Soil is the most important natural resource of our region, says Sioux Falls Beautiful
Give Soils a Place at the Table
“When asked what literally makes Sioux Falls beautiful, most people agree that overarching tree canopies and diverse, attractive shrubs and flowers are primary reasons,” writes Mary Ellen Connelly in an article published by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper on September 19, 2010
Writing on behalf of Sioux Falls Beautiful, a community-based organization, Connelly adds that this beauty is grounded in “our region's complex, voluminous, life-giving soils and their vast water-storing potential.”
In the article, she describes how modern development wreaks havoc on natural-soil infrastructure: “heavy machinery skims off thousands of years' worth of valuable topsoil, the cream, and compacts subsoil to a hardness that is almost impermeable to water and air.”
This sets the stage for a call to action by city leaders: “…give soils a place at the table when promised talks get underway about this year's flooding. Soil is the most important natural resource of our region.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete article published in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, click on Compacted soils can lead to urban flooding
Posted September 2010