Farm ponds designed to curb erosion filling up with sediment faster than expected
Hunter
01/20/26
Researchers have found that ponds designed to control flooding and curb the amount of erosion on Iowa farms are filling up with sediment faster than expected.
The Gazette reports scientists with the Iowa Geological Survey focused their attention on farm ponds in southeast Iowa and found that the ponds are filling up with soil and other sediment 25 percent faster than they were designed to. Keith Schilling, director of the Iowa Geological Survey, said the findings were unexpected.
The researchers found that gully erosion from nearby woodlands and forest areas was a major contributor to sediment in farm ponds, in addition to erosion from cropland. Gully erosion is a more severe form of erosion that occurs when heavy rain forms deep gullies in soil.
Despite their findings, Schilling said that implementing farm ponds still is a key way to reduce the amount of sediment moving downstream from farms and forested areas.
The full Gazette article can be found below.