Drager and Roberts will collaborate with Joe Reichle, professor of communication disorders at the University of Minnesota. Erosion and drainage problems can cause major damage to property and can even lower the value of a home, says Scott Sjolander, Penn State Cooperative Extension urban forester based in Crawford County. Sjolander recommends that homeowners watch where runoff water flows and exits on their property. If runoff occurs on a relatively flat area, homeowners can plant a vegetative filter strip. Placing plants in highly erodable areas is called critical area planting.
Homeowners can use a variety of vegetation ranging from turfgrass to woodland plants.
Sjolander recommends checking the surrounding area for naturally occurring plants to see which species seem the most vigorous. Sjolander warns that homeowners should avoid planting exotic species or competitive native species that could take over the site, pushing out other native plants. Exotic species, such as Phragmites, or the common reed, and natives such as black locust should not be planted.