Different types of water erosions:
Sheet and rill erosion
Sheet erosion occurs when a thin layer of topsoil is removed over a whole hillside paddock—and may not be readily noticed.
Rill erosion occurs when runoff water forms small channels as it concentrates down a slope.
Scalding
Scalding can occur when wind and water erosion removes the top soil and exposes saline or sodic soils.
Gully erosion
Gully erosion happens when runoff concentrates and flows strongly enough to detach and move soil particles.
Tunnel erosion
Tunnel erosion is the removal of subsoil.
When water penetrates through a soil crack or a hole where a root has decayed, the soil disperses and is carried away with the flow to leave a small tunnel.
Stream bank erosion
Recent floods have made stream bank erosion a widespread problem across Queensland.
The major cause of stream bank erosion is the destruction of vegetation on river banks (generally by clearing, overgrazing, cultivation, vehicle traffic up and down banks or fire) and the removal of sand and gravel from the stream bed.
Erosion on floodplains
Some of Queensland’s best agricultural land is on floodplains because of the high fertility soils and availability of water for irrigation. These areas are subjected to high velocity floods that erode soils with insufficient surface cover.