Massachusetts Erosion and Sedimentation Control Guidelines - Part 2

Table of Contents
Page
PartI,PrinciplesandPlanning 8
ErosionandSedimentation 8
FactorsthatInfluenceErosion 9
EffectsofUrbanization 13
ErosionandSedimentHazardsAssociatedwithSiteDevelopment 15
AnalyzingtheProjectSite 21
PotentialProblems 36
StabilizationPrinciplesforSiteDevelopment 38
DevelopingAnErosionandSedimentControlPlan 42
PartII,GuidetoBestManagementPracticeSelection
54
BestManagementPracticeSelection 54
Sitework:On-siteroads,Controllingroadrunoff 55
ClearingandGrading 56
Excavations,Stockpiles,&Debrisdisposal 56
RillandGullyErosion 57
SedimentControl 57
StormRunoff 58
StreambankProtectionandStabilization 58
StreamCrossings 59
BuildingConstruction,UtilitiesInstallations 59
SpecialSiteProblems 60
60
FinalSiteStabilization
62 PartIII,ErosionandSedimentControlPractices
BrushBarrier 62
BufferZones,StreamCorridors,andRiparianAreas 63
CheckDam 64
ConstructionEntrance 68
ConstructionRoadStabilization 71
Diversion,Permanent 73
Diversion,Temporary 77
DustControl 80
FilterBerm 82
FilterStrip,Vegetated 84
Flume,Paved 86
Gabions 88
Geotextiles 90
GradeStabilizationStructure 92
InletProtection 93
LandGradingandStabilization 102
LevelSpreader 109
MulchandNetting 112
OutletProtectionandStabilization 118
PreservingNaturalVegetation 121
Riprap 125
Table of Contents
Page
PartIII,ErosionandSedimentControlPractices(Continued)
RockDam 129
SandDuneandSandblowStabilization 133
SandFence 135
SedimentBasin 138
SedimentFence 146
SedimentTrap 152
Seeding,Permanent 157
Seeding,Temporary 167
SiltCurtain 171
SlopeDrain,Temporary 172
Sodding 176
StraworHayBaleBarrier 181
StreamCrossing,Temporary 185
StreambankProtectionandStabilization 192
SubsurfaceDrain 201
SumpPit 204
SurfaceRoughening 205
Terrace 208
Topsoiling 210
TreeandShrubPlanting 212
VegetatedSwale 215
WaterBar 219
Waterway,Grassed 222
228
Waterway,Lined
PartIV,SupplementaryInformation
Rainfall,Runoff,andLandUseChange 232
Plants,Vegetation,SoilCovers 243
SoilBioengineering 280
BestManagementPracticesforIndividualHomesitesandSmall
Parcels
BestManagementPracticesforSandandGravelPits
ASampleErosionandSedimentationControlPlan
Glossary
Bibliography
SubjectIndex
232
320
322
329
338
349
354
62
Erosion and Sediment Control Practices
Practices
BrushBarrier
BufferZones,Stream
Corridors,and
RiparianAreas
CheckDam
Construction
Entrance
ConstructionRoad
Stabilization
Diversion,
Permanent
Diversion,
Temporary
DustControl
FilterBerm
FilterStrip,
vegetated
Flume,paved
Gabions
Geotextiles
GradeStabilization
Structure
InletProtection
LandGrading
LevelSpreader
Mulching&Netting
OutletProtection&
Stabilization
Brush Barrier
Atemporary
sedimentbarrier
constructedatthe
perimeterofa
disturbedarea,
usingresidue
materialsavailable
fromclearingand
grubbingon-site.
Usedto
interceptandretain
sedimentfrom
limiteddisturbed
areas.
WherePracticeApplies
Belowdisturbedareasoflessthanonequarteracrethataresubjectto
sheetandrillerosion,whereenoughresiduematerialisavailablefor
constructionofsuchabarrier.Note:Thisdoesnotreplaceasedimenttrap
orpond.
Advantages
$ Brushbarrierscanoftenbeconstructedusingmaterialsfoundon-site.
PlanningConsiderations
Organiclitterandspoilmaterialfromsiteclearingoperationsis
usuallyhauledawaytobedisposedofelsewhere.Muchofthismaterialcan
beusedeffectivelyontheconstructionsiteitself.Duringclearingand
grubbingoperations,equipmentcanpushordumpthemixtureoflimbs,
smallvegetation,androotmatalongwithminoramountsofsoilandrock
intowindrowsalongthetoeofaslopewhereerosionandaccelerated
runoffareexpected.
Becausebrushbarriersarefairlystableandcomposedofnatural
materials,maintenancerequirementsaresmall.Materialcontaininglarge
amountsofwoodchipsshouldnotbeusedbecauseofthepotentialfor
leachingfromthechips.
DesignRecommendations
Height-3feetmaximum.
Width-5to15feetatbase.
Filterfabricanchoredoverthebermwillenhanceitsfiltration
capacity.
63
Practices
PreservingNatural
Vegetation
Riprap
RockDam
SandDune&Sandblow
Stabilization
SandFence
SedimentBasin
SedimentFence
SedimentTrap
Seeding,permanent
Seeding,temporary
SiltCurtain
SlopeDrain
Sodding
Staworhaybalebarrier
StreamCrossing
StreambankProtection
&Stabilization
SubsurfaceDrain
SumpPit
SurfaceRoughening
Topsoiling
Tree&ShrubPlanting
VegetatedSwale
WaterBar
Waterway,grassed
Waterway,lined
Maintenance
Brushbarriersgenerallyrequirelittlemaintenance.Heavydepositsof
sedimentmayneedremoval.Occasionally,tearingofthefilterfabricmay
occur.
Whenthebarrierisnolongerneededthefabriccanberemovedto
allownaturalestablishmentofvegetationwithinthebarrier.Thebarrier
willrotovertime.
References
WashingtonStateDepartmentofEcology,StormwaterManagement
ManualforthePugetSoundBasin,Olympia,WA,February,1992.
Buffer Zones, Stream Corridors, and
Riparian Areas
Anundisturbedareaor
stripofnaturalvegetationor
anestablishedsuitable
plantingthatwillprovidea
livingfiltertoreducesoil
erosionandrunoffvelocities.
WherePractice
Applies
Naturalbufferzonesare
usedalongstreamsandother
bodiesofwaterthatneedprotectionfromerosionandsedimentation.
Vegetativebufferzonescanbeusedtoprotectnaturalswalesand
incorporatedintonaturallandscapingofanarea.
Advantages
Bufferzonesprovidecriticalhabitatadjacenttostreamsand
wetlands,aswellasassistincontrollingerosion,especiallyonunstable
steepslopes.Buffersalongstreamsandotherwaterbodiesalsoprovide
wildlifecorridors,aprotectedareawherewildlifecanmovefromone
placetoanother.
$ Bufferzonesactasavisibilityandnoisescreen,andprovide
aestheticbenefits.
$ Lowmaintenancerequirements.
$ Lowcostwhenusingexistingvegetation.
64
Disadvantages/Problems
Extensivebufferswillincreasedevelopmentcosts.
$ Preservingnaturalvegetationorplantingsinclumps,blocks,orstrips
isgenerallytheeasiestandmostsuccessfulmethod.
$ Establishingnewbufferstripsrequirestheestablishmentofagood
denseturf,trees,andshrubs.Carefulmaintenanceisimportanttoensure
healthyvegetation.Theneedforroutinemaintenancesuchasmowing,
fertilizing,liming,irrigating,pruning,andweedandpestcontrolwill
dependonthespeciesofplantsandtreesinvolved,soiltypes,andclimatic
conditions.
$ Leaveallunstablesteepslopesinnaturalvegetation.
$ Fenceorflagclearinglimitsandkeepallequipmentandconstruction
debrisoutofthenaturalareas.
$ Keepallexcavationsoutsidethedriplineoftreesandshrubs.
$ Donotpushdebrisorextrasoilintothebufferzoneareabecauseit
willcausedamagefromburyingandsmothering.
References
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,StormWaterManagementFor
ConstructionActivities,EPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,
1992.
Check Dam
Acheckdamisasmalldam
constructedacrossadrainageditch,
swale,orchanneltolowerthespeed
offlow.Reducedrunoffspeedreduces
erosionandgullyinginthechannel
andallowssedimentstosettleout.
Acheckdammaybebuiltfrom
stone,sandbagsfilledwithpeagravel,
orlogs.
Purpose
Toreduceflowvelocity:reducing
erosionoftheswaleorditch,andallowingretentionofsediments.
65
Wheretemporarychannelsorpermanentchannelsarenotyet
vegetated,channelliningisinfeasibleandvelocitychecksarerequired.
Thispracticemaybeusedasatemporaryoremergencymeasureto
limiterosionbyreducingflowinsmallopenchannels.
Thispracticeshouldbeusedwithdrainageareasof2acresorless.
Checkdamsmaybeused:
$ Toreduceflowinsmalltemporarychannelsthatarepresently
undergoingdegradation,
$ Wherepermanentstabilizationisimpracticalduetothetemporary
natureoftheproblem,and
$ Toreduceflowinsmallerodingchannelswhereconstructiondelaysor
weatherconditionspreventtimelyinstallationofnon-erosiveliners.
Advantages
$ Inexpensiveandeasytoinstall.
$ Reducevelocityandmayprovideaerationofthewater.
$ Checkdamsnotonlypreventgullyerosionfromoccurringbefore
vegetationisestablished,butalsocauseahighproportionofthe
sedimentloadinrunofftosettleout.
$ Insomecases,ifcarefullylocatedanddesigned,thesecheckdamscan
remainaspermanentinstallationswithveryminorregrading,etc.They
maybeleftaseitherspillways,inwhichcaseaccumulatedsediment
wouldbegradedandseeded,orascheckdamstocapturefurther
sedimentcomingoffthatsite.
$ Becauseoftheirtemporarynature,manyofthesemeasuresare
unsightly,andtheyshouldberemovedorconvertedtopermanentcheck
damsbeforedwellingunitsarerentedorsold.
$ Removalmaybeasignificantcostdependingonthetypeofcheck
daminstalled.
$ Checkdamsareonlysuitableforalimiteddrainagearea.
$ Maykillgrassliningsinchannelsifthewaterlevelremainshighafter
rainstormsorifthereissignificantsedimentation.
$ Reducethehydrauliccapacityofthechannel.
$ Maycreateturbulencewhicherodesthechannelbanks.
$ Cloggingbyleavesinthefallmaybeaproblem.
Checkdamsareusuallymadeofstone.Thecentersectionmustbe
lowerthantheedges.
Thedamsshouldbespacedsothatthetoeoftheupstreamdamisat
thesameelevationasthetopofthedownstreamdam.
Ensurethatoverflowareasalongthechannelareresistanttoerosion
66
fromout-of-bankflowcausedbythecheckdams.
Checkdamscanalsobeconstructedoflogs,orpeagravelfilled
sandbags.Logcheckdamsmaybemoreeconomicalfromthestandpointof
materialcosts,sincelogscanoftenbesalvagedfromclearingoperations.
However,logcheckdamsrequiremoretimeandhandlabortoinstall.Stone
forcheckdamsmustgenerallybepurchased.Thiscostisoffsetsomewhat
bytheeaseofinstallation.
Ifstonecheckdamsareusedingrass-linedchannelswhichwillbe
mowed,careshouldbetakentoremoveallthestonefromthechannel
whenthedamisremoved.Thisshouldincludeanystonewhichhas
washeddownstream.
Sincelogcheckdamsareembeddedinthesoil,theirremovalwill
resultinmoredisturbanceofthesoilthanwillremovalofstonecheck
dams.Consequently,extracareshouldbetakentostabilizetheareawhen
logdamsareusedinpermanentditchesorswales.
Design&ConstructionRecommendations
Checkdamscanbeconstructedofrock,sandbagsfilledwithpea-
gravel,orlogs.Provideasumpimmediatelyupstream.
Themaximumspacingbetweenthedamsshouldbesuchthatthetoe
oftheupstreamdamisatthesameelevationasthetopofthedownstream
dam.
Therockmustbeplacedbyhandormechanicalplacement(donot
dumprocktoformdam)toachievecompletecoverageoftheditchor
swaleandtoensurethatthecenterofthedamislowerthantheedges.The
rockusedmustbelargeenoughtostayinplacegiventheexpecteddesign
flowthroughthe
channel.
Logcheckdams
shouldbeconstructed
of4to6-inchdiameter
logsembeddedintothe
soilatleast18inches.
Inthecaseof
grass-linedditchesand
swales,checkdams
shallberemovedwhen
thegrasshasmatured
sufficientlytoprotect
theditchorswale
unlesstheslopeofthe
swaleisgreaterthan4
percent.Thearea
beneaththecheck
damsshallbeseeded
andmulched
immediatelyafterdam
removal.
67
CommonTroublePoints
Stonedisplacedfromfaceofdam
Stonesizetoosmalland/orfacetoosteep.
Erosiondownstreamfromdam
Providestone-linedapron.
Erosionofabutmentsduringhighflow
Rockabutmentheightinadequate.
Sedimentlossthroughdam
Inadequatelayerofaggregateoninsidefaceoraggregatetoocoarseto
restrictflowthroughdam.
Maintenance
$ Inspectaftereachrainfallevent.
$ Removesedimentaccumulations.
$ Checkstructureandabutmentsforerosion,piping,orrock
displacement.Repairimmediately.
$ Removecheckdamafterthecontributingdrainageareahasbeen
permanentlystabilized.Smoothsitetoblendwithsurroundingareaand
stabilizeaccordingtovegetationplan.
References
MassachusettsDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection,Officeof
WatershedManagement,NonpointSourceProgram,Massachusetts
NonpointSourceManagementManual,Boston,Massachusetts,June,
1993.
1992.
