Soil Runoff Research Paper

Words: 615
Pages: 3

The World Saving Soil Circle Many people around the world face environmental and medical issues from runoff. Runoff is when there is more water than the land can absorb; this excess water flows into creeks, streams, and ponds. Runoff can be caused by natural processes or from human activity. An example of natural runoff is snowmelt. When there is heavy snowfall, sometimes a mountain can not absorb all the water, producing runoff that turns into streams, rivers, and lakes. Another situation of natural runoff is when soil erodes and is carried to multiple bodies of water. Sometimes, “toxic chemicals enter waterways through natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions” (National Geographic). “Runoff” – a slam. This evidence shows that even natural …show more content…
Farms are a large nonpoint source because of the fertilizers and pesticides used. Unfortunately, runoff is becoming a major factor in water pollution. Sometimes after heavy rainfall, beaches have to be closed off due to runoff that includes sewage and other waste. Pollutants are becoming a tremendous problem and can destroy entire ecosystems. Biomagnification is organisms that are high on the food chain, which includes people, that are ingesting more pollutants since humans consume other foods that contain remnants of runoff. Runoff is also an economic downfall because many agribusinesses lose millions of dollars from runoff, which carries away the fertile layer of topsoil, a vital crop factor. Luckily, there are still actions that can be done to prevent runoff from becoming a bigger problem. One solution that everyone can do is for farmers to reduce the amount of fertilizers that are used, decrease the amount of materials that do not allow liquid to pass through, and communities can plant more native vegetation, which could prevent erosion and runoff from entering waterways. An engineering solution that can be invented is the Soil