muddy floods and compacted soils – current and future
TRANSCRIPT
Muddy floods and compacted soils – current and futurePaul SadlerPlanning and Corporate Services Managerfor SW Observatory Land and Food seminar8 December 2009
Key messages
Compacted soil and heavy rainfall= muddy flood
Wetter winters, drier summers, heavier rain= narrowed window to work the land= more compaction
Wetter winters, heavier rain, more compaction= more muddy floods
Cause, Effect, Solutions
What effects do muddy floods have? What causes muddy floods?How can we deal with the causes and effects?
Effects of muddy floods:
Compaction- inevitable with high risk crops
- inevitable with long periods of wet weather
What causes muddy floods?
Intense rainfall
Compacted soil
Extremely intense rainfall
Any exposed surface of vulnerable soil type
Sufficient slope Sufficient slope
Muddy flood
What causes compaction and runoff?
Machinery
Livestock
Compacted soil
Particularly when soil is wet
Rain impact
Capped soils(sand/silt soils)
Runoff
In future what factors might change?
Machinery
Livestock
Compacted soil
Particularly when soil is wet
More frequent and intense rainfall
Crop cover
Runoff
Soil
Weather
Landscape
Land use
Factors that influence erosion and runoff
What can we do?
Causes:Raise awareness of soil vulnerabilityWork the land differently – timelinessRemove compaction – “sub-soiler”
Change cropping to improve crop cover
Effects:Buffer stripsIncrease flood awareness
Degradation within Broad soil types/landscapes
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Sands(689)
Upland(88)
Clay-rich(853)
Loamy(483)
Chalk(148)
Soils/Landscapes
Per
cen
tag
e o
ccu
rren
ce
Severe (S)
High (H)
Mod(MP)
Mod (M)
Low (L)
Soil degradation within broad soil types in the South West
Early drilling of crops in the autumn
The role of the Environment Agency
Prosecution as a last resort
Working together
Farmers tell us
“show us the problem, we’ll tackle it”
Environment Agency’s expertise is not farming
Who else involved - how best can we work together?
Want to find out more about us?
Then call us on 08708 506 506 (Mon-Fri 8-6)
Visit our websitewww.environment-agency.gov.uk