68
Construction Entrance
Atemporarystone-
stabilizedpadlocatedat
pointsofvehicularingress
andegressona
constructionsite.
Purpose
Toprovideastable
entranceandexitfroma
constructionsiteandkeep
mudandsedimentoff
publicroads.
Whenevertrafficwillbeleavingaconstructionsiteandmoving
directlyontoapublicroadorotherpavedareas.
Advantages
$ Mudonvehicletiresissignificantlyreducedwhichavoidshazards
causedbydepositingmudonthepublicroadway.
$ Sediment,whichisotherwisecontainedontheconstructionsite,does
notenterstormwaterrunoffelsewhere.
Disadvantages
Effectiveonlyifinstalledateverylocationwheretrafficleavesand
entersthesite.
Avoidlocatingatcurvesinpublicroadsoronsteepslopes.
Constructionentrancesprovideanareawheremudcanberemoved
fromvehicletiresbeforetheyenterapublicroad.Iftheactionofthe
vehicletravelingoverthegravelpadisnotsufficienttoremovethe
majorityofthemud,thenthetiresmustbewashedbeforethevehicle
entersapublicroad.
Ifwashingisused,provisionsmustbemadetointerceptthewash
waterandtrapthesedimentbeforeitiscarriedoff-site.Construction
entrancesshouldbeusedinconjunctionwiththestabilizationof
constructionroadstoreducetheamountofmudpickedupbyvehicles.
Thispracticewillonlybeeffectiveifsedimentcontrolisused
throughouttherestoftheconstructionsite.
69
$ Removeallvegetationandotherobjectionablematerialfromthe
foundationarea.Gradeandcrownfoundationforpositivedrainage.
$ Stoneforastabilizedconstructionentranceshallbe1to3-inchstone,
reclaimedstone,orrecycledconcreteequivalentplacedonastable
foundationasspecifiedintheplan.
$ Paddimensions:Theminimumlengthofthegravelpadshouldbe50
feet,exceptforasingleresidentiallotwherea30footminimumlength
maybeused.Longerentranceswillprovidebettercleaningaction.The
padshouldextendthefullwidthoftheconstructionaccessroador10
feetwhicheverisgreater.Theaggregateshouldbeplacedatleastsix
inchesthick.
$ Ageotextilefilterfabricshallbeplacedbetweenthestonefillandthe
earthsurfacebelowthepadtoreducethemigrationofsoilparticlesfrom
theunderlyingsoilintothestoneandviceversa.Filterclothisnot
requiredforasinglefamilyresidencelot.
$ Iftheslopetowardtheroadexceeds2%,constructaridge,6to8
incheshighwith3:1sideslopes,acrossthefoundationapproximately15
ftfromtheentrancetodivertrunoffawayfromthepublicroad.
$ Allsurfacewaterthatisflowingtoordivertedtowardthe
constructionentranceshouldbepipedbeneaththeentrance.Ifpipingis
impractical,abermwith5:1slopesthatcanbecrossedbyvehiclesmay
besubstitutedforthepipe.
$ Washing:Ifthesiteconditionsaresuchthatthemajorityofmudisnot
removedfromthevehicletiresbythegravelpad,thenthetiresshouldbe
washedbeforethevehicleenterstheroadorstreet.Thewashareashould
bealevelareawith3-inchwashedstoneminimum,oracommercialrack.
$ Washwatershouldbedirectedintoasedimenttrap,avegetatedfilter
strip,orotherapprovedsedimenttrappingdevice.Sedimentshouldbe
preventedfromenteringanywatercourses.
$ Afilterfabricfenceshouldbeinstalleddown-gradientfromthe
constructionentranceinorder
tocontainanysediment-laden
runofffromtheentrance.
CommonTrouble
Points
Inadequaterunoffcontrol
Sedimentwashesontopublic
road.
Stonetoosmall,padtoothin,
orgeotextilefabricabsent
Resultsinmuddyconditionas
stoneispressedintosoil.
70
Padtooshortforheavyconstructiontraffic
Extendpadbeyondtheminimum50-ftlengthasnecessary.
Padnotflaredsufficientlyatroadentrance
Resultsinmudbeingtrackedontoroadandpossibledamagetoroadedge.
Unstablefoundation
Usegeotextilefabricunderpadand/orimprovefoundationdrainage.
Maintenance
$ Theentranceshouldbemaintainedinaconditionthatwillprevent
trackingorflowingofsedimentontopublicrights-of-way.Thismayrequire
periodictopdressingwithadditionalstone.
$ Inspectentrance/exitpadandsedimentdisposalareaweeklyandafter
heavyrainsorheavyuse.
$ Removemudandsedimenttrackedorwashedontopublicroad
immediately.
$ Mudandsoilparticleswilleventuallyclogthevoidsinthegraveland
theeffectivenessofthegravelpadwillnotbesatisfactory.Whenthis
occurs,thepadshouldbetopdressedwithnewstone.Complete
replacementofthepadmaybenecessarywhenthepadbecomes
completelyclogged.
$ Ifwashingfacilitiesareused,thesedimenttrapsshouldbecleanedout
asoftenasnecessarytoassurethatadequatetrappingefficiencyand
storagevolumeisavailable.Vegetativefilterstripsshouldbemaintainedto
insureavigorousstandofvegetationatalltimes.
$ Reshapepadasneededfordrainageandrunoffcontrol.
$ Repairanybrokenroadpavementimmediately.
$ Alltemporaryerosionandsedimentcontrolmeasuresshallbe
removedwithin30daysafterfinalsitestabilizationisachievedorafterthe
temporarypracticesarenolongerneeded.Trappedsedimentshallbe
removedorstabilizedonsite.Disturbedsoilareasresultingfromremoval
shallbepermanentlystabilized.
References
Minnick,E.L.,andH.T.Marshall,StormwaterManagementandErosion
ControlforUrbanandDevelopingAreasinNewHampshire,Rockingham
CountyConservationDistrict,August1992.
NorthCarolinaDepartmentofEnvironment,Health,andNatural
Resources,ErosionandSedimentControlFieldManual,Raleigh,NC,
February1991.
ConstructionActivitiesEPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,
1992.
71
Construction Road Stabilization
Stabilizationof
temporaryconstruction
accessroutes,on-sitevehicle
transportationroutes,and
constructionparkingareasto
controlerosion
WherePractice
Applies
Alltrafficroutesand
parkingareasfortemporary
usebyconstructiontraffic.
Advantages
$ Propergradingandstabilizationofconstructionroadsandparking
areasreduceserosionandpreventsdustproblems.
$ Roadstabilizationcansignificantlyspeedon-sitework,avoid
instancesofimmobilizedmachineryanddeliveryvehicles,andgenerally
improvesiteefficiencyandworkingconditionsduringadverseweather.
$ Measuresontemporaryroadsmustbecheapnotonlytoinstallbut
alsotodemolishiftheyinterferewiththeeventualsurfacetreatmentof
thearea.
$ Mayrequiremaintenancetoreplaceaggregateorrepairruts.
$ Avoidsteepslopes,excessivelywetareas,andhighlyerodiblesoils.
$ Controllingsurfacerunofffromtheroadsurfaceandadjoiningareais
akeyerosioncontrolconsideration.Providesurfacedrainageanddivert
excessrunofftostableareas.
$ Areaswhicharegradedforconstructionvehicletransportandparking
purposesareespeciallysusceptibletoerosion.Theexposedsoilsurface
iscontinuallydisturbed,leavingnoopportunityforvegetative
stabilization.Suchareasalsotendtocollectandtransportrunoffwaters
alongtheirsurfaces.Duringwetweather,theyoftenbecomemuddy
quagmireswhichgeneratesignificantquantitiesofsedimentthatmay
pollutenearbystreamsorbetransportedoff-siteonthewheelsof
constructionvehicles.Dirtroadscanbecomesounstableduringwet
weatherthattheyarevirtuallyunusable.
72
$ Immediatestabilizationofsuchareaswithstonemaycostmoneyatthe
outset,butitmayactuallysavemoneyinthelongrunbyincreasingthe
usefulnessoftheroadduringwetweather.
$ Permanentroadsandparkingareasshouldbepavedassoonas
possibleaftergrading.Asanalternative,theearlyapplicationofstonemay
solvepotentialerosionandstabilityproblemsandeliminatelater
regradingcosts.Someofthestonewillalsoprobablyremaininplacefor
useaspartofthefinalbasecourseoftheroad.
$ A6-inchcourseof2to4-inchcrushedrock,gavelbase,orcrushed
surfacingbasecourseshouldbeappliedimmediatelyaftergradingorthe
completionofutilityinstallationwithintheright-of-way.A4-inchcourseof
asphalt-treatedbasemaybeusedinlieuofthecrushedrock,orasadvised
bythelocalgovernment.
$ Temporaryroadsshouldfollowthecontourofthenaturalterrainto
themaximumextentpossible.Slopeshouldnotexceed15percent.
Roadwaysshouldbecarefullygradedtodraintransversely.Provide
drainageswalesoneachsideoftheroadwayinthecaseofacrowned
section,oronesideinthecaseofasuper-elevatedsection.
$ Draininletsshouldbeprotectedtopreventsediment-ladenwater
entering.
$ Areasadjacenttoculvertcrossingsandsteepslopesshouldbeseeded
andmulched.
$ Dustcontrolshouldbeusedwhennecessary.
Maintenance
$ Inspectstabilizedareasregularly,especiallyafterlargestormevents.
Addcrushedrockifnecessaryandrestabilizeanyareasfoundtobe
eroding.
$ Alltemporaryerosionandsedimentcontrolmeasuresshouldbe
removedwithin30daysafterfinalsitestabilizationisachievedorafterthe
temporarypracticesarenolongerneeded.
$ Trappedsedimentshouldberemovedorstabilizedonsite.Disturbed
soilareasresultingfromremovalshouldbepermanentlystabilized.
References
MassachusettsDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection,OfficeofWatershed
Management,NonpointSourceProgram,Massachusetts
NonpointSourceManagementManual,Boston,Massachusetts,June,1993.
ConstructionActivitiesEPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,1992.
WashingtonStateDepartmentofEcology,StormwaterManagementManualfor
thePugetSoundBasin,Olympia,WA,February,1992.
73
Diversion, Permanent
Apermanentridge
orchannel,ora
combinationridgeand
channel,constructed:
acrossslopingland;or
atthetoporbottomof
asteepslope.Usedto
conveyrunoffwater.
Thispracticeis
usedtoreduceslope
lengths,breakup
concentrationofrunoff,
andmovewaterto
stableoutletsatanon-
erosivevelocity.
Thispracticeappliestositeswhererunoffcanbedivertedandused
ordisposedofsafelytopreventflooddamageorerosionandsediment
damage,including:
$ Abovesteepslopestolimitsurfacerunoffontotheslope,
$ Acrosslongslopestoreduceslopelengthtopreventgullyerosion,
$ Belowsteepgradeswhereflooding,seepageproblems,orsediment
depositionmayoccur,
$ Aroundbuildingsorareasthataresubjecttodamagefromrunoff.
Diversionsmusthavestableoutlets.Thesite,slopes,andsoilsmust
besuchthatthediversioncanbemaintainedthroughoutitsplannedlife.
Permanentdiversionsarenotapplicablebelowhighsediment-
producingareasunlesslandtreatmentpractices,orstructuralmeasures,
designedtopreventdamagingaccumulationsofsedimentinthechannels,
areinstalledwithorbeforethediversions.
Advantages
Diversionsareamongthemosteffectiveandleastcostlypracticesfor
controllingerosionandsedimentation.
Permanentdiversionsshouldbeplannedasapartofinitialsite
development.Theyareprincipallyrunoffcontrolmeasuresthatsubdivide
thesiteintospecificdrainageareas.
Permanentdiversionscanbeinstalledastemporarydiversionsuntil
thesiteisstabilizedthencompletedasapermanentmeasure,ortheycan
beinstalledinfinalformduringtheinitialconstructionoperation.The
amountofsedimentanticipatedandthemaintenancerequiredasaresult
74
ofconstructionoperationswilldeterminewhichapproachshouldbeused.
Stabilizepermanentdiversionswithvegetationormaterialssuchas
riprap,pavingstone,orconcreteassoonaspossibleafterinstallation.Base
thelocation,typeofstabilization,anddiversionconfigurationonfinalsite
conditions.Evaluatefunction,need,velocitycontrol,outletstability,and
siteaesthetics.Whenproperlylocated,landformssuchaslandscape
islands,swalesorridgescanbeusedeffectivelyaspermanentdiversions.
Basethecapacityofadiversionontherunoffcharacteristicsofthe
siteandthepotentialdamageafterdevelopment.Considerdesigningan
emergencyoverflowsectionorbypassareatolimitdamagefromstorms
thatexceedthedesignstorm.Theoverflowsectionmaybedesignedasa
weirwithriprapprotection.
Capacity
Peakrunoffvaluesshouldbedeterminedbyacceptedmethods.
Recommendedminimumdesignfrequenciesareshownbelow.Inallcases,
thedesignstormfrequencyshouldbechosentoprovideprotection
compatiblewiththehazardordamagethatwouldoccurifthediversion
shouldovertop.
Homes,schools,industrialbuildings,etc. 50-yeardesignfrequency
Playfields,recreationareas,similarlandareas 25-yeardesignfrequency
PermissibleFlowVelocity
SoilTexture BareChannel VegetatedChannel
Sand,siltysandyloam 1.5feet/second 2.5feet/second
Siltyclayandsandyclayloam 2.0feet/second 3.5feet/second
Clay 2.5feet/second 4.5feet/second
CrossSection
Thechannelmaybeparabolicortrapezoidal.Itshouldbedesignedto
havestablesideslopes.
Sideslopesforpermanentdiversionsshouldnotbesteeperthan3:1
formaintenancepurposesandpreferably4:1.Innocaseshouldsideslopes
besteeperthan1:1.
