|
 Creekside is also known as
Lincoln Colleges’ Outdoor Environmental Learning Center. Sugar Creek
runs along the backside of the property. The center is recognized by
the scientific community for its biological diversity and geological
significance.
The workshop was a joint project of Lincoln College, the Cardno
Native Plant Nursery, Logan County Soil and Water Conservation
Agency, and the Logan County Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Dr. Pam Moriarty of Creekside opened the day by welcoming everyone
and saying, “The goal of the workshop is to share what are feasible
solutions to soil erosion.” She introduced Eric Anderson and Angie
Richter from the Cardno Company, who would talk about their soil
erosion management program.
The Cardno Company helps municipalities, state and federal
government, private property owners, developers, and contractors
with stream bank erosion projects. They do remarkable erosion
control planting, design and implementation work that provides
environmental protection of soil up to the next 10 to 20 years. The
company provides such treatments as native planting and seeding
restoration. They channel creeks and treat erosion shoreline. They
also take care of problems with evasive control, modeling, and slope
protection.
Eight years ago the Cardno Company helped select the seed for
Creekside’s one acre tall grass prairie.
Dr. Campbell said, “I bought plants to do the bioswale that holds
water till it soaks in. Creekside depended on these plants.”
Lincoln College has an innovative conservation program with students
participating in environmental studies and public education. The
students presented a number of preventative solutions farmers could
use on their croplands.
Creekside is surrounded by fields and along the creek nearby are
steep bank drop-offs. Year's when there has been heavy spring
flooding after planting time, it is common to see corn stalks
falling over those edges.
Soil, nutrients and pesticides slowly ebb down the creek. Sugar
Creek meanders into Salt Creek. The conjoined creeks join the
Sangamon River, which then combines with Illinois River and
eventually enters the Mississippi River and then empties into the
gulf, where silting and contaminants have created significant
problems.
There are effective ways to conserve soil by reducing erosion from
wind and water. The benefits are multifold: to ensure the soil’s
fertility, keep soil where it is needed in the field, prevent soil
and contaminants from entering waterways, which are damaging to the
environment and costly to commerce.
EcoLynx Secretary Alyssa Summers said one of the ways to control
soil eroding into Sugar Creek is for farmers to cut back on how
close they plant to the creek bank. Reducing by just two rows would
help prevent erosion damage.
A buffer zone of prairie grass also helps to manage erosion as roots
help hold soil in place and upper vegetation protects from wind and
water movement. Some field nutrient run-off is also absorbed.
“Lincoln College needs to collaborate with farmers to make sure
everyone is on the same page,” Summers said.
The zoology class at Lincoln College presented posters that
emphasized the effects that soil erosion has on wildlife such as
flooded banks that wash out otter’s homes. Erosion also causes
shallow, slow water and depletes oxygen to fish, reduces food to
turtles and the native species as well.
[to top of second column] |
Soil erosion from farmland
compromises alkalinity in Sugar Creek’s water and leads to adverse
health effects for humans, aquatic organisms, and adds financial
distress to recreational fishing industries in other locales.
Practical soil conservation
measures suggested by environmentalist Rinkesh Kukreja:
-
Buffer strips come in
handy for soil protection where stream banks exist. Farmers can
create them with tall grass, trees and shrubs that root deep
into the ground.
-
No-till farming allows
crops to stay in place a season and keeps soil from being left
bare. Good for soil composition.
-
Plant windbreak areas
composed of trees, shrubs and plants to slow the force of wind
over ground area and soil erosion.
-
You can maximize the
topography by terrace planting. It will encourage growth from
moist soil areas and cause a natural flow of water.
-
Planting trees to secure
roots in the soil that prevent erosion.
-
Farmers can rotate their
crops to prevent overgrowth of pathogens and a lack of fertility
in the soil.
-
Maintain Ph: pollutants
and acids are bad on soil. The higher the alkaline level, the
more resistant water is to chemical pollution.
-
Monitor growth by checking
salient composition and fertility.
-
Accent vegetation can work
to prevent runoff and help plants grow properly. Such plants are
rye and clover.
Creekside Director Dr.
Dennis Campbell said the basis of all bio tend to be soil. The
terrestrial of all ecosystems along with the climate and organisms
is literally the foundation of humans.
Creekside was developed for the students and its Lincoln community.
It is a small outdoor exhibit of everything environmental you can
think of: 1,250 sq. ft. greenhouse, insectarium, education pavilion,
bioswales, retention pond, restored grass prairie, pollinator plot,
wind and solar energies, and new this year is the Wibben Overlook
platform along Sugar Creek. The boardwalks and sidewalks made by the
Rotary make the grounds handicapped-accessible.
Creekside is considering hiring the Cardno Company this year to
manage soil restoration. The treatment of soil erosion will be a
boon to the different studies of soil by Lincoln Colleges’
agriculture, biology, geology and zoology students.
Dr. Dennis Campbell added that Lincoln College has a transfer
agreement with the University of Illinois for students pursuing a
degree in agriculture. They must complete their two years degree to
qualify for the U.of I.
After presentations, Dr. Moriarty took everyone through Creekside to
show what the students have been doing and different things they
have encountered.
Contact dcampbell@lincolncollege.edu to book outings at Creekside
including school events.
Sources:
www.cardno.com
Recent articles on Creekside:
Lincoln College Receives Environmental Grant
for Conservation Projects
|
