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Soil and Water

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Soil and Water
When I was researching for this essay explaining what soil and water conservation means to me, I found two quotes that really stuck out to me. One written by Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”, and another that was written by an unknown author read, “Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” I am not sure about you, but I love the life I live. Where would we be without soil and water? We wouldn’t be that’s the thing.
Many people could care less about saving our soil and water, but they do not understand that soil is the base to everything, and water is a mixture that is inside everything, even you. An average adult human body is composed of about 55 to 65 percent water, and soil is in fact both the direct and indirect form of food. It is the base of every living thing; soil has everything depending on it. Think about it, you eat steak that comes out of a pasture right? Well, that cow gets its nutrients from grass, feed, and water. That grass and feed gets its nutrients from the soil, which has to be watered to grow that grass and feed.
Until the last couple months the state of Texas has been in a severe drought since 2005. In 2006, farmers in south Texas lost an amazing amount of 87% of their crops losing about 34.3 million dollars. That damaged those people’s wallets, especially if they were commercial farmers raising crops to sell to big industries, which will later be put on the average Americans table. Then, when rice farmers would go to the Lower Colorado River Authority to get water irrigated into their rice fields, there would either not be any water or only be enough for one of the two usual crops they plant every year. Even though it has been raining like crazy lately in Texas, those severe drops in lakes and rivers has not been renewed.
Now, the big debate is, is

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