Backslopeoftheridgeisnottobesteeperthan2:1andpreferably4:1.
Theridgeshouldincludeasettlementfactorequalto5percentofits
height.
Theminimumtopwidthofthediversionridgeaftersettlementistobe
4.0feetatthedesignelevation.
Freeboardequalling0.5footminimum.
Indeterminingthecrosssectionontemporarydiversions,
considerationshouldbegiventosoiltypeandfrequencyandtypeof
equipmentthatisanticipatedtobecrossingthediversion.
75
Grade
Channelgradefordiversionsmaybeuniformorvariable.The
permissiblevelocityforthesoiltypeandvegetativecoverwilldetermine
maximumgrade.Leveldiversionswithblockedendsmaybeused,
providedpipesofsufficientsizeandspacingareplacedinthe
embankmenttodrainthechannelafterrunoffstops.
Outlets
Diversionsaretohaveadequateoutletswhichwillconveyrunoff
withoutdamagingerosion.Thefollowingtypesofoutletsareacceptable:
Naturalorconstructedvegetatedoutletscapableofsafelycarrying
thedesigndischarge.Theoutletshouldbeestablishedandwellvegetated
priortoconstructionofthediversion.
Properlydesignedandconstructedgradestabilizationstructuresor
stormsewers.
Naturalorconstructedopenchannelswhicharestableandhave
adequatecapacityanddepth.
Astableareahavingagoodsodcoverorawoodlandareawitha
deeperosionresistantlitter.Theoutletendofthediversionchannel
shouldbeflaredinamannertospreadthewateroverawideareaata
shallowdepth.
LevelSpreader
Alevellipspreadershouldbeusedatdiversionoutletsdischarging
ontoareaalreadystabilizedbyvegetation.Spreadersshallbeexcavatedat
least6inchesdeepintoundisturbedsoil.Thebottomoftheexcavation
andthedownstreamlipofedgeshallbelevel.Minimumspreaderlengths
shallbebasedonthepeakrateofflowfroma10-yearfrequencystorm.
DiversionDikes
Diversiondikesshouldbeusedtodivertrunofffortemporaryor
permanentprotectionofcutorfillslopes.Divertedrunoffmustbe
dischargedontoastabilizedareaorthroughaslope-protectionstructure.
Recommendedcriteria:
$ Drainagearea-5acresorless.
$ Topwidth-2feetminimum.
$ Height(compactedfill)-18inchesunlessotherwisenotedonthe
plans.(Heightmeasuredfromtheupslopetoetotopofthedike.)
$ Sideslopes-2:1orflatter.
$ Grade-dependentupontopography,butmusthavepositivedrainage
totheoutlet;mayrequirevegetativeormechanicalstabilizationwhere
gradesareexcessive.
76
ProtectionAgainstSediment
Temporarydiversions-Nonerequired.
Permanentdiversions-Asaminimum,afilterstripofclosegrowing
grassshouldbemaintainedabovethechannel.Thewidthofthefilter,
measuredfromthecenterofthechannel,shouldbeone-halfthechannel
widthplus15feet.
Thediversionridgeandchannelshouldbevegetatedtoprevent
erosion.
Smallerodedareasandsediment-producingchannelsdrainingintothe
diversionshouldbeshapedandseededpriortooratthetimethe
diversionisconstructed.
ConstructionRecommendations
Alltrees,brush,stumps,andotherobjectionablematerialshouldbe
removedsotheywillnotinterferewithconstructionorproperfunctioning
ofthediversion.
Allditchesorgullieswhichmustbecrossedshouldbefilledand
compactedpriortooraspartoftheconstruction.
Fencerowsandotherobstructionsthatwillinterferewith
constructionorthesuccessfuloperationofthediversionshouldbe
removed.
Thebaseforthediversionridgeshouldbepreparedsothatagood
bondisobtainedbetweentheoriginalgroundandtheplacedfill.
Vegetationshouldberemovedandthebasethoroughlydiskedbefore
placementofthefill.
Vegetation
Diversionsshouldbevegetatedassoonafterconstructionas
practical.Giveconsiderationtojutematting,excelsiormatting,orsodding
ofchanneltoprovideerosionprotection.
Seeding,fertilizing,mulching,andsoddingshouldbeinaccordwith
applicablevegetativestandardsforpermanentcover.SeePermanent
Seeding.
One-halftoonebushelofoatsshouldbeaddedtothebasicmixture
forquickcoverandtohelpanchorthemulch.
Verymoistchannelsareoftenbestvegetatedbyworkingrootstocksof
reedcanarygrassintotheseedbed.
Whensoilconditionsareunfavorableforvegetation(suchasvery
coarse-texturedsubsoilmaterial),topsoilshouldbespreadtoadepthof4
inchesormoreonatleastthecenterhalfofparabolicshapedchannelsor
ontheentirebottomoftrapezoidalshapedchannels.
Seededchannelsshouldbemulched.Forcriticalsectionsoflarge
channels,andforsteepchannels,themulchshouldbeanchoredbycutting
itlightlyintothesoilsurface,orbycoveringwithpapertwinefabricor
equivalentmaterial;orjutenettingshouldbeused.
77
Maintenance
Ifnosedimentprotectionisprovidedontemporarydiversions,
periodiccleanoutwillprobablyberequired.
References
1993.
February1991.
NorthCarolinaSedimentControlCommission,ErosionandSediment
ControlPlanningandDesignManual,Raleigh,NC,September,1988.
Diversion,Temporary
Apermanent
ridgeorchannel,
oracombination
ridgeandchannel,
constructed:
acrosssloping
land;oratthetop
orbottomofa
steepslope.Used
toconveyrunoff
water.
Purpose
$ Toreduceslopelengths,breakupconcentrationofrunoff,andmove
watertostableoutletsatanon-erosivevelocity.
$ Toprotectworkareasfromupsloperunoff.
$ Todivertsediment-ladenwatertoanappropriatesediment-trapping
facility.
Thispracticeappliestoconstructionareaswhererunoffcanbe
divertedanddisposedofproperlytocontrolerosion,sedimentation,or
flooddamage.Specificlocationsandconditionsinclude:
$ Abovedisturbedexistingslopes,andabovecutorfillslopesto
preventrunoffovertheslope;
78
$ Acrossunprotectedslopes,asslopebreaks,toreduceslopelength;
$ Belowslopestodivertexcessrunofftostabilizedoutlets;
$ Whereneededtodivertsediment-ladenwatertosedimenttraps;
$ Atorneartheperimeteroftheconstructionareatokeepsediment
fromleavingthesite;
$ Abovedisturbedareasbeforestabilizationtopreventerosionand
maintainacceptableworkingconditions.
$ Whereactiveconstructionactivitiesmaketheuseofapermanent
diversionunfeasible.
Temporarydiversionsmayalsoserveassedimenttrapswhenthesite
hasbeenoverexcavatedonaflatgrade.Theymayalsobeusedin
conjunctionwithasedimentfence.
Advantages
Diversionsareamongthemosteffectiveandleastcostlypracticesfor
controllingerosionandsedimentation.
Atemporarydiversionisintendedtodivertoverlandsheetflowtoa
stabilizedoutletorasedimenttrappingfacilityduringestablishmentof
permanentstabilizationonaslopingdisturbedarea.Whenusedatthetop
ofaslope,thestructureprotectsexposedslopesbykeepinguplandrunoff
away.Whenusedatthebaseofaslope,thestructureprotectsadjacent
anddownstreamareasbydivertingsediment-ladenrunofftoasediment
trappingfacility.
Ifthediversionisgoingtoremaininplaceforlongerthan15days,it
shouldbestabilizedwithtemporaryorpermanentvegetation.
Itisimportantthatdiversionsareproperlydesigned,constructedand
maintainedsincetheyconcentratewaterflowandincreaseerosion
potential.Particularcaremustbetakeninplanningdiversiongrades.Too
muchslopecanresultinerosioninthediversionchannelorattheoutlet.A
changeofslopefromsteepergradetoflattermaycausedepositionto
occur.Thedepositionreducescarryingcapacityandmaycause
overtoppingandfailure.
Frequentinspectionandtimelymaintenanceareessentialtoproper
functioning.
Sufficientareamustbeavailabletoconstructandproperlymaintain
diversions.Itisusuallylesscostlytoexcavateachannelandformaridge
ordikeonthedownhillsidewiththespoilthantobuilddiversionsbyother
methods.Wherespaceislimited,itmaybenecessarytobuildtheridgeby
haulingindikefillmaterialorusingasedimentfencetodiverttheflow.Use
graveltoformthediversiondikewherevehiclesmustcrossfrequently.
Temporarydiversionsmaybeplannedtofunctiononeyearormore,
ortheymaybeconstructedanewattheendofeachdaysgrading
operationtoprotectnewfill.
Temporarydiversionsmayserveasin-placesedimenttrapsif
overexcavated1to2feetandplacedonanearlyflatgrade.Thedikeserves
79
todivertwaterasthestageincreases.Acombinationsiltfenceand
channelinwhichfillfromthechannelisusedtostabilizethefencecan
trapsedimentanddivertrunoffsimultaneously.
Whereverfeasible,buildandstabilizediversionsandoutletsbefore
initiatingotherlanddisturbingactivities.
DesignCriteria
Temporarydiversionsmustbeplannedtobestablethroughouttheir
usefullifeandmeetcriteriagivenbelow.Otherwise,theyshouldbe
designedaspermanentdiversions.
Drainagearea
Notmorethanthreeacres.
Capacity
Peakrunofffrom10-yearstorm.
Minimumcrosssection:
TopWidth Height SideSlopes
0ft. 1.5ft. 4:1
4ft 1.5ft. 2:1
Grade
Thegrademaybevariabledependinguponthetopographyandmust
haveapositivegradetotheoutlet.Themaximumchannelgradeshouldbe
limitedto1.0percent.
Spacing
Themaximumspacingofdiversionsonsideslopesorgradedrights-of-
wayshouldbenogreaterthanthefollowing:
LandSlope(%) Spacing(ft.)
1orless 300
2 200
3-5 150
5orgreater 100
Divertedrunoffshouldoutletontoastabilizedarea,intoaproperly
designedwaterway,gradestabilizationstructureorsedimenttrapping
facility.
Diversionsthataretoservelongerthan30workingdaysshouldbe
seededandmulchedassoonastheyareconstructed,inordertopreserve
dikeheightandreducemaintenance.
80
Maintenance
Inspecttemporarydiversionsonceaweekandaftereveryrainfall.
Damagecausedbyconstructiontrafficorotheractivityshouldbe
repairedbeforetheendofeachworkingday.
Immediatelyremovesedimentfromtheflowareaandrepairthe
diversionridge.
Checkoutletscarefullyandmaketimelyrepairsasneeded.
Whentheareaprotectedhasbeenpermanentlystabilized,removethe
ridgeandthechanneltoblendwiththenaturalgroundlevel,and
appropriatelystabilizeit.
References
1993.
February1991.
Dust Control
Reducingsurfaceandairmovementofdustfromexposedsoilsurfaces
duringlanddisturbing,demolition,andconstructionactivities.
Onconstructionroutesandotherdisturbedareassubjecttosurface
dustmovementanddustblowingwhereon-siteandoff-sitedamageislikely
tooccurifpreventivemeasuresarenottaken.
81
Advantages
Adecreaseintheamountofdustintheairwilldecreasethepotential
foraccidentsandrespiratoryproblems.
Excessiveuseofwatertocontroldustemissions,particularlyinareas
wherethesoilhasbeencompacted,cancausearunoffproblem.
Largequantitiesofdustcanbegeneratedduringlandgrading
activitiesforcommercial,industrial,orsubdivisiondevelopment,
especiallyduringdry,windyweather.Researchatconstructionsiteshas
establishedanaveragedustemissionrateof1.2tons/acre/monthfor
activeconstruction.Earthmovingactivitiescomprisethemajorsourceof
constructiondustemissions,buttrafficandgeneraldisturbanceofthesoil
alsogeneratesignificantdustemissions.
Inplanningfordustcontrol,itisimportanttoscheduleconstruction
activitiessothattheleastareaofdisturbedsoilisexposedatonetime.
Fordisturbedareasnotsubjecttotraffic,vegetationprovidesthe
mostpracticalandefficientmeansofdustcontrol.Forotherareascontrol
measuresincludemulching,sprinkling,sprayingadhesiveorcalcium
chloride,andwindbarriers.
Maintaindustcontrolmeasuresproperlythroughdryweather
periodsuntilalldisturbedareashavebeenpermanentlystabilized.
Methods
VegetativeCover-Fordisturbedareasnotsubjecttotraffic,vegetation
providesthemostpracticalmethodofdustcontrol.
Mulch(includingGravelMulch)-Whenproperlyapplied,mulchoffersafast,
effectivemeansofcontrollingdust.
Spray-onAdhesive-Latexemulsionsorresininwatercanbesprayedonto
mineralsoiltopreventparticlesfromblowingaway.
CalciumChloride-Calciumchloridemaybeappliedbymechanicalspreader
asloose,drygranulesorflakesataratethatkeepsthesurfacemoistbutnot
sohighastocausewaterpollutionorplantdamage.
Sprinkling-Thesitemaybesprinkleduntilthesurfaceiswet.Sprinklingis
especiallyeffectivefordustcontrolonhaulroadsandothertrafficroutes.
Stone-Usedtostabilizeconstructionroads;canalsobeeffectivefordust
control.
Barriers-Aboardfence,windfence,sedimentfence,orsimilarbarriercan
controlaircurrentsandblowingsoil.Allofthesefencesarenormally
constructedofwoodandtheypreventerosionbyobstructingthewindnear
thegroundandpreventingthesoilfromblowingoffsite.
Awindbarriergenerallyprotectssoildownwardforadistanceof10
timestheheightofthebarrier.Perennialgrassandstandsofexistingtrees
mayalsoserveaswindbarriers.
