Avoiding the erosion of soil ... and soul

For all of the woodland’s wonders, life lived in the wilderness is often romanticized.

In reality, there’s a lot of labor associated with such a life.

While most folks stay indoors during rainstorms, mountain residents are often outdoors. Why? Well, it’s not because we feel the urge to twirl umbrellas, jump in puddles or sing. It’s because roads, trails and tire tracks are conduits for rain runoff. Runoff causes erosion. Erosion and mudslides complicate ingress and egress.

In an effort to keep these dirt roads passable, mountain folks divert runoff as well as remove debris and sediment from trenches and culverts. During significant rain events, it’s also an annual chore to slow and direct water by maintaining waterbars (aka thank-you-ma’ams, similar to speed bumps) made of compacted soil and rock. Waterbars guide runoff across the road toward a stable area of landscape.

Although soil erosion is ongoing in these Santa Lucia Mountains, this year, after the Chimney and Soberanes fires, the inevitability of erosion is alarming. As one might expect near a place named Rocky Butte, there isn’t much topsoil. Since topsoil erodes many times faster than it’s formed, we want to keep as much of it up here as possible.

In general, there is a greater chance of erosion where the degree of slope increases and plant life decreases. Areas that were severely burned are of the greatest concern because of diminished canopy, lack of ground cover and an altered water repellency, or hydrophobicity, which is a physical property of soils. In areas, where white ash covered the ground, native plants may no longer exist. White ash is an indicator of high-intensity fire that even destroys seeds in the soil. Devastated hillsides are not only vulnerable to erosion, they are susceptible to invasive and noxious weeds.

Of course, each property has unique topography, soil, flora and degree of fire damage. On bare land (burned or bulldozed) some property owners use straw wattles or loose straw (rice straw or weed-free straw) as erosion control. Others choose to let nature take its course. Experienced fire ecologists and/or native plant specialists are excellent resources when choosing to develop a conservation or reforestation plan.

No doubt about it, for some of us, 2016 has been a challenging year. As the incessant drip, drip, drip of troubles trickle through the cracks and the daily wear and grind of local and global pressures mounts, our patience, compassion and other positive characteristics are at risk of erosion, just like this fire-ravaged countryside. Erosion of one’s faith in humanity is as detrimental to the spirit as the loss of topsoil is to the heart of the land.

Some good news is that these hills are healing and today’s societal conditions are providing opportunities for us to practice and perfect our better nature. In order to evolve, appropriately enough, the action that may be called for is not so much an endeavor to protect the soul, but rather to erode the ego.

Merry Christmas!

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Avoiding the erosion of soil ... and soul."