Natural erosion is one of my favorite things to witness, however it can be damaging if left unmaintained.
At this location, you'll have the opportunity to view some evidence of natural erosion, and what impact this erosion you see has on the environment around it.
The signs of erosion are best visible from the edge of the creek. You'll need to walk across the grass to the creek's edge to see everything.
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What is erosion?
Erosion is a geological process that occurs when natural substances and materials are worn down and broken away, then transported by a natural force such as wind or water. Here, we will explore the process of WATER erosion and how it impacts the creek (and the surrounding environment).
Erosion by water:
A major agent of erosion is water. Water from many sources, including rainwater runoff, rivers, floods, lakes, and ocean water, can carry soil and sediment away.
Rainfall can produce four different types of erosion on the soil.
- Splash Erosion: The impact of a falling raindrop can scatter tiny soil particles.
- Sheet Erosion: The impact of rain runoff causing erosion.
- Rill Erosion: The impact of erosion that happens when runoff develops into descrete streams (rills).
- Gully Erosion: Erosion stage where soil particles are transported through large channels. These gullies form and carry water during periods of rainfall or snowmelt, but during dry time appear as small valleys or crevasses.
Valley Erosion is where streams and rivers wear away their banks which then creates larger and larger valleys.
Lakes and Oceans: In lakes and oceans, waves pound away at rocks and pebbles turning them into sand. Over time, waves can transport sand away from beaches and shorelines which in turn moves the coastline further inland.
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How can erosion be controlled?
Erosion control can be done in many ways. Farmers, engineers, homeowners or other involved people can take measures to reduce the impact of soil erosion on their lands.
In some cases, these people can simply install a structure that physically prevents soil particles from being transported. This can be done in many ways. Here are a few examples:
- Gabions: Large wireframes built to hold boulders in place usually on a cliffside. These frames hold the boulders in place to prevent them from falling toward people or property.
- Riprap: Rubble placed to armor embankments or streambeds to prevent soil erosion. One limitation of riprap is on steeper slopes. On steep slopes, riprap can become unstable and prone to erosion itself. In a situation like this, gabions would be used to prevent further erosion.
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So, putting together everything you've learned about erosion, the impact of water, and how erosion is controlled, here are a few questions to answer to show your understanding after observing the location.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS -
PLEASE MESSAGE OR EMAIL ME THE INFORMATION BELOW. DO NOT POST IN YOUR LOG. (REQUIRED)
1 – Using the types of erosion above, what type of soil erosion do you see here? What evidence of this do you see?
2 - Describe what measures have been put in place to prevent further erosion (if any).
3 - Describe what you think the landscape would look like in the future if erosion was left uncontrolled in this location.
PHOTO TO ADD TO YOUR LOG (REQUIRED)
4 - Take a photo of yourself (or a personal item) at the posted coordinates with the bridge in the background.
Failure to provide the necessary information along with your "found it" log may result in the deletion of your log.