Soil Health Management Systems help make soil better at handling extreme weather, like droughts and heavy rain. They allow water to soak in, keep the soil cooler, and prevent water from evaporating or running off. They also help nutrients move around and improve how plants use water.
How Healthy Soils Hold More Water and Reduce Pollutants in Waterways and Aquifers
Healthy soil can hold more water, which is important for growing crops during times of little rain or when irrigating a field. Available Water Holding Capacity (AWC) tells us how much water can be held in the soil, while Water Retention (WR) shows how much water is actually in the soil for plants to use. Conservation practices that improve AWC and WR can also increase soil health by adding organic matter and improving soil structure.
Healthy soils can also infiltrate water more easily than similar, but degraded, soils. This prevents water carrying soils into waterways and stores more water for future use by crops in times of drought. Additionally, soil acts as a natural filter, capable of immobilizing, breaking down, or neutralizing pollutants, thereby protecting both surface and groundwater quality.