Did you know approximately eighty percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land, as a result of water runoff and soil erosion. Runoff carries with it the pollutants, chemical fertilizers, and the soil itself from our farms and ranches. (Average erosion per acre per year on U.S. farmland – 4 tons). Healthy soil is aggregated (glued together by microbial substances) and covered by plants. When it rains water infiltrates into the soil instead of running off and causing erosion.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

As water goes through healthy, carbon-rich soil, the soil filters out many heavy metals and toxins, like your home carbon water filter does. When the soil is alive, it can significantly reduce how much nitrogen is contaminating our freshwater supplies by tying it up and/or reducing runoff. Additionally, when our farming builds healthy soil (instead of destroying it) we can eliminate the use of toxic chemicals thus eliminating the potential of contamination of our watersheds. Simply: building back healthy soils can save our watersheds and essential marine life. Want to know more? Visit our Soil Science page.

Source: oceanservice.noaa.gov