82
Maintenance
Resprayareaasnecessarytokeepdusttoaminimum.
References
1993.
Construction Activities,EPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,
1992.
Filter Berm
Afilterbermisa
temporaryridge
constructedofloose
gravel,stone,or
crushedrock.Itslows
andfiltersflow,
divertingitfroman
exposedtrafficarea.It
isusedtoretain
sedimentfromtraffic
areas.
Whereatemporarymeasureisneededtoretainsedimentfromrights-
of-wayorintrafficareasonconstructionsites.
Advantages
Thisisanefficientmethodofsedimentremoval.
Reducesthespeedofrunoffflow.
83
$ Agravelfilterbermismoreexpensivetoinstallthanotherpractices
whichusematerialsfoundon-site.
$ Hasalimitedlifespan.
$ Canbedifficulttomaintainbecauseofcloggingfrommudandsoilon
vehicletires.
DesignCriteria
Bermmaterialshouldbeto3inchesinsize,washed,well-graded
gravelorcrushedrockwithlessthan5percentfines.
Spacingofberms: Spacingofberms: Spacingofberms: Spacingofberms: Spacingofberms:
$ Every300feetonslopeslessthan5percent.
$ Every200feetonslopesbetween5and10percent.
$ Every100feetonslopesgreaterthan10percent.
Bermdimensions:
$ 1foothighwith3:1sideslopes.
$ 8linearfeetper1cfsrunoffbasedonthe10-year,24-hourdesign
storm.
Maintenance
Filterbermsshouldbeinspectedregularlyaftereachrainfall,orif
damagedbyconstructiontraffic.Allneededrepairsshouldbeperformed
immediately.
Accumulatedsedimentshouldberemovedandproperlydisposedof
andthefiltermaterialreplaced,asnecessary.
References
1992.
84
Filter Strip, Vegetated
Avegetatedfilterstrip
isanareaofvegetationfor
runofftoflowthrough
beforeitleavesadisturbed
siteorentersintoa
designeddrainagesystem.
Itimproveswaterqualityby
removingsedimentandotherpollutantsfromrunoffasitflowsthroughthe
filterstrip.Someofthesedimentandpollutantsareremovedbyfiltering,
absorption,adsorptionandsettlingasthevelocityofflowisreduced.
Thispracticeappliestoanysitewhereadequatevegetationcanbe
establishedandmaintained.Vegetativefilterstripscanbeusedeffectively:
$ Surroundingstormwatermanagementinfiltrationpracticestoreduce
thesedimentloaddeliveredtothestructures;
$ Adjacenttowatercoursessuchaswaterwaysanddiversionsandwater
bodiessuchasstreams,ponds,andlakes;
$ Attheoutletsofstormwatermanagementstructures;or
$ Alongthetopofandatthebaseofslopes.
Avegetativefilterstripisdesignedtoproviderunofftreatmentof
conventionalpollutantsbutnotnutrients.Thispracticeisnotdesignedto
providestreambankerosioncontrol.Avegetativefilterstripshouldnotbe
usedforconveyanceoflargerstormsbecauseoftheneedtomaintain
sheetflowconditions.Also,thefilterstripwouldlikelybeprohibitively
largeforthisapplication.
Filterstripsmayoccurnaturallyorbeconstructed.Itisimportantthat
filterstripsbedesignedandconstructedsothatrunoffflowsuniformly
acrossthefilterstripassheetflow.Oncetheflowbecomesconcentratedin
rills,theeffectivenessofthestripisgreatlyreduced.Itisessentialthat
sometypeofdevicesuchasalevelspreaderorshallowstonetrenchbe
usedtodistributetherunoffevenlyacrossthestrip.
Naturalfilterareascanprovideexcellentpollutantremoval,
particularlythoseareasleftadjacenttonaturalwatercoursesandbodies
ofwater.Itisalsoimportanttoevenlydistributetherunoffintothese
naturalareasforbestperformance.Thesenaturalareascanprovide
excellentwildlifehabitatandtravelcorridors.
Topreventsoilcompaction,noequipmentshouldbeallowedto
operatewithinthefilterstriparea.Uncompactedsoilencourages
percolationandminimizesrapidsurfacerunoff.
85
DrainageArea
Maximumrecommendeddrainageareais5acres.
EntranceConditions
Runoffmustbeintroducedtothefilterstripasuniformsheetflow.Alevel
spreadercanbeusedtodistributetherunoffontothefilterstripby
constructingthelipofthespreaderandthetopofthestripatthesame
elevationorcontour.Insomecases,ashallowstonetrenchcanbeusedto
intercepttherunoffandallowthewatertooutletevenlyaslongasthe
loweredgeofthestonetrenchisconstructedlevel.Makeprovisionsto
avoidflowbypassingthefilterstrip.
Length
Filterstriplength(paralleltoflow)shouldbedesignedtoproduceawater
residencetimeofatleast20minutes(thelengthshouldnormallybeinthe
rangeof100-200feet).
Vegetativefilterstripsshouldnotreceiveconcentratedflowdischargesas
theireffectivenesswillbedestroyedplusthepotentialforerosioncould
causefilterstripstobecomesourcesofpollution.
Slope
Vegetativefilterstripsshouldnotbeusedonslopesgreaterthanabout15
percentbecauseofthedifficultyinmaintainingthenecessarysheetflow
conditions.
WidthofStrip
Theminimumwidthofafilterstripshouldbe20feetforslopesupto1%.
Anadditional4feetforeach1%ofslopeshouldbeadded.Experiencehas
foundthatstripsfrom50to75feetwideperformbest.
Vegetation
Adensestandofvegetationisnecessaryforawellfunctioningfilterstrip.
Atemporarydiversionshouldbeusedtodivertrunoffawayfromthe
filterstripuntilgoodvegetationisestablished;otherwiserillswilldevelop
andreducetheeffectivenessofthestrip.
Maintenance
Filterstripsshouldbemaintainedasnaturalareasoncethe
vegetationisestablished.Thefilterstripshouldbeprotectedfromdamage
byfire,grazing,traffic,anddenseweedgrowth.
Fertilizationneedsshouldbedeterminedbyon-siteinspections.
Supplementalfertilizerisakeyfactor,asmostspeciestaketwotothree
yearstobecomefullyestablished.
Thefilterstripshouldbeinspectedperiodicallyandaftereverymajor
rainstormtodetermineiftheentranceconditionsarestilluniformand
levelandtoseeifrillshaveformed.Anyproblemareasshouldberepaired
promptlytopreventfurtherdeterioration.
86
References
1993.
Flume, Paved
Apavedflumeisa
permanentlinedchannel
constructedonaslope.
Pavedflumesareused
routinelyonparkinglotfills
andhighwaycutsandfills
totakerunoffdownthe
slopewithoutcausing
erosion.Theflumesmaybe
constructedofconcrete,
asphalt,ormasonry.The
outletoftheflumeshould
beprotectedtoavoid
erosion.
WherePractice
Applies
Thisisapermanentpracticethatapplieswherestormwaterrunoff
mustbeconveyedfromthetopofacutorfillslopetothebottom.
Thispracticeshouldbedesignedbyaprofessionalengineer.
87
Capacity
Pavedflumesshouldbedesignedtopassthepeakrateofflowexpected
froma10yearfrequencystormunlesslocalregulationsrequirealower
frequencyhigherdischargestormevent.
Slope
Thesteepestslopeofthestructureshallbe1.5horizontalto1vertical
(1.5:1)wheretheflumeislocatedinnaturalground.Themaximumslope
shallbe2horizontalto1vertical(2:1)onfillslopes.
CutoffWalls
Cutoffwallsshallbeprovidedatthebeginningandendoftheflume.The
wallshouldextendthefullwidthoftheflumeandaminimumof18inches
intothesoilbelowthebottomoftheflume.Cutoffwallshouldbeatleast
6inchesthick.Concretewallsshouldbereinforcedwith#4barsspaced
on6inchcentersinbothdirections.
Crosssection
Concreteflumewallswillneedtobeatleast4inchesthickandreinforced
withweldedwirefabric.
Asphaltlinedflumesshouldbeatleast3inchesthick.
Masonryflumesshouldbeaminimumof4inchesthick.
Bedding
Allpavedflumesshouldbeconstructedona6inchlayerofsand-gravel
beddingmaterial.
Outlet
Outletsofpavedflumesmustbeprotectedfromerosionwithsometypeof
energydissipater.Thedissipatermaybeadesignedstructureormaybe
constructedofrockriprapcapableofwithstandingthevelocityofflow
fromthechute.
Maintenance
Littlemaintenanceisrequiredforapavedflume,buttheflumeshould
beinspectedperiodicallytoseeifcrackshavedevelopedinthelining.Any
cracksshouldberepairedimmediately.Theenergydissipatershouldbe
checkedtoseethatitisfunctioningproperly.Anyerosionbelowthe
dissipatershouldberepairedimmediately.
References
Minnick,E.L.,andH.T.Marshall,StormwaterManagementandErosionControl
forUrbanandDevelopingAreasinNewHampshire,RockinghamCounty
ConservationDistrict,August1992.
Management,NonpointSourceProgram,MassachusettsNonpointSource
ManagementManual,Boston,Massachusetts,June,1993.
88
Gabions
Gabionsarerectangular
basketsfabricatedfroma
hexagonalmeshofheavily
galvanizedsteelwire.Thebaskets
arefilledwithstoneandrockand
stackedatoponeanothertoforma
gravity-typewall.Gabionsdepend
mainlyontheinterlockingofthe
individualstonesandrockswithin
thewiremeshforinternalstability,
andtheirmassorweighttoresist
hydraulicandearthforces.Gabions
areaporoustypeofstructurethat
canbevegetated.
Purpose
Toslowthevelocityofconcentratedrunoffortostabilizeslopeswith
seepageproblemsand/ornoncohesivesoils.
Soil-waterinterfaces,wherethesoilconditions,waterturbulence,
watervelocity,andexpectedvegetativecover,aresuchthatthesoilmay
erodeunderthedesignflowconditions.Gabionscanbeusedonsteeper
slopesthanriprap.
Advantages
Someadvantagesofgabionwallsare:
$ Easeofhandlingandtransportation
$ Speedofconstruction
$ Flexibility(Gabionstoleratemovement)
$ Permeabilitytowater(Gooddrainage)
Gabionsoffersaneasy-to-usemethodfordecreasingwatervelocity
andprotectingslopesfromerosion.
Gabionsaresometimescriticizedasbeingunsightly.Theycanbe
mademoreattractivebyuseofattractivefacingstonetowardthefrontof
thewallandbyestablishingvegetationinthespacesbetweentherocks.
Gabionsaremoreexpensivethaneithervegetatedslopesorriprap.
Thewirebasketsusedforgabionsmaybesubjecttoheavywear-and-
tearduetowireabrasionbybedloadmovementinstreamswithhigh
velocityflow.
89
Foreasyhandlingandshipping,gabionsaresuppliedfoldedintoaflat
positionandbundledtogether.Gabionsarereadilyassembledby
unfoldingandbindingtogetherallverticaledgeswithlengthsof
connectingwirestitchedaroundtheverticaledges.Theemptygabionsare
placedinpositionandwiredtoadjoininggabions.Theyarethenfilledwith
cobblestone-sizerock(10-30cmindiameter)toone-thirdtheirdepth.
Connectingwires,placedineachdirection,braceopposinggabionwalls
together.Thewirespreventthegabionbasketsfrombulgingastheyare
filled.Thisoperationisrepeateduntilthegabionisfilled.Afterfilling,the
topisfoldedshutandwiredtotheends,sides,anddiaphragms.
Duringthefillingoperationliverootingplantspecies,suchaswillow,
maybeplacedamongtherocks.Ifthisisdone,somesoilshouldbeplaced
inthegabionswiththebranches,andthebasalendsoftheplantsshould
extendwellintothebackfillareabehindthegabionbreastwall.
Severaldifferentdesignconfigurationsarepossiblewithgabions.
Theymayhaveeitherabattered(sloping)orastepped-backfront.The
choicedependsuponapplication,althoughthestepped-backtypeis
generallyeasiertobuildwhenthewallismorethan10fthigh.
Iflargerocksarereadilyaccessible,inexpensive,andnearthe
proposedsite,thentheiruseinconstructionofarockwallmaybe
preferable.Ontheotherhand,ifrockmustbeimportedorisonly
availableinsmallsizes,agabionwallmaybepreferable.
SequenceofConstruction
Sincegabionsareusedwhereerosionpotentialishigh,construction
mustbesequencedsothattheyareputinplacewiththeminimum
possibledelay.Disturbanceofareaswheregabionsaretobeplaced
shouldbeundertakenonlywhenfinalpreparationandplacementcan
followimmediatelybehindtheinitialdisturbance.
Wheregabionsareusedforoutletprotection,theyshouldbeplaced
beforeorinconjunctionwiththeconstructionofthepipeorchannelso
thattheyareinplacewhenthepipeorchannelbeginstooperate.
Maintenance
Gabionsshouldbeinspectedonaregularbasisandaftereverylarge
stormevent.
Alltemporaryandpermanenterosionandsedimentcontrolpractices
shallbemaintainedandrepairedasneededtoassurecontinued
performanceoftheirintendedfunction.Allmaintenanceandrepairshall
beconductedinaccordancewithanapprovedmanual.
90
References
ConnecticutCouncilonSoilandWaterConservation,Connecticut
GuidelinesforSoilErosionandSedimentControl,Hartford,CT,January,
1985.
Gray,DonaldH.andLeiser,A.T.,BiotechnicalSlopeProtectionand
ErosionControl,LeiserVanReinholdInc.,1982.
Pennsylvania,Commonwealthof,BureauofSoilandWaterConservation,
ErosionandSedimentPollutionControlProgramManual,Harrisburg,PA,
April,1990.
