SOIL Fund

Vision

The vision of the SOIL Fund is to further the science of erosion and sediment control and to improve the lives of those impacted by this process.

Mission

The SOIL Fund provides a permanent funding source for programs and projects that improve environmental quality through education, research, and applied technology.

Goals

To fund research that advances our knowledge of the impacts of erosion and the techniques to control it.
To fund erosion control education and applied technology.
To fund projects that improve the lives of those impacted by erosion and sediment.

Projects Funded

Tom Williams gets his hands dirty while working on the Tsuraku Water Supply Project

Tsuraku Water Supply Project, Ecuador

The SOIL Fund's first project was conducted at the edge of the Amazon basin rainforest in Ecuador in 2009. Two IECA teams traveled to the area to provide erosion and sediment control guidance for installation of a pipeline through the jungle from a water intake structure to a water storage tank and village school as well as hands-on soil stabilization instruction. The teams included Tom Williams (CPESC), Nancy Roth Williams, Jeff DeGraffenried, and Meredith Jackson. Ricardo Schmalbach, Executive President of Geosolutions Synthetic S.A. in Quito, Ecuador, provided a liner for the water storage tank. The project was conducted in cooperation with the Engineers Without Borders student chapter at the University of Arizona.

Doug Wimble speaking at LANDCON 2010 in Xian, China

LANDCON 2010 International Conference on Combating Land Degradation in China

IECA Past President, Doug Wimble, was sponsored by the SOIL Fund to speak at this joint conference of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC) and the Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Project (DESIRE). The conference was held in October 2010 in Xian, China. Doug's objectives were to encourage an alliance between WASWAC and IECA and explore the possibilities for an IECA chapter in China. He also participated in a field trip to China's Guangzhou Province which provided an opportunity to see erosion control measures along highways and at a mine site.

Planting banana trees within water infiltration trenches on Easter Island

Land reclamation on Easter Island: a demonstration project

In 2010 and 2011, Dr. Pablo Garcia-Chevesich led a team which established banana orchards on Easter Island, a Chilean territory in the South Pacific. Pablo intends for this SOIL Fund project to show local residents how idle, deforested, eroded land can be used to cultivate a cash crop with a ready market on the Chilean mainland. Fifty trees were planted at two adjacent sites owned by two families in the Hanga Roa community. The project included establishment of artificial windbreaks to protect the young banana trees, excavation of water infiltration trenches, and construction of a rainwater harvesting system to facilitate irrigation. The families will grow vegetables between the rows of banana trees.

Severe erosion in the Malingua Pamba community of the Ecuadorian Andes

Preliminary Assessment of Erosion Problems in Malingua Pamba, Ecuador

In July 2011, Will Mahoney (CPSWQ) conducted a field reconnaissance of approximately 75 eroded sites in a rural agricultural community in the Ecuadorian Andes. Hundreds of years of clearing native vegetation have resulted in a loss of much of the original rich organic topsoil leaving sandy volcanic soils which are very susceptible to water erosion. Will produced a report for the SOIL Fund which recommended low-tech solutions for erosion mitigation. In October 2012, a team from Engineers Without Borders, Denver Professional Chapter assisted the community with installation of structural BMPs using local materials and planting native vegetation at five of the high-priority sites along roads and in agricultural fields.

Will Mahoney (blue shirt and tie) speaking about the SOIL Fund at an erosion seminar organized by the University of Montenegro in southeastern Europe

Erosion Control around the World with the SOIL Fund

In 2012, the SOIL Fund provided support to Will Mahoney who made a three-month around-the-world trip visiting 26 countries and territories on 5 continents. He attended international erosion conferences in New Zealand, China, Serbia, and Spain; spoke at three of these conferences about the SOIL Fund project in Malingua Pamba, Ecuador; met with erosion control professionals in several other countries; and observed erosion and sedimentation control projects and problems while participating in field trips. Will has documented his travels in a blog titled Erosion Control Around the World.

Apply for Funding

We encourage members, Chapters and corporations to identify and support worthy projects which will further international sediment and erosion control.

If you are interested in applying for funding, please download the SOIL Fund Pre-Application (PDF) in English or Spanish. The Pre-Application is also available as a WORD Document in English or Spanish. If your project is selected to submit a full application, you can download the Full SOIL Fund Application here. The Full SOIL Fund Application is also available as a WORD Document.

Erosion Control Around the World Blog with SOIL Fund Ambassador Will Mahoney

SOIL Fund Blog

IECA SOIL Fund Ambassador Will Mahoney, MA, PG, has been traveling the world and exploring issues and solutions related to erosion and sediment control along the way. Visit Will's blog and make sure to subscribe for updates on his journey. Go to Erosion Control Around the World blog.

Donate Now

When you donate to the SOIL fund you receive:

satisfaction in helping a good cause.
a tax deduction for a charitable contribution.
an opportunity to put your money where your passion lies.

Be a part of the solution!

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