Sediment, which is the eroded soil, can land absolutely anywhere, depending upon the medium that has eroded the soil.

Dangers to the Environment

This sediment can potentially be dangerous to human life and the environment directly or indirectly, such as by entering water bodies like rivers and artificial channels and blocking them, disturbing the aquatic ecosystem by making it difficult for the organisms to breathe, digest and reproduce, and even disrupt the process of photosynthesis in plants. Hence it is necessary that some steps be taken to curb it.

It is a Global Problem

Many states and counties in the US have taken up appreciable control measures in order to tackle the problem of soil erosion and sedimentation control. These programs generally examine locations where there is potential chance for soil erosion and loss of landscape through any nearby manmade activities such as construction, agriculture or some such. Any abrupt changes that may have occurred in the top soil or in the layers of earth beneath are investigated by the people in these programs, and if these changes qualify as having disturbed a sensitive layer of the soil, the location is marked and it is understood that this location may prove to be the source of large quantities of sediment to make way into water bodies.

The World is Busy Finding a Solution

A number of communities in the United States of America have themselves taken up an initiative in this regard, and each new construction project has to first get permission from the Soil and Sediment Control Board as well. Counties like Washtenaw in Michigan State are especially active in this area and have proven to be an example for other such programs all around the world. Areas like Bloomfield Township, Mecklenburg County, Town of Apex and New Jersey and even states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and others along with Michigan have joined up and are actively combating the problem of soil erosion and control of soil sedimentation.

Exemplary Public Services

These services provided by the respective government departments are exemplary, in that they are a simple answer to a dangerous problem that can substantially change the landscape of our surroundings.

It is therefore high time that countries all over the world follow suit and take up initiatives to decrease the effect of edimentation and soil erosion on our lives.

Author's Bio: 

PRS-Med is one of the leading engineering and technology companies that wide range of soil erosion control methods and provides several benefits in terms of economic, engineering and environmental.