learning Objectives
  • Describe soil erosion control strategies
  • Differentiate between erosion control strategies for wind, water, and other factors
Keywords: erosion control strategies, soil stability, soil health

The main goals of erosion control strategies are simple-control either detachment or transport of soil. Specifics are dependent upon the situation, as what works in one location may not work for another.

Soil Health

Maintaining soil health increases resilience to erosive forces. Aggregate stability-as shown in the video below, is one of the factors impacting erosion. If aggregates stay together, water erosion will only take place if there is enough force to move the whole aggregate, rather than the single particle.

Watch this video for more information: https://youtu.be/k18VKZ6fulM

 

Wind Erosion Control

Major strategies to control wind erosion include protecting the soil from initial detachment, or slowing the wind so it cannot detach or carry the sediment. These may look different depending upon the situation, but a few examples might be windbreaks, eliminating or decreasing tillage, or adding cover crops or a perennial cover.

Windbreaks

A common feature around sensitive sites, like farmsteads or high value crops, is a windbreak. Installed up-wind from the location, the area protected is approximately 10x the height of the windbreak downwind of the feature. Closest to the windbreak is most protected and protection decreases with distance away.

Windbreak resources
Exercises

 

Water Erosion Control

A variety of techniques can be utilized for decreasing water erosion. Main principles are the same, to control detachment and/or slow down the water so it is unable to carry the sediment.

In agricultural fields

A strip of perennial grasses and flowers with rows of corn on either side. There are trees on the horizon line. The sky is a blue to orange gradient towards the horizon line.Two corn rows showing in between the rows is plant cover with no directly exposed soil.

Soybeans planting into standing rye cover. The rye was planted in the early fall starting growth then and continuing in the early spring to protect the surface over the fall and increase biological activity/organic matter. This rye was terminated near the soybean planting time.

Other practices might include terraces, that break up the slope length allowing infiltration. Waterways, protecting the path of the water off the field instead of allowing rill or gully erosion.

Exercises

 

Roads

Exposed soil on the side of the interstate with straw waddles and straw place on bare soil. There are houses and tress with no leaves in the background. The sky is cloudy.
New construction is particularly sensitive to erosion, this disturbed shoulder off of I-35 near Ankeny is using a few techniques to control erosion-straw waddles and straw to help grass seed establishment. [Photo Credit: Amber Anderson]
The edge of a road with a man made ditch. The ditch is line with rocks and cement to decrease erosion. There is thick, green vegetation immediately on the other side of the erosion ditch.
This road ditch in Uganda has complete covered the area water would run with cement and rocks so it cannot erode and undermine the road. [Photo Credit: Amber Anderson]

Construction sites

Black strips located along tree line and across field of newly established grass.
As the perennial cover of grass gets established next to the new Ames High School, these black strips are used to slow water and stop sediment moving down the hill. [Photo credit: Amber Anderson]
Storm drain with a black bag catching eroding sediment.
During construction, this black bag was used to capture sediment and any other materials that would have otherwise moved into the storm sewer and water system. [Photo credit: Amber Anderson]
Large erosion mat, tan in color, located on top of bare ground next to a building
This mat is used to help protect the soil surface and keep seed in place during establishment. [Photo credit: Amber Anderson]
Netting laid over establishing grass with tree line in the background. There is an upright within the netted portion of the ground.
This reinforced mat is being used on a steeper part of the landscape while grass is being established that will stabilize the area for the long term. [Photo credit: Amber Anderson]
Hydromulch located onto of the ground outside of the Gerdin Business Building.
After construction of the business building addition, hydromulch was used to protect the surface and help establishment of the new grass seed. [Photo credit: Amber Anderson]
A road next to a building with sediment flowing down the street mixed with water.
Runoff off of construction site on ISU campus
  1. NRCS. (n.d.). Field windbreak. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/land/forests/agroforestry-systems/field-windbreak ↵
  2. NRCS. (n.d.). Farmstead windbreak. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/land/forests/agroforestry-systems/farmstead-windbreak ↵

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Erosion Control Strategies Copyright © 2025 by Amber Anderson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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