Geotextiles
Geotextilesareporousfabricsknown
intheconstructionindustryasfilter
fabrics,roadrugs,syntheticfabrics,
constructionfabrics,orsimplyfabrics.
Geotextilesaremanufacturedbyweaving
orbondingfibersmadefromsynthetic
materialssuchaspolypropelene,
polyester,polyethylene,nylon,polyvinyl
chloride,glassandvariousmixturesof
these.
Somegeotextilesarealso
biodegradablematerialssuchasmulch
mattingandnetting.Mulchmattingsarematerials(juteorotherwood
fibers)thathavebeenformedintosheetsofmulchthataremorestable
thannormalmulch.Nettingistypicallymadefromjute,otherwoodfiber,
plastic,paper,orcottonandcanbeusedtoholdthemulchingandmatting
totheground.
Purpose
Asasyntheticconstructionmaterial,geotextilesareusedforavariety
ofpurposesintheUnitedStatesandothercountries.Theusesof
geotextilesincludeseparators,reinforcement,filtrationanddrainage,and
erosioncontrol.Nettingcanalsobeusedalonetostabilizesoilswhilethe
plantsaregrowing;however,itdoesnotretainmoistureortemperature
well.
Geotextiles,whenusedalone,canbeusedasmatting.Mattingsare
usedtostabilizetheflowinchannelsandswales.Mattingmayalsobeused
onrecentlyplantedslopestoprotectseedlingsuntiltheybecome
91
establishedandontidalorstreambankswheremovingwaterislikelyto
washoutnewplantings.
Geotextilesarealsousedasseparators.Anexampleofsuchauseis
geotextileasaseparatorbetweenriprapandsoil.Thissandwiching
preventsthesoilfrombeingerodedfrombeneaththeriprapand
maintainingtheriprapsbase.
Advantages
$ Fabricsarerelativelyinexpensiveforcertainapplications.
$ Awidevarietyofgeotextilestomatchspecificneedsisavailable.
Ifthefabricisnotpropertyselected,designed,orinstalled,the
effectivenessmaybereduceddrastically.
Manysyntheticgeotextilesaresensitivetolightandmustbe
protectedpriortoinstallation.
Therearenumeroustypesofgeotextilesavailable,thereforethe
selectedfabricshouldmatchitspurpose.Inthefield,important
concernsincluderegularinspectionstocheckforcracks,tears,or
breachesinthefabric.
Effectivenettingandmattingrequirefirm,continuouscontact
betweenthematerialsandthesoil.Ifthereisnocontact,thematerial
willnotholdthesoilanderosionwilloccurunderneaththematerial.
References
InstallingErosionControlBlankets,ErosionControl,TheJournalFor
Erosion&SedimentControlProfessionals,Vol.1,No.4,September/
October1994.
1992.
92
Grade Stabilization Structure
Apermanentstructureusedtodrop
waterfromahigherelevationtoalower
elevation.Gradestabilizationstructures
areusedtoreduceorpreventexcessive
erosionbyreducingvelocitiesina
watercourseorbyprovidingchannel
liningsorstructuresthatcanwithstand
highvelocities.
Thispracticeappliestositeswhereearthandvegetationcannotsafely
handlewateratpermissiblevelocities,whereexcessivegradesoroverfall
conditionsareencountered,orwherewateristobestructurallylowered
fromoneelevationtoanother.Thesestructuresshouldbeplannedand
installedalongwithorasapartofotherconservationpracticesinan
overallsurfacewaterdisposalsystem.
Permanentgradestabilizationstructuresmaybeconstructedof
concrete,metal,rockriprap,timber,orothersuitablematerial.Thechoice
ofmaterialisdependentontheproposedlifeofthestructure,availability
ofmaterials,sitespecification,andsoilconditionswherethestructurewill
beinstalled.
Generally,concretestructuresaremoreexpensiveandmore
complicatedtobuild,howevertheyaremoredurable.Prefabricatedmetal
structuresareavailableataslightlylowercostandarenotascomplicated
toinstall.Rockriprapisalessexpensivealternativewhereanadequate
supplyofdurablerockisavailable,butwillrequiremoremaintenance.
Timberstructuresarenotaseasilyinstalledasrockriprap,noraretheyas
durable.
Permanentgradestabilizationstructuresaredependentonadequate
tailwaterconditionsforproperfunctioning.Withoutadequatetailwater,
erosionatthetoeofthestructurewilleventuallycausefailure.
Designandspecificationsshouldbepreparedforeachstructureonan
individualjobbasisbyaqualifiedengineer.
Overfallstructuresofconcrete,metal,rockriprap,orothersuitable
materialmaybeusedtolowerwaterfromoneelevationtoanother.These
structuresareapplicablewhereitisdesirabletodropthewatercourse
elevationoveraveryshorthorizontaldistance.Adequateprotection
shouldbeprovidedtopreventerosionorscourproblemsatboththe
upstreamanddownstreamendsofthestructureaswellasalongsidesof
thestructure.
93
Pipedropsofmetalpipemaybeusedwithsuitableinletandoutlet
structures.Theinletstructuremayconsistofaverticalsectionofpipe,
anembankment,oracombinationofboth.Theoutletstructureshall
provideadequateprotectionagainsterosionorscouratthepipeoutlet.
Capacity
Structureswhicharedesignedtooperateinconjunctionwithother
erosioncontrolpracticesshouldhaveasaminimumsufficientcapacity
tohandlethebankfullcapacityofthechanneldeliveringwatertothe
structure.
Theminimumdesigncapacityforgradecontrolstructuresthatare
notdesignedtoperforminconjunctionwithotherpracticesshouldbe
thatrequiredtohandlea25-yearfrequency24-hourdurationstorm.
Runoffvaluesshouldbecomputedusingacceptedmethods.
Maintenance
Gradestabilizationstructuresshouldbecheckedatleastannually
andaftereverymajorstorm.Concretestructuresshouldbecheckedfor
concretedeterioration,settlement,andjointintegrity.Pipestructures
shouldbecheckedfordeteriorationofthepipe,settlement,andjoint
integrity.Theoutletsofthestructuresshouldbecheckedtoseeifthe
outletisstableandisnoteroding.Ifrepairsarenecessary,theyshould
bemadeimmediatelytoavoidfurtherdamagetothestructures.
References
Inlet Protection
Asedimentfilteroran
excavatedimpoundingarea
aroundastormdrain,drop
inlet,orcurbinlet.
Usedtoprevent
sedimentfromentering
stormdrainagesystems
priortopermanent
stabilizationofthe
disturbedarea.This
practiceallowsforearlyuse
ofthedrainagesystem.
94
Wherestormdrainsaretobemadeoperationalbeforepermanent
stabilizationofthedisturbeddrainagearea.
Inletprotectionisatemporarymeasureusedwherethedrainagearea
totheinletorinletsofastormdrainsystemisdisturbedanditisnot
possibletodivertsedimentladenwaterawayfromthesystem.Storm
sewerswhichareputintousebeforetheirdrainageareaisstabilizedcan
conveylargeamountsofsedimenttonaturaldrainageways.Thispractice
shouldnotbeusedtoreplaceothersedimenttrappingdevices,butit
shouldbeusedinconjunctionwiththesedevicestohelppreventsediment
frombeingtransportedintothesystemandultimatelydownstreamor
offsite.
Runofffromdisturbedareaslargerthanoneacreshouldberouted
throughatemporarysedimenttraporbasin.
Filterfabricisusedforinletprotectionwhenstormwaterflowsare
relativelysmallwithlowvelocities.
Blockandgravelfilterscanbeusedwherevelocitiesarehigher.
Gravelandmeshfilterscanbeusedwhereflowsarehigherand
subjecttodisturbancebysitetraffic.
Sodinletfiltersmaybeusedifsedimentloadinthestormwaterrunoff
islow.
Advantages
$ Preventscloggingofstormdrainagesystemsandsiltationofreceiving
waters.
$ Reducestheamountofsedimentleavingthesite.
$ Maybedifficulttoremovecollectedsediment,especiallyunderhigh
flowconditions.
$ Maycauseerosionelsewhereifcloggingoccurs.
$ Practicalonlyforlowsediment,lowvolumeflows.
Planningconsiderations
Installationofthismeasureshouldtakeplacebeforeanysoil
disturbanceinthedrainagearea.Inletprotectionshouldbeusedin
combinationwithothermeasures,suchassmallimpoundmentsor
sedimenttraps,toprovidemoreeffectivesedimentremoval.
Thetypeofinletprotectiondevicechosendependsonsiteconditions.
Straworhaybalebarriersorsedimentfencescanbeconstructedaround
inlets.Asmallsedimentbasincanbeexcavatedaroundthestormdrain
inlet.Inothercases,gravelfiltersmaybeusedaroundordirectlyoverthe
stormseweropening.
95
Themajorconsiderationsindecidingthetypeofprotectiontobe
usedmustbebasedonthetypeofinlet,theconditionsaroundtheinlet,
andtheareaadjacenttotheinletthatmaybedamagedor
inconveniencedbecauseoftemporarypondingofwater.
$ Gratesandspacesofallinletsshouldbesecuredtopreventseepage
ofsediment-ladenwater.
$ Allinletprotectionmeasuresshouldincludesedimentsumpsof1to
2feetindepth,with2:1sideslopes.
$ Theinletprotectiondeviceshouldbeconstructedsothatany
pondingresultingfromtheinstallationwillnotcausedamageto
adjacentareasorstructures.
$ Thedevicemustbeconstructedsothatclean-outanddisposalof
trappedsedimentanddebriscanbeaccomplishedwithlittle
interferencetoconstructionactivities.
DrainageArea
Thedrainageareanormallyshouldbenomorethanoneacre.
Capacity
Runofffrom10-yearstormmustenterstormdrainwithoutbypass
flow.
TypesofInletProtection
StraworHayBaleBarriers
Straworhaybalebarrierscan
beconstructedaroundthedrain
inlet.
Permeabilitythroughbalesis
lowerthanforothertypesofinlet
protection,suchassedimentfences.
Providesufficientstoragespacefor
runofforsufficientlinealfootageof
balestoallowstormflowtopass
throughthebales.
96
ExcavatedDropInletTrap
Thismethodofinletprotectionisapplicablewhererelativelyheavy
flowsareexpectedandoverflowcapabilityisneeded.
Applicablewheretheinletdrainsarelativelysmall(lessthanone
acre)flatarea,onlessthan5percentslope.Thispracticeworkswellfor
trappingcoarsegrainedmaterial.Donotplacefabricundergateasthe
collectedsedimentmayfallintothedrainwhenthefabricisretrieved.This
practicecannoteasilybeusedwheretheareaispavedbecauseoftheneed
fordrivingstakestoholdthematerial.
Excavatedtrapsmaybeusedtoimprovetheeffectivenessand
reliabilityofothersedimenttrapsandbarrierssuchasfabric,orblockand
gravelinletprotection.
Installation:
Thetrapshouldbeexcavatedaroundtheinlettoprovide67cubicfeet
ofstorageperacreofdrainageareatotheinlet.Thetrapshouldbenoless
than1footdeepormorethan2feetdeepwhenmeasuredfromthetopof
theinlet.Sideslopesshouldbe3:1orflatter.
Dimensionsoftheexcavationshouldbebasedonthesiteconditions.
Normallythetrapsaresquare.Ifthereisconcentratedflowbeingdirected
intothetrap,however,thenthetrapshouldberectangularwiththelong
dimensionorientedinthedirectionoftheflow.
Whennecessary,spoilmaybeplacedtoformadikeonthedownslope
sideoftheexcavationtopreventbypassflow.
97
CommonTroublePoints
Sedimentfillsexcavatedbasinandentersstormdrain
Sediment-producingareatoolargeforbasindesignorinletnotproperly
maintained.
Excessiveponding
Graveloverweepholesmaybepluggedwithsediment.Removedebris,
clearsediment,andreplacegravel.
Floodinganderosionduetoblockageofstormdrain
Installtrashguard.
GravelandWireMeshFilter
Applicablewhereflowsgreaterthan0.5cfsareexpectedand
construction
trafficmayoccur
overtheinlet.
Installation
Awiremesh
shouldbeplaced
overthedrop
inletorcurb
openingsothattheentireopeningandaminimumof12inchesaround
theopeningarecoveredbythemesh.Themeshmaybeordinary
hardwareclothorwiremeshwithopeningsuptoinch.Ifmorethan
onestripofmeshisnecessary,overlapthestrips.Placefilterfabricover
wiremesh.
Extendthefilterfence/wiremeshbeyondtheinletopeningatleast
18inchesonallsides.Placeto3-inchgraveloverthefilterfabric/wire
mesh.Thedepthofthegravelshouldbeatleast12inchesoverthe
entireinletopening.
BlockandGravelInletProtection
Thismethodusesstandard
concreteblockandgravelto
provideasmall,sturdybarrierto
trapsedimentattheentranceto
astormdrain.Itappliestoboth
dropinletsandcurbinletswhere
heavyflowsareexpectedandan
overflowcapacityisnecessary
topreventexcessiveponding
aroundthestructure.
Concreteblocksarelaid
withoutmortarcloselyaroundtheperimeterofthedrain.Gravelisthen
placedaroundtheoutsideoftheblockstorestricttheflowandforma
98 Erosion and Sediment Control Practices
sedimentpool.Forslowerdrainageandthereforemoresettlementtime,
theconcreteblockscouldbeeliminatedandthedevicemadeentirelyof
gravel.
Pooldepthshouldbelimitedtoamaximumof2feet.
Frequentmaintenanceisamustforthispractice.
Installation:
Placewiremeshoverthedropinletsothatthewireextendsa
minimumof1footbeyondeachsideoftheinletstructure.Usehardware
clothorcomparablewiremeshwithone-halfinchopenings.Ifmorethan
onestripisnecessary,overlapthestrips.Placefilterfabricoverthewire
mesh.
