Year round planting helps soil soak up water and reduce flood and drought damage

In Washington, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a study that shows farming practices that keep soil covered all year round can reduce the damage caused by both floods and droughts.

“Many people think of soil as just dirt, but it’s actually an incredible resource that can make communities and farmers less vulnerable to droughts and flooding as weather becomes hotter and rains come in heavier downpours,” said agronomist Andrea Basche, a Kendall fellow at UCS and the report’s author. “When soil is healthy, it can soak up water like a sponge, preventing runoff into nearby communities while also holding onto it for plants to use later when there is less rain. When soil isn’t healthy, it acts more like concrete.”

Widespread adoption of these practices in a state like Iowa could reduce storm runoff by 15 percent and make as much as 11 percent more water available to crops.