Wind erosion reduces the land's ability to produce crops. Nevertheless, agricultural land across Alberta is still subject to periods of drought and strong winds. And farmers must still manage their cropping and grazing systems to reduce and prevent blowing soil. This publication describes ways to protect your soil from wind erosion. Strong and sustained winds along with dry, bare soils contributed to serious soil loss.
Wind erosion is the detachment, transportation and redeposition of soil particles by wind.
The most familiar result of wind erosion is the loss of topsoil and nutrients which reduces the soil's ability to produce crops. Topsoil loss can be seen as rocky or gravelly knolls, thin soils mixed with lighter coloured subsoil, or the presence of calcium carbonate in surface soils. Topsoil redeposition can be seen as raised fence lines, blackened snow drifts, sand deposits and ditches filled with soil. Soil productivity is affected by wind erosion in various ways. Areas of erosion and deposition within a field increase the variation in soil characteristics, requiring more costly and less efficient soil management practices.