According to Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) data for New York, erosion
rates in Great Lakes watersheds range from less than five percent of the tolerable
rate T to one and two times T (where T
is calculated using the Universal
Soil Loss Equation). To address this problem, since 1991 the Great Lakes
Basin Program has supported 23 soil erosion and sediment control projects in
New York totaling over $512,000, with an additional $447,500 being leveraged
from non-federal sources.
New York projects have ranged from innovative grazing regimes to urban and
streambank erosion control. Over 100 acres are under some form of soil erosion
and sediment control, thereby preventing the loss of over 111,000 tons of soil
over the life of the project. Benefits include improved water clarity and nearshore
fish spawning habitat.
Public information and education programs have been an important component
of the New York effort, targeting key stakeholders groups such as developers,
landowners, school children and government agency personnel. Projects have used
newspapers and newsletters as the vehicles for disseminating effective soil
erosion and sediment control information.
