• Erosion control prevents unwanted soil displacement.erosion im regenwald image by Michael Fritzen from Fotolia.com
  
  Soil erosion presents a variety of problems in both agricultural and residential settings. Erosion controls can be implemented to help slow or stop the displacement of soil from natural elements, such as rain, wind, slope and water runoff. When designing your landscape, a preemptive plan for the prevention of soil runoff will save you time and money. Alternatively, if soil erosion already is a problem, measures can be taken to prevent further damage.
  
  

Slope Stabilization

• In some cases, the prevention of further runoff must be handled quickly and inexpensively. Erosion control mats may be an effective control method. Also called erosion control blankets, the mats are loosely woven grids made with rough materials that help to slow water, according to Kelly Sutton and Ryan Williams from the University of Washington Education Department. Generally sold in rolls of 50 to 100 square yards, 3 to 8 feet wide, the mats are made of a variety of materials, such as straw, coconut fiber, jute and plastic. Hay bales, silt fences, logs and rocks also can be used to quickly slow erosion on a slope.
  
  

Retaining Walls

• Though relatively labor intensive to construct, retaining walls can be used as an aesthetically pleasing and landscape-enhancing way to prevent erosion. Retaining walls are made from a variety of materials, such as wood, rock, brick, and concrete. The walls, which generally are safe and long-lasting, must be carefully planned and built to ensure soil stabilization and proper drainage. Consider the desired height of the wall and soil type before building. Consult an engineer for any walls built above 3 to 4 feet.
  
  

Plants

• Lack of vegetation is the largest reason for erosion problems worldwide. For long-term erosion prevention, you can replant where vegetation has been stripped or introduce plants to barren areas. Roots help stabilize the soil by interlocking together, creating a subterranean mat. In addition, vegetative matter, like leaves and twigs that fall from the plants seasonally, offers aboveground matting that compacts over time. Ideally, native species of grasses, shrubs and ground covers should be selected for their extensive root systems, tolerance to flooding and drought and perennial nature.