07/17/2026
What Can the San Luis Valley’s Winds Teach Us?
Written by: Kelsey Weeks, District Conservation Technician with Mosca-Hooper Conservation District
When we think about the San Luis Valley, we often think about the mountains, the Great Sand Dunes, and, of course, the wind. While those winds are a familiar part of life here, they can also move one of our most valuable resources: our soil.
The Mosca-Hooper Conservation District partners with the National Wind Erosion Research Network (NWERN) to monitor weather, precipitation, vegetation, and sediment movement at a long-term research site in the San Luis Valley. By collecting data year after year, researchers can better understand when and where wind erosion is most likely to occur, and how weather, vegetation, and land management influence soil stability.
Although the site doesn’t directly measure airborne dust, it measures sediment movement across the soil surface, which is one of the primary processes that leads to dust being released into the air. One researcher compared it to a bowling ball rolling
through a pile of ping pong balls. As larger sand-sized particles move across the ground, they can knock much smaller dust particles into the air.
The information collected at the site helps farmers, ranchers, and land managers better understand erosion risk and the landscape conditions that support healthy, productive soils. It also contributes to a larger network of monitoring sites across the western
United States and Canada, improving our understanding of wind erosion and helping develop tools to protect healthy soils.
To learn more about NWERN and explore available resources,
visit winderosionnetwork.org.
