In 2021 July was the hottest month in recorded world history. In the last week Tennessee was bombarded with historic levels of rain to trigger catastrophic flooding in the middle of the state. With increased development happening throughout the state of Alabama the health of Alabama’s Mobile Bay Watershed is at risk.
One of the greatest risks for Alabama’s ecology is the loss of pervious (allowing water to pass through) ground cover and a loss of vegetation that absorbs soil and water like a sponge.
Actively protecting Alabama from erosion through erosion control methods like hydroseeding is vitally important for the health of our state and future of development.
Here are a few reasons why erosion control is important for Alabama:
Erosion Control Helps Soil Hold More Water
If, like Tennessee, Alabama sees an increase in annual rainfall, or even if the amount of rainfall stays the same, we will need a great amount of pervious surface area and absorbent soil.
Ground covering plants like trees, shrubs, and grasses help the soil absorb more water through their root systems by increasing the surface area of the soil and sucking water up into the plant.
Hydroseeding Helps
Hydroseeding effectively extends the area that is covered by vegetation on development sights and therefore helps the soil to hold water more effectively. This is crucial to keep flooding and erosion at bay in Alabama.
Erosion Control Catches Useable Water
Soil that does not absorb much water due to erosion or impervious ground cover allows much of the rainfall runoff into the nearest water way (along with tons of the soil). This water never makes it down, deep below the surface to Alabama’s aquifers.
If our aquifers are depleted of their water supply, then our fresh water sources–including lakes, rivers, and streams–will become increasingly drier and we may see a serious ecological, as well human, catastrophe. Consider the current situation in which the Colorado River is drying to alarming levels.
Hydroseeding Helps
Hydroseeding produces grass that acts as a ground cover that helps to slow the speed of rainfall before hitting the soil. This makes the ground more capable of retaining water and thus sending that water back into Alabama’s aquifers
Erosion Control Helps Keep Temperatures Down
With development in Alabama comes the proliferation of paved roads, concrete sidewalks, industrial facilities, etc. These structures are placed in areas that were once covered by vegetation which helped to keep temperatures at reasonable levels.
Because developed areas in Alabama have have this increase in artificial ground covers, they typically experience higher temperatures than rural areas. This is known as the “heat island effect.”
Hydroseeding Helps
Hydroseeding plants healthy grass on exposed soil. As grass grows, it constantly undergoes the process of transpiration which releases tiny water droplets into the air above the plant. This has a huge effect in decreasing local temperatures.
If you are looking to preserve Alabama’s soil and water health and you need hydroseeding services as an erosion control measure at your project site, call Burns Environmental today!