How is healthy soil linked to healthy water?
Healthy soil–rich, porous, loamy—acts as a filter to clean impurities out of rain and surface water that soaks into the ground. As the water passes down through the layers of earth it is cleansed and then collected in underground pools before being recycled back to the surface. The filtered water returns to the surface in several ways. Thirsty growing plants drink it through their deep roots, and underground springs bring some of it back up. The fastest and most direct method is to dig a well and pump it out for use as drinking water and to irrigate crops.

If the soil isn't healthy, rainwater will not get fully absorbed into the soil and will run off to nearby lakes or streams. As the water runs off, it takes loose soil, chemicals, and pesticides with it. Those pollutants end up in the watersheds–water sources we rely on for drinking and watering crops.

One way to measure the health of the soil is to measure the rate at which water absorbs into the ground. This is called water infiltration. To see how fast your soil absorbs water, click here.

What kind of soil do you have? Is the soil in your backyard sandy, silty or clay-like? Try this fun and easy experiment to see if it is healthy?

When environmentally sound planting and tilling practices are used, like planting cover crops , composting, and crop rotation, the result is healthier soil, cleaner water, more nutrient-rich food–and a healthier you!

Take the soil and water mini-quiz!