Blowing dust can affect human health and create public safety hazards. A large number of cultural resources consist of archeological sites that are adversely impacted by erosion. Some studies indicate that the greatest threat to archeological sites is erosion, whether by storm events, or by gradual soil loss over time. The proper use of conservation practices and programs can have a huge beneficial impact on stabilizing protective cover and archeological deposits. The precipitation discharged into stream channels from an area is called runoff.
Surface runoff refers to the loss of water from an area by flow over the land surface.
Water that enters the soil before reaching surface streams is called groundwater runoff or seepage flow from ground water. Water runoff is a critical factor in erosion and can be controlled through proper conservation treatments. Many of our American Indian mound sites and ruins are threatened by erosion from uncontrolled runoff. Several years ago, NRCS installed tile drains at the top of one of Georgia's largest National Landmark mounds to stabilize erosional cuts into this magnificent structure. A hydric soil is a soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part.