Dikes and Levees
These natural or artificial embankments are to hold back flood water. Many levees and Dikes are built around the world among which the Netherlands Dike is the famous one.
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The area of “Dust Bowl” in United States is about 150,000 square miles.
Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl This name was given to part of the Great Plains region of the United States because of its dry and dusty character. The Dust Bowl covers parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and other surrounding states. Its area is about 150,000 square miles.
Before the arrival of settlers, this region was a dry grassland. But settlers introduced cattle which grazed on the grasslands. In some areas there was overgrazing i.e. the cattle ate all the grass and exposed the soil.
In the 1930's, the region suffered from long periods of drought, when little or no rain fell. The soil dried up and crumbled into dust. Farmers suffered a terrible disaster and the Dust Bowl earned its name.
To overcome these problems, trees, grass and other plants were cultivated to anchor the soil. Lines of trees were planted to break the force of the wind. In 1956, Congress set up a Great Plains program to restore the fertility of the region.