Placeconcreteblockslengthwiseontheirsidesinasinglerowaround
theperimeteroftheinlet,sothattheopenendsfaceoutward,notupward.
Theendsofadjacentblocksshouldabut.Theheightofthebarriercanbe
varied,dependingondesignneeds,bystackingcombinationsofblocks
thatare4inches,8inches,and12incheswide.Therowofblocksshouldbe
atleast12inchesbutnogreaterthan24incheshigh.
Placewiremeshovertheoutsideverticalface(openend)ofthe
concreteblocks.Extendatleast12inchesaroundtheopeningtoprevent
aggregatefrombeingtransportedthroughtheopeningsintheblock.Use
hardwareclothorcomparablewiremeshwithinchopenings.
Pilegravel,1-inchdiameterorsmaller,againstthewiremeshtothe
topoftheoutsidefaceoftheblockstocontroldrainagerate.
CommonTroublePoints
Topofstructuretoohigh
$ Bypassstormflowcausessevereerosion.
Blocksnotplacedfirmlyagainststormdraininlet
$ Scourholesdevelop.
Drainageareatoolarge
$ Poortrapefficiencyand/orsedimentoverload.
Approachtodraintoosteep
$ Causeshighflowvelocityandpoortrapefficiency.Installexcavated
basinintheapproach.
Sedimentnotremovedfollowingastorm
$ Sedimententersstormdrain.
Stoneingraveldonutnotlargeenoughorinsideslopetoosteep
$ Stonewashesintoinlet.
Maintenance
Removeandreplacegraveloverweepholeswhendrainagestops.
FabricDropInletProtection
Atemporarydeviceconsisting
ofporousfabricsupportedbyposts
andplacedaroundadropinlet.
Whenproperlybracedand
sealedatthebottom,thefabric
restrictsflowrate,forminga
sedimentationpoolattheapproach
totheinlet.Thefabricallowsthe
pooltodrainslowly,protectingthe
stormdrainfromsediment.
Thismethodofinletprotection
iseffectivewheretheinletdrainsa
small,nearlylevelareawithslopes
generallylessthan5percentand
whereshallowsheetflowsareexpected.
Theimmediatelandareaaroundtheinletshouldberelativelyflat
(lessthan1%)andlocatedsothataccumulatedsedimentcanbeeasily
removed.
Thismethodcannoteasilybeusedwheretheareaispavedbecause
oftheneedfordrivingstakestoholdthematerial.
Heightoffabric
1.5ftmaximum,1footminimum;measuredfromtopofinlet.
Stability
Structuremustwithstand1.5-footheadofwaterandsedimentwithout
collapsingorundercutting.
Supportposts
Steelfencepostsor2x4-inchwood,length3footminimum,spacing3
footmaximum;topframesupportrecommended.
Fabricmaterial
Synthetic,extra-strengthfabric.Burlapisacceptableforshort-termuse
only(60daysorless).
Installation:
Spacesupportpostsevenlyagainsttheperimeteroftheinleta
maximumdistanceof3ftapartanddrivethematleast8inchesintothe
ground.Thestakesmustbeatleast3feetlong.Overflowmustfalldirectly
intotheinletandnotonunprotectedsoil.
Buildasupportingframeof2x4-inchlumber,maximumheight1.5ft
abovethedropinletcrest.Theframeaddsstabilityandservesasaweirto
controlstormoverflowintothedropinlet.Alternatively,usewirefence(14
gaugeminimum,withamaximummeshspacingof6inches)tosupport
fabric.Stretchfencewithtopleveltoprovideuniformoverflow.Extend
wire6inchesbelowground.
Excavateatrenchapproximately8incheswideand12inchesdeep
aroundtheoutsideperimeterofthestakes.
Cutfabricfromasinglerolltoeliminatejoints.Placebottom12inches
offabricintrenchadjacenttothedropinlet.
Fastenfabricsecurelytothepostsandframeorsupportfence,ifused.
Overlapjointstothenextpost.
Backfillthetrenchwithinchorlesswashedgravelalltheway
around.
Donotplacefabricundergrateasthecollectedsedimentmayfallinto
thedrainwhenthefabricisretrieved.
Stabilizedisturbedareasimmediatelyafterconstruction.
CommonTroublePoints:
Postsandfabricnotsupportedatthetop
$ Resultsincollapseofthestructure.
Fabricnotproperlyburiedatbottom
$ Resultsinundercutting.
Topoffabricbarriersettoohigh
$ Resultsinflowbypassingthestorminletorcollapsingstructure.
Temporarydikebelowthedropinletnotmaintained
$ Resultsinflowbypassingstorminlet
Sedimentnotremovedfrompool
$ Resultsininadequatestoragevolumefornextstorm.
Fencenoterectedagainstdropinlet
$ Resultsinerosionandundercutting.
Landslopeatstormdraintoosteep
$ Resultsinhighflowvelocity,poortrappingefficiency,andinadequate
storagevolume.Excavationofsedimentstorageareamaybenecessary.
101
SodDropInletProtection
Apermanentgrasssodfilterareaaroundastormdraindropinletin
astabilized,wellvegetatedarea.
WherePracticeApplies:
$ Wherethedrainageareaofthedropinlethasbeenpermanently
seededandmulchedandtheimmediatesurroundingareaistoremain
indensevegetation.
$ Thispracticeiswellsuitedforlawnsadjacenttolargebuildings.
$ Thedrainageareashouldnotexceed2acres,
$ Theentranceflowvelocitymustbelow,and
$ Thegeneralareaaroundtheinletshouldbeplannedforvegetation.
OtherInletProtectionPractices
Thereareseveraltypesofmanufacturedinletfiltersandtraps
whichhavedifferentapplicationsdependentuponsiteconditionsand
typeofinlet.Oneisacatchbasinfilterthatpreventssedimentsand
othercontaminantsfromenteringstormdrainagesystems.The
catchbasinfilterisinsertedinthecatchbasinjustbelowthegrating.The
catchbasinfilterisequippedwithasedimenttrapanduptothreelayers
ofafiberglassfiltermaterial.
Thisisachangingfield.Newproductsarebeingdevelopedand
broughttothemarket.Forthemostrecentinformationseeatrade
journalsuchasErosionControlorLandandWater.
Maintenance
Alltrappingdevicesandthestructurestheyprotectshouldbe
inspectedaftereveryrainstormandrepairsmadeasnecessary.
Sedimentshouldberemovedfromthetrappingdevicesafterthe
sedimenthasreachedamaximumofonehalfthedepthofthetrap.
Sedimentshouldbedisposedofinasuitableareaandprotected
fromerosionbyeitherstructuralorvegetativemeans.
Temporarytrapsshouldberemovedandthearearepairedassoon
asthecontributingdrainageareatotheinlethasbeencompletely
stabilized.
Systemsusingfilterfabric
Inspectionsshouldbemadeonaregularbasis,especiallyafterlarge
stormevents.Ifthefabricbecomesclogged,itshouldbereplaced.
Systemsusingstonefilters
Ifthestonefilterbecomescloggedwithsediment,thestonesmustbe
pulledawayfromtheinletandcleanedorreplaced.Sincecleaningof
gravelataconstructionsitemaybedifficult,analternativeapproach
wouldbetousethecloggedstoneasfillandputfreshstonearoundthe
inlet.
References
1993.
February1991.
1992.
Land Grading and Stabilization
Usingengineering
techniquesorvegetative
practices,oracombinationof
both,toprovidesurfacedrainage
andcontrolerosionand
sedimentationwhilereshaping
andstabilizingthegroundsurface
toprovidemoresuitablesitesfor
buildingsandotherfacilities,or
maintaintemporarystockpiles.
Thispracticeapplieswhere
theexistinggroundsurfaceis
regraded,newcutorfillslopes
arecreated,orexistingslopesor
groundsurfaceswouldotherwise
beunstableorsubjecttoerosion.
Provisionsshouldbemadetosafelyconductsurfacerunoffto
stormdrains,protectedoutlets,ortoastablewatercoursetoinsurethat
therunoffwillnotdamageslopesorothergradedareas.
Whereverpossiblerunoffwatershouldbedivertedawayfromthe
topofcutandfillslopestostableoutletsorgradecontrolstructures.
Waterways,diversions,gradestabilizationstructures,terraces,
pipedrains,flumes,subsurfacedrains,orrockfillsaresomeofthe
practicesthatmayfinduseinslopestabilization.Bioengineering
practices,combiningvegetativeandmechanicalpractices,alsohavea
place.
Cuts,Fills,andSlopes
Compactioncanbeamajorfactorinerosioncontrolforfillslopes.
Inadditiontoothercompactioncontrolsrequiredbythenatureofthe
project,theminimumcriterionrecommendedforsuccessfulerosion
controlonfillslopesistocompacttheuppermostonefootoffilltoat
least85percentofthemaximumunitweight(basedonthemodified
AASHTOcompactiontest).Thisisusuallyaccomplishedbyrunning
heavyequipmentoverthefill.
Oncutslopesgroundwaterseepagecausesundercuttingandsoil
slippage.Subsurfacedrains,alayerofcrushedrock,orothermeasures
maybenecessary.
Slopegradientisanimportantfactorinthesuccessofvegetative
restabilizationmeasures.Normaltillageequipmentcannotbeusedto
prepareaseedbedonslopes2:1orsteeper.Stormwaterrunoffwill
resultinthelossofseeds,fertilizer,andsoil.
Sodcanbeusedtostabilizesteepslopesinsteadofseedingwhere
gradesarenotmorethan2:1.Sodonslopessteeperthan3:1shouldbe
pegged.
Slopessteeperthan2:1willusuallyrequirespecialstabilization
measuressuchasacrushed
rockorripraplayer,cribwallor
revetment.
Sandysoilspresenta
specialproblemforthe
establishmentofvegetation,
especiallyinareaswherethe
sandisdeepanddroughty.
Americanbeachgrassisone
solutiontothisproblem.Itis
usuallyestablishedbyhand
planting.
Steeplyslopedareassuchaslakeshoresandroadbanksinvolvethree
specialconsiderations:
$ Toinsurereasonablesuccessinstabilization,bankslopesshouldbe2:1
orflatter.
$ Thetoeoftheslopemustbeprotectedfromundercuttingby
mechanicalmeanswherenecessary.
$ Waterseepingfromthefaceoftheslopeshouldbeinterceptedbya
drainagesystem.
BorrowandStockpileAreas
Borrowareas,especially
thosethatarelocatedoffthe
developmentsite,mustbe
consideredinerosionand
sedimentationcontrol
planning.Borrowareas,as
wellasstockpileandspoil
areas,mustbestabilized.
Borrowandstockpile
areaspresentthesamesetof
problemsforthecontrolof
erosionandsedimentation
asexposedcutandfill
slopes.Runoffshouldbe
divertedfromthefaceofthe
slopeswhichareexposedin
theexcavationprocess.Therunoffmustthenbeconveyedinstabilized
channelstostabledisposalpoints.
Themeasuresusedtocontrolerosiononslopesshouldalsobeusedin
borrowareas.Onlythosesectionsoftheborrowareawhicharecurrently
neededtosupplyfillshouldbestripped.Immediatelyaftertherequiredfill
hasbeentaken,theexposedareashouldbestabilized.
Iffinalgradingisdelayed,temporaryseedingshouldbeused.By
properlytimingthedisturbanceofthenaturalcoverintheborrowareain
carefullyplannedphases,theareaofexposedsoilandthedurationof
exposureisreducedand,therefore,erosionlossesarereduced.
Topsoilfromborrowareasisusuallystrippedandstockpiledforlater
redistributiononthedisturbedarea.Thesestockpilesshouldbelocatedon
theuphillsideoftheexcavatedareawhereverpossiblesothattheycanact
asdiversions.Stockpilesshouldbeshapedandseededwithtemporary
cover.
Whereborrowareasareoffthedevelopmentsite,aseparatesystem
fortrappingsedimentfromtheareaisneeded.
Aftertheexcavationiscomplete,borrowareasshouldberegradedto
insureproperdrainageandtoblendtheborrowareawiththesurrounding
topography.Stockpiledtopsoilisthenredistributedandpermanent
vegetativecoverestablished.
ExposedSurfaces
Althougherosionratesonsteepexposedslopesarehigherthanon
flatorgentlyslopingareas,allareasofexposedsoilarevulnerableto
erosion.Iferosioncontrolisignoredonlargerareasofnearlyflatorgently
slopingland,itwillbepossibleforsignificantamountsofsoiltobeeroded.
Clearing,grading,andvegetativerestabilizationintheseareascanbe
timedsothattheextentofexposedareaandthedurationofexposureis
minimized.Theseareasrequirepromptvegetativerestabilization.
Temporaryseedingormulchingisrequiredwherelargerareaswillnotbe
permanentlystabilizedwithinrecommendedtimelimits.Diversions,
sedimentbarriers,ortrapsconstructedonthelowersideoflarge
disturbedareasshouldbeusedtointerceptandcollectsediment.
Right-of-waysandparkingareasthatarebeingpreparedforpaving
mustbeprotectedfromrainfallandrunoff.Diversionsshouldbe
constructedtoprotecttheseareasfromrunoffbeforeclearingandgrading
begin.
Areasthatarebeingpreparedforpavingshouldbeproperly
compactedbecausecompactionmakestheexposedsurfacearealess
vulnerabletoerosion.Clearedright-of-waysmaybecoveredwithcrushed
aggregatetoreduceerosion.Ifright-of-wayswillnotbeusedfor
constructiontraffic,theycanbeseededwithtemporarycover.
Gravelorstonefilterbermsshouldbeusedatintervalsalongaright-
of-waytointerceptrunoffanddirectittostabilizedareas,drainageways,
orencloseddrainagesysteminlets.Filterbermsslowrunoff,filterit,and
collectsediment.Thebermswillneedsomecontinuingmaintenance,but
canbecrossedbyconstructionequipment.
