Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Mississippi
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Soil Erosion is a major contributor to degradation of valuable farmland in the Southeastern United States. In addition to the agricultural losses, eroded sediments and the associated agricultural additives are one of the largest sources of nonpoint pollution in southern watersheds. Starting in 1936, Congress authorized various projects to control soil erosion; two of the longest running were conducted in Northern Mississippi: the Yazoo Little Tallahatchie Flood Prevention Project 1945-1985 and the Delta Headwaters Project, formerly known as the Demonstration of Erosion Control 1984- Present. Through the implementation of these two projects, many methods of erosion control were constructed and tested for effectiveness which led to a significant reduction in suspended sediments in area streams. This project will evaluate various methods of erosion control based on their effects on the biotic community to demonstrate any changes these structures may have provided to the native ecosystem. The impact of the proposed project is considerable because it will test if structures designed for one purpose, i.e. controlling erosion and lowering suspended sediment load, can provide environmental benefits, such as creating stable habitat for the biotic community.