For all practical purposes, soil is a non-renewable resource. It may take 1/000 years to replace the soil eroded down to bare rock. Turfgrasses protect this resource by cost-effectively controlling erosion of the soil caused by water and wind. During most rainstorms, practically no soil will be lost from well-established turf grass areas. To the community, this means less dust and mud. On a national scope, it means conservation of valuable and irreplaceable topsoil and less sediment pollution of rivers, streams and lakes.

Erosion is a major national problem. In 1987, the USDA estimated that erosion on cultivated cropland lost 8/194 Ibs of soil per acre. In a 1991 study, a 30-minute storm producing a 3-inch rainfall caused soil losses of 199 Ibs per acre from bare ground. However, ground covered by healthy turfgrass lost very little topsoil by comparison - 9 to 54 Ibs of soil per acre. Turfgrass holds topsoil so well, even during intense rains, that it is used as a downslope filter strip for mining operations, animal production facilities, and cropland.

Turfgrass is effective at controlling erosion for two reasons.