PavedSurfaces
Anincreaseinpavedsurfaceareaonasitegreatlybooststherateof
siterunoff.Forexample,a20percentincreaseinpavedareacandouble
therateofrunoffduringaheavyrainfall.Inaddition,thevelocityofrunoff
movingacrossapavedsurfaceishigherthanthevelocityofrunoffmoving
acrossanareaofexposedearthofvegetation.Pavementprovidesvery
littleresistancetoflowanddoesnotallowanyinfiltration(exceptfor
porouspavement).
ConstructionAreasandErodingAreas
Typesofplantings
Whenerosionorsedimentcontrolisofprimaryandimmediate
concern,theseareasareusuallyinitiallystabilizedbyseedinggrasscover.
Whennecessary,thesiteshouldbepreparedbyseedingtemporary
vegetativecover.Jutenettingoranchoredmulchshouldbeusedin
conjunctionwithseedingatcriticallocationswherewaterconcentrates.
Seedingmixtures
Whendenseplantcoverisneededforerosionandsedimentcontrol,
orforappearances,seedingsofenduringherbaceousspeciesshouldbe
used.SeethePermanentSeedingandTemporarySeedingpractices.One-
halftoonebushelofoats,or1to1bushelsofryeshouldusuallybe
addedtothebasicmixtureforquickcover.
Mulching
Whereplantingsareonareassubjecttomulchremovalbywindor
waterflows,themulchshouldbeanchored.Mulchedareasshouldbe
checkedperiodicallyandimmediatelyafterseverestormsfordamageuntil
thedesiredpurposeofthemulchingisachieved.Anydamagedareas
shouldberepairedassoonasdiscovered.
Cutorfillslopeswhicharetobevegetatedshouldnotbesteeperthan
2horizontalto1vertical.Ifaslopeistobemowed,itshouldbe3:1or
flatter.Slopesofmaterialsnottobevegetatedshouldbeatthesafeangle
ofreposeforthematerialsencountered.
Provisionsshouldbemadetosafelyconductsurfacewatertostorm
drainsorsuitablenaturalwatercoursesandtopreventsurfacerunofffrom
damagingcutfacesandfillslopes.
Terracesordiversionsshouldbeprovidedwhenevertheheightofthe
cutorfillexceeds20feet.Thebenchesshoulddividetheslopefaceas
equallyaspossibleandshouldconveythewaterintostableoutlets.
Benchesshouldbekeptfreeofsedimentduringallphasesofdevelopment.
Seepsorspringsencounteredduringconstructionshouldbe
controlledbysubsurfacedrainsorotherappropriatemethods.
Subsurfacedrainageshouldbeprovidedinareashavingahighwater
table,tointerceptseepagethatwouldaffectslopestability,building
foundations,orcreateundesirablewetness.
Excavationsshouldnotbemadesoclosetopropertylinesasto
endangeradjoiningpropertywithoutsupportingandprotectingsuch
propertyfromerosion,sliding,settling,orcracking.
Nofillshouldbeplacedwhereitwillslideorwashontothepremises
ofanotherorbeplacedadjacenttothebankofachannelsoastocreate
bankfailureorreducethenaturalcapacityofthestream.
Fillsshouldconsistofmaterialfromcutareas,borrowpits,orother
approvedsources.
Protectiveslopesaroundbuildingsshouldbeplannedtoslopeaway
fromfoundationsandwatersupplywellstolowerareas,drainage
channels,orwaterways.Theminimumhorizontallengthshouldbe10feet,
exceptwhererestrictedbypropertylines.
Theminimumverticalfallofprotectiveslopesshouldbe6inches,
exceptthattheverticalfallatthehighpointattheupperendofaswale
maybereducedto3inches,ifalongslopetowardabuildingorfroma
nearbyhighbankwillnotexist.
Minimumgradientsshouldbe1/16inchperfoot(1/2percent)for
concreteorotherimpervioussurfacesandinchperfoot(2percent)for
pervioussurfaces.
Maximumgradientofprotectiveslopesshouldbe2inchesperfoot
(21percent)foraminimumof4feetawayfromallbuildingwalls,except
whererestrictedbypropertylines.
Allgradedareasshouldbepermanentlystabilizedimmediately
followingfinalgrading.
Siteplansshouldshowthelocation,slope,cut,fill,andfinish
elevationofthesurfacestobegradedandtheauxiliarypracticesforsafe
disposalofrunoffwater,slopestabilization,erosioncontrol,anddrainage
suchaswaterways,lined,ditches,diversions,gradestabilization
structures,retainingwalls,andsurfaceandsubsurfacedrains.
Areastobegradedshouldbeclearedandgrubbedofalltimber,logs,
brush,rubbish,andvegetablematterthatwillinterferewiththegrading
operation.Topsoilshouldbestrippedandstockpiledforuseoncritical
disturbedareasforestablishmentofvegetation.Cutslopestobetopsoiled
shouldbethoroughlyscarifiedtoaminimumdepthof3inchespriorto
placementoftopsoil.
Fillmaterialsshouldbegenerallyfreeofbrush,rubbish,rocks,and
stumps.Frozenmaterialsorsoftandeasilycompressiblematerialsshould
notbeusedinfillsintendedtosupportbuildings,parkinglots,roads,
conduits,orotherstructures.
Earthfillintendedtosupportstructuralmeasuresshouldtobe
compactedtoaminimumof90percentofstandardProctortestdensity
withpropermoisturecontrol,orasotherwisespecifiedbytheengineer
responsiblefordesign.Compactionofotherfillsshouldbetothedensity
requiredtocontrolsloughing,erosionorexcessivemoisturecontent.
Maximumthicknessoffilllayerspriortocompactionshouldnotexceed9
inches.
Gradingshouldgenerallybedonetoatoleranceofwithin0.2footof
plannedgradesandelevations.Allowancesmaybemadefortopsoil,
paving,orothersurfaceinstallations.
Alldisturbedareasshouldbefreedraining,leftwithaneatand
finishedappearance,andshouldbeprotectedfromerosion.(Seeapplicable
vegetativestandards.)
Maintenance
Allslopesshouldbecheckedperiodicallytoseethatvegetationisin
goodcondition.Anyrillsordamagefromerosionandanimalburrowing
shouldberepairedimmediatelytoavoidfurtherdamage.
Ifseepsdevelopontheslopes,theareashouldbeevaluatedto
determineiftheseepwillcauseanunstablecondition.Subsurfacedrains
oragravelmulchmayberequiredtosolveseepproblems.
Diversions,berms,andwaterwaysshouldbecheckedtoseethatthey
arefunctioningproperly.Problemsfoundduringtheinspectionsshouldbe
repairedpromptly.
Areasrequiringrevegetationshouldberepairedimmediately.
Slopesshouldbelimedandfertilizedasnecessarytokeepvegetation
healthy.
Controlundesirablevegetationsuchasweedsandwoodygrowthto
avoidbankstabilityproblemsinthefuture.
References
1993.
Level Spreader
Alevel
spreaderisan
excavated
depression
constructedat
zeropercentgrade
acrossaslope.The
levelspreader
changes
concentratedflow
intosheetflowand
thenoutletsitonto
stableareaswithoutcausingerosion.Itallowsconcentratedrunofftobe
dischargedatnon-erosivevelocitiesontonaturalorman-madeareas
thathaveexistingvegetationcapableofpreventingerosion.Anexample
wouldbeattheoutletofadiversionorawaterway.
$ Whereitcanbeconstructedonundisturbedsoilsandalevellipcan
beinstalledwithoutfilling.
$ Wheretheareadirectlybelowthespreaderisstabilizedbyexisting
vegetation
$ Wherewaterwillnotre-concentrateimmediatelybelowthe
spreader,andwatercanbereleasedinsheetflowdownastabilized
slopewithoutcausingerosion.
$ Wherethereisatleast100feetofvegetatedareabetweenthe
spreaderandsurfacewaters.
$ Wheretheareabelowthespreaderlipisuniformwithaslopeof10
percentorlessandisstableforanticipatedflowconditions.
$ Wheretherewillbenotrafficoverthespreader.
Advantages
$ Levelspreadersarerelativelylowcoststructuresdesignedto
releasesmallvolumesofwatersafely.
$ Levelspreadersdispersetheenergyofconcentratedflows,reducing
erosionpotentialandencouragingsedimentation.
Ifthelevelspreaderhasanylowpoints,flowtendstoconcentrate
there.Thisconcentratedflowcancreatechannelsandcauseerosion.If
thespreaderservesasanentrancetoawaterqualitytreatmentsystem,
short-circuitingoftheforebaymayhappenandthesystemwillbeless
effectiveinremovingsedimentandparticulatepollutants.
110
Diversionsandwaterwaysneedastableoutletforconcentrated
stormwaterflows.Thelevelspreadercanbeusedforthispurposeifthe
runoffisrelativelyfreeofsediment.Ifproperlyconstructed,thelevel
spreaderwillsignificantlyreducethevelocityofconcentratedstormwater
andspreadituniformlyoverastableundisturbedarea.
Placementofthelevelspreadermustallowthewaterflowingoverthe
levelsectiontoleavethestructureasauniform,thinfilmofwater.The
structureshouldoutflowontonaturallyvegetatedareaswhenever
possible.Thecreationofauniformlevellipforthewatertospreadoveris
critical.
Particularcaremustbetakenduringconstructiontoensurethatthe
lowerlipofthestructureislevel.Ifthereareanydepressionsinthelip,
flowwilltendtoconcentrateatthesepointsanderosionwilloccur,
resultinginfailureoftheoutlet.Thisproblemmaybeavoidedbyusinga
gradeboardoragavellipoverwhichtherunoffmustflowwhenexitingthe
spreader.Regularmaintenanceisessentialforthispractice.
Watercontaininghighsedimentloadsshouldenterasedimenttrap
beforereleaseinalevelspreader.
Drainageareashouldbelimitedtofiveacres.
Thegradeofthechannelforthelast20feetoftheconservation
practiceenteringthelevelspreadershouldbenosteeperthan1percent.
Thelevelspreadershouldbeflat(0percentgrade)toensure
uniformspreadingofstormrunoff.
Thedesignlengthforalevelspreadershouldbenomorethan0.5cfs
perfootoflevelsection,basedonthepeakrateofflowfromthe
contributingerosioncontrolorstormwatermanagementpractice.The
minimumlengthofthespreadershouldbe5feetandthemaximumlength
50feet.
Thewidthofthespreadershouldbeatleast6feet.
Thedepthofthespreaderasmeasuredfromthelipshouldbeatleast
6inchesanditshouldbeuniformacrosstheentirelength.
Thespreadershallbestabilizedwithanappropriategrassmixture.
Thespreadershouldbemulchedifnecessaryfortheestablishmentofgood
qualityvegetation.
Thelevellipmaybeprotectedwithanerosionstopandjuteor
excelsiormatting.Theerosionstopshouldbeplacedverticallyaminimum
ofsixinchesdeepinaslittrenchonefootbackfromthecrestofthelevel
lipandparalleltothelip.Theerosionstopshouldextendtheentirelength
ofthelevellip.Twostripsofjuteorexcelsiormattingcanbeplacedalong
thelip.Eachstripshouldoverlaptheerosionstopbyatleastsixinches.
Theareadownslopeshouldhaveacompletevegetativecover
sufficientlyestablishedtobeerosionresistant.
111
Maintenance
$ Thelevelspreadershouldbecheckedperiodicallyandafterevery
majorstorm.
$ Anydetrimentalsedimentaccumulationshouldberemoved.
$ Ifrillinghastakenplaceonthelip,thedamageshouldberepairedand
re-vegetated.
$ Vegetationshouldbemowedoccasionallytocontrolweedsand
encroachmentofwoodyvegetation.Clippingsshouldberemovedand
disposedofoutsidethespreaderandawayfromtheoutletarea.
$ Fertilizationshouldbedoneasnecessarytokeepthevegetation
healthyanddense.
$ Thespreadershouldbeinspectedaftereveryrunoffeventtoensure
thatitisfunctioningcorrectly.
References
1993.
ControlforUrbanandDevelopingAreasinNewHampshire,
RockinghamCountyConservationDistrict,August1992.
112
Mulch and Netting
Applicationofaprotectiveblanketofstraworotherplantresidue,
gravelorsyntheticmaterialtothesoilsurface.
Purpose
Toprovideimmediateprotectiontoexposedsoilsduringtheperiodof
shortconstructiondelays,oroverwintermonthsthroughtheapplication
ofplantresidues,orothersuitablematerials,toexposedsoilareas.
Mulchesalsoenhanceplantestablishmentbyconservingmoisture
andmoderatingsoiltemperatures.Mulchhelpsholdfertilizer,seed,and
topsoilinplaceinthepresenceofwind,rain,andrunoffandmaintains
moisturenearthesoilsurface.
Inadditiontostabilizingsoils,mulchingcanreducethespeedofstorm
waterrunoffoveranarea.
$ Inareaswhichhavebeenseededeitherfortemporaryorpermanent
cover,mulchingshouldimmediatelyfollowseeding.
$ Areaswhichcannotbeseededbecauseoftheseason,orareotherwise
unfavorableforplantgrowth.
$ Mulcharoundplantingsoftrees,shrubs,orgroundcoverstostabilize
thesoilbetweenplants.
$ Inanareaofgreaterthan2:1slope,mulchingshouldimmediately
followseeding.
Advantages
$ Mulchingoffersinstantprotectiontoexposedareas.
$ Mulchesconservemoistureandreducetheneedforirrigation.
$ Neithermulchingnormattingrequireremoval;seedscangrowthrough
themunlikeplasticcoverings.
$ Thisisoneofthemostimportant,effective,andeconomicalerosion-
controlpractices.
113
$ Caremustbetakentoapplymulchatthespecifiedthickness,andon
steepslopesmulchmustbesupplementedwithnetting.
$ Thickmulchescanreducethesoiltemperature,delayingseed
germination.
$ Mulchcanbeeasilyblownorwashedawaybyrunoffifnotsecured.
$ Somemulchmaterialssuchaswoodchipsmayabsorbnutrients
necessaryforplantgrowth.
$ Mulchessuchasstraw,whichareoftenappliedtoareasaftergrading
mustthenberemovedandeithercompostedorlandfilled.
Mulchesareappliedtothesoilsurfacetoconserveadesirablesoil
propertyortopromoteplantgrowth.Asurfacemulchisoneofthemost
effectivemeansofcontrollingrunoffanderosionondisturbedland.
Mulchescanincreasetheinfiltrationrateofthesoil,reducesoil
moisturelossbyevaporation,preventcrustingandsealingofthesoil
surface,modifysoiltemperatures,andprovideasuitablemicroclimatefor
seedgermination.
Organicmulchmaterials,suchasstraw,woodchips,barkandwood
fiber,havebeenfoundtobethemosteffective,althoughstrawis
preferred.
Woodchipsandbarkareeffectiveforusearoundtreesandshrubs.
Itisimportanttoproperlyanchorgrassorstrawmulchmaterialsso
theyarenotblownawaybywindorwashedawaybyflowingwater.
Onsteepslopesandcriticalareassuchaswaterways,usenettingor
anchoringwithmulchtoholditinplace.
Mechanicalmulchessuchasgravelmaybeusedincriticalareas
whereconditionsprecludetheuseofvegetationforpermanent
stabilization.
Thechoiceofmaterialsformulchingwillbebasedonthetypeofsoil
tobeprotected,siteconditions,season,andeconomics.Itisespecially
importanttomulchliberallyinmid-summerandpriortowinter,andat
locationsoncutslopesandsouthernslopeexposures.
114
MaterialsandInstallation
Mulch
Material
Quality
Standards
Application Rate
/ 1,000 sq. ft.
Application
Rate /Acre
Depth of
Application
Remarks
Sawdust - Free from 83-500 cu.ft. - - - 1-7"
Most effective as a
green or objectinable
mulch around
composted coarse material
ornamentals, small
fruits& other nursery
stock. Requires 30-35
lbs. N/ton to prevent
N deficiency while
decaying mulch. One
cu. ft. weighs 25 lbs.
Wood Chips Green or 500-900 lbs 10-20 tons 2-7 "
Has about the same
or Shavings airdried. Free of
use and application
objectionable
as sawdust, but
material
requires less N/ton
(10-12 lbs). Resistant
to wind blowing.
Decomposes slowly.
Wood Green or air- 90 lbs (one bale) 2 tons - - - Decomposes slowly.
Excelsior dried burred
wood fibers
Subject to some wind
blowing. Packaged in
80-90 lb. bales.
Wood Fiber Made form 50 lbs 2000 lbs - - -
Apply with
Cellulose natural wood,
hydromulcher. No tie-
(partially usually with
down required. Less
digested
wood fibers)
green dye &
dispersing
agent added
erosion control
provided than 2t hay
or straw.
Compost or Well shredded, 400-600 lbs 8-10 tons - - -
Use straw manure
Manure free of
where erosion control
excessive
is needed. May
coarse materials
create problem with
weeds. Excellent
moisture conserver.
Resistant to wind
blowing.
Cornstalks, Airdried, 150-300 lbs 4-6 tons - - -
Effective for erosion
shredded or shredded into
control,relatively slow
chopped 8-12" lengths
to decompose.
Excellent for mulch
on crop fields.
Resistant to wind
blowing.
115
Mulch
Material
Quality
Standards
Application Rate
/ 1,000 sq. ft.
Application
Rate /Acre
Depth of
Application
Remarks
Gravel, Washed, 1 1/2" 9 cu. yds - - - 3' Excellent mulch for
crushed max.
short slopes and
stone or slag
around woody plants
and ornamentals.
Frequently used over
black plastic for
better weed control.
Hay or Straw Air-dried, free of
undesirable
seeds & materials
90-100 lbs. (2-3
bales)
2 tons (100-120
bales)
Cover about
90% of surface
Use straw where
mulch is maintained
for more than 3
months. Subject to
wind blowing unless
anchored. Most
commonly used
mulching material.
Best
microenvironment for
germinating seeds.
Peat Moss Dried,
compressed free
of coarse
materials
200-400 cu. ft --------- 2"-4" Most effective as a
mulch around
ornamentals. Subject
to wind blowing
unless kept wet. 100
lbs. bales (6 cu.ft.).
Excellent moisture
holding capacity.
Jute Twisted Undyed, 48"x50 yds or ------- ----- Use without additional
Yarn unbleached plain 48"x75 yds.
mulch. Tie down as
weave. Warp: 78
per manufacturing
ends/yd. Weft: 41
specification.
ends/yd 60-90
lbs/roll
Excelsior Interlocking web 48"x100" 2-sided ------ ----- Use without additional
Wood Fiber of excelsior fibers plastic; 48"x180"
mulch. Excellent for
Mats with
photodegradable
plastic netting
1-sided plastic
seeding
establishment. Tie
down as per
manufacturers specs.
Appox. 72 lbs/roll for
Excelsior with plastic
on both sides. Use 2-
sided plastic for
center, plastic for
centerline of
waterways.
Mulch
Material
Quality
Standards
Application Rate
/ 1,000 sq. ft.
Application
Rate /Acre
Depth of
Application
Remarks
Glass Fiber 1/4" thick, 7/16"
dia. holes on 1"
centers: 56 lb
rolls
72'x30 yds. ---- ----
Use without additional
mulch. Tie down with
T-bars as per
manufacturers
specifications.
Plastic 2-4 mils variable ----- -----
Use black for weed
control. Effective
moisture conservation
and weed control for
small fruits and
ornamentals
Filter Fabrics Woven or Spun variable ------ ------ ------
Straw or Photodegradable Most are 81 rolls ----- Designed to tolerate
coconut fiber plastic net on one 6.5'x83.5'
higher velocity water
or or two sides
flow, centerlines of
combination
waterways. 60 sq.
yds. per roll.
Mulch Anchoring Guide
Anchoring
Method or
Material
Kind of Mulch To
Be Anchored
How To Apply
Manual
Peg & Twine Hay or straw After mulching, divide areas into blocks
approximately 1 sq. yd. in size. Drive 4-6 pegs
per block to within 2" to 3" soil surface. Secure
mulch to surface by stretching twine between
pegs in criss-cross pattern on each block.
Secure twine around each peg with 2 or more
turns. Drive pegs flush with soil where mowing
and maintenance is plannned.
Mulch Netting Hay or straw Staple the light-weight paper, jute, wood fiber,
or plastic nettings to soil surface according to
manufacturers recommendations. Should be
biodegradable. Most products not suitable for
foot traffic.
Soil & Stone Plastic Plow a single furrow along edge of area to be
covered with plastic, fold about 6" of plastic
into the furrow and plow furrow slice back over
plastic. Use stones to hold plastic down in
other places as needed.
Cut-in Hay or straw Cut mulch into soil surface with square edged
spade. Make cuts in contour rows spaced 18"
apart. Most sucessful on contour in sandy soils
Anchoring
Method or
Material
Kind of Mulch To
Be Anchored
How To Apply
Mechanical
Asphalt Spray
(emulsion)
Compost, wood
chips, wood
shavings, hay or
straw
Apply with suitable spray equipment using the
following rates;
Asphalt emulsion: on slopes use 200 gal/acre,
on level, use 150 gal/acre
Liquid asphalt: (rapid, medium, or slow setting)
0.10 gal per square yd. 400 gal/acre
Wood Cellulose
Fiber
Hay or straw Apply with hydroseeder immediately after
mulching. Use 750 lbs. wood fiber per acre.
Some products contain an adhesive material.
Pick Chain Hay or straw,
manure compost
Use on slopes steeper than 3:1. Pull across
slopes with suitable power equipment.
Mulch Anchoring
tool or Disk
Hay or straw,
manure/mostly
straw
Apply mulch and use a mulch anchoring tool.
When a disk (smooth) is used, set in straight
position and pull across slope with suitable
power equipment. Mulch material should be
tucked into soil surface about 3".
Chemical Hay or straw Apply Terra Tack AR at 120 lbs/acre in 480 gal.
of water or Aerospray 70 (60 gal/acre)
according to manufacturer's instructions. A 24
hr. curing period and a soil temp higher than
45 degrees F. are required.
CommonTroublePoints
InadequateCoverage
Resultsinerosion,washout,andpoorplantestablishment
Appropriatetackingagentnotapplied,orappliedininsufficient
amount
Mulchislosttowindandrunoff.
Channelgradeandlinernotappropriateforamountofrunoff
Resultsinerosionofchannelbottom.Planmodificationmaybe
required.
Hydromulchappliedinwinter
Resultsindeteriorationofmulchbeforeplantscanbecomeestablished.
Maintenance
Inspectafterrainstormstocheckformovementofmulchor
erosion.Ifwashout,breakage,orerosionoccurs,repairsurface,reseed,
remulch,andinstallnewnetting.
Straworgrassmulchesthatbloworwashawayshouldberepaired
promptly.
Blanketmulchthatisdisplacedbyflowingwatershouldbe
repairedassoonaspossible.
Ifplasticnettingisusedtoanchormulch,careshouldbetaken
duringinitialmowingstokeepthemowerheighthigh.Otherwise,the
nettingcanwrapuponthemowerbladeshafts.Afteraperiodoftime,
thenettingdegradesandbecomeslessofaproblem.
Continueinspectionsuntilvegetationiswellestablished.
References
Gaffney,F.B.,Dickerson,J.A.,Myers,R.E.,Hoyt,D.K.,Moonen,H.F.,Smith,
R.E.,AGuideTo:ConservationPlantingsonCriticalAreasforNewYork,
U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,SoilConservationService,Syracuse,NY,
June,1991.
1993.
NorthCarolinaDepartmentofEnvironment,Health,andNaturalResources,
ErosionandSedimentControlFieldManual,Raleigh,NC,February1991.
1992.
Outlet Protection and Stabilization
Astructure
designedtocontrol
erosionatthe
outletofachannel
orconduitby
reducingthe
velocityofflowand
dissipatingthe
energy.
Where
Practice
Applies
$ Outletprotectionshouldbeinstalledatallpipe,culverts,swales,
diversions,orotherwaterconveyanceswherethevelocityofflowmay
causeerosionatthepipeoutletandinthereceivingchannel.
$ Outletprotectionshouldalsobeusedatoutletswherethevelocityof
flowatthedesigncapacitymayresultinplungepools.
$ Outletprotectionshouldbeinstalledearlyduringconstruction
activities,butmaybeaddedatanytime,asnecessary.
Advantages
$ Plungepools,whichcandevelopunlessoutletprotectionisprovided,
mayseverelyweakentheembankmentandthusthreatenitsstability.
$ Protectioncanpreventscouringataculvertmouthandthusprevent
gullyerosionwhichmaygraduallyextendupstream.
$ Sometypesofstructuresmaybeunsightly.
$ Sedimentremovalmaybedifficult.
Erosionattheoutletofchannels,culverts,andotherstructuresis
commonandcancausestructuralfailurewithseriousdownstream
problems.
Aripraplinedapronisthemostcommonlyusedstructureforthis
purpose,becauseithasrelativelylowcostandcanbeinstalledeasilyon
mostsites.
Othertypesofoutletstabilizationstructuresincluderiprapstilling
basins,concreteimpactbasins,andpavedoutlets.
DesignCriteria
Capacity-Peakrunofffrom10-yearstorm.
Apron-Asshowninplans,setonzerograde,alignedstraight,with
sufficientlengthtodissipateenergy.
Foundation-Extra-strengthfilterfabricorwell-gradedgravelfilter
layer,6inchesthick,minimum.
Material-Hard,angular,andhighlyweather-resistantstone(riprap)
withspecificgravityatleast2.5.Stonesizeasspecifiedinplans.
Thickness-Atleast1.5timesthemaximumstonediameter.
Installation
Excavatesubgradebelowdesignelevationtoallowforthicknessof
filterandriprap.Installripraptominimumthicknessof1.5times
maximumstonediameter.Finalstructureshouldbetolinesand
elevationsshowninplans.
Constructaprononzerograde.Ifthereisnowell-definedchannel,
crosssectionmaybelevelorslightlydepressedinthemiddle.Inawell-
definedchannel,extendriprapandfiltertothetopofthebankoras
shownonplans.Blendriprapsmoothlytothesurroundingland.
Apronshouldbestraightandproperlyalignedwiththereceiving
stream.Ifacurveisnecessarytofitsiteconditions,curvetheapron
neartheupstreamend.
Compactanyfillusedinthesubgradetothedensityofthe
surroundingundisturbedmaterial.
Subgradeshouldbesmoothenoughtoprotectfabricfromtearing.
Installacontinuoussectionofextra-strengthfilterfabricon
smooth,compactedfoundation.
Protectfilterfabricfromtearingwhileplacingriprapwith
machinery.Repairanydamageimmediatelybyremovingriprapand
installinganothersectionoffilterfabric.Upstreamsectionoffabric
shouldoverlapdownstreamsectionaminimumofonefoot.
Makesuretopofriprapapronislevelwithreceivingstreamor
slightlybelowit.Riprapshouldnotrestrictthechannelorproducean
overfall.
Immediatelyfollowinginstallation,stabilizealldisturbedareaswith
vegetationasshowninplans.
CommonTroublePoints
Foundationnotexcavateddeepenoughorwideenough
Ripraprestrictsflowcrosssection,resultinginerosionaroundapronand
scourholