Stabilize an eroding pine-hardwood trail tread, segment 2, SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Stephen F. Austin State University, 2900 Raguet St, Nacogdoches, TX 75965 (public university native plant preserve with accessible trails) (2026-07-30)

This accessible upland pine-hardwood trail tread at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center is cutting an erosion channel after heavy East Texas rain, and hand set water bars and matting would otherwise arrest that erosion at the trail scale. Standard: USDA NRCS soil erosion control practice (water bar and matting trail stabilization), applied here to upland pine-hardwood trail erosion at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Nacogdoches, TX. Proof: before after photos plus water bar count record plus GPS Method (USDA NRCS soil erosion control practice (water bar and matting trail stabilization), applied here to upland pine-hardwood trail erosion at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Nacogdoches, TX.): 1. 1. Confirm the eroding trail tread segment is public trail land and photograph it before starting. 2. 2. Hand set water bars across the eroding tread at the design spacing using hand tools only, no power equipment. 3. 3. Hand lay erosion control matting over the exposed soil between the water bars. 4. 4. Photograph the stabilized tread from the matching before vantage and record the number of water bars set. Done when: before after photos plus water bar count record plus GPS

Where

SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Stephen F. Austin State University, 2900 Raguet St, Nacogdoches, TX 75965 (public university native plant preserve with accessible trails)

Pay

$150 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

before after photos plus water bar count record plus GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-08-29

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 45–90 minutes. Method of record: USDA-NRCS soil-health in-situ assessment

Bring

• soil auger or trowel
• infiltration ring + measured water + timer
• penetrometer (if compaction in scope)
• clean bucket
• sample bags + labels
• gloves
• GPS phone
• camera

Steps

1. 1. Navigate to the plot; record GPS; sketch the sampling layout.
2. 2. Photograph each sampling station.
3. 3. Run the infiltration ring; record time to infiltrate 1 inch.
4. 4. Assess aggregate stability and note visible organic matter, roots, and biology.
5. 5. If compaction is in scope, record penetrometer resistance by depth.
6. 6. Collect 0-15 cm cores if a lab subsample is specified; bag, label, complete COC.
7. 7. Enter all measurements with units + depth, GPS, photos into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Infiltration > 30 min/inch or high penetrometer resistance -> flag compaction; recommend cover crop / reduced traffic.
• Very low organic matter / no visible biology -> flag degraded; recommend amendment plan.

What counts as done

• Infiltration time recorded
• Aggregate stability + organic-matter observation recorded
• Each in-scope measurement recorded with units and depth
• GPS waypoint + station photos + site sketch

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.