Please, no rain!!!

This is what's left of the old graduate housing (previously featured here). A big, fat erosion and sedimentation hazard.

Imagine a tropical rain. The kind that comes fast and furiously washes away everything in its path for an hour or so. All of the exposed topsoil you see in the picture lands in the nearby sewer plugging it up, or worse yet - in the nearby creek. There are ways to prevent construction site erosion!!! Have been in existence for ages!!! Clearly, I'm howling at the moon...

(Husband Dear just informed me, that there actually is some erosion protection system at the point to which all would drain in case of a deluge. I stand corrected.)

I was very concerned about the tree. Common tree wisdom states that what above-that below. Meaning, the perimeter of the crown is also (more often than not) the perimeter of the root system. Heavy construction equipment or materials placed on the roots compact the soil, and ultimately kill the tree. While the tree is not fenced off, so far no damaging events of any sort took place in its proximity. Let's hope this remains true.

The tree is an oak, about 120 feet in diameter (40 meters), maybe 80 feet (about 26 meters) tall. It must be at least a three quarters of a century old. Please, oh Druid Gods, keep it out of harm's way!!!

PS. For the folks far away: the white thingy with a maroon "M" on it is a water tower located on the edge of the Mississippi State University's campus. If you want to know more about water towers, click here.