Recreation: erosion control

Management of our forests is now well appreciated by almost everyone. The need to maintain growing stands of timber for water management, erosion control, timber yield, recreation, as well as for timber products and grazing, is well recognized. 

Wetland values are dependent on social perceptions. The valued functions have historically included water storage, flood control, erosion control, sediment control, nutrient removal, protection of general water quality, habitat for crops and fisheries, recreation, and wildlife... 

Erosion-control practices are required in many different circumstances. Agricultural practices for animal husbandry or to produce food crops can have significant adverse impacts on soil health if soil conservation techniques are not applied. Land development for residential housing or commercial and industrial facilities can have short-term erosion impacts during construction or long-term effects from rainwater or snowmelt on the sites. Recreational uses near lakes, streams, or oceans can affect the stability of the shoreline. Transportation systems may create unstable slopes with increased potential for landslides from cuts through hills for roads and rail lines. 

Other costs which were identified but not included in many of the studies, primarily because of the difficulty in quantifying their effect, are costs from increased weed resistance to herbicides replacing the triazines direct labor and management costs of developing and using new weed control practices and increased erosion damage costs, such as siltation of lakes, subsequent water recreation reduction, and lower land productivity. The economic impact due to weeds becoming resistant to the triazines was found to be minor. 

Other fields related to hydrology by virtue of then-strong connection to water resources include watershed management, potable water supply, wastewater treatment, irrigation, water law, political science (water policy), economics (costs of water projects), drainage, flood control, hydropower, salinity control and treatment, erosion and aspects of sediment control, navigation, lake and inland fisheries, and recreational uses of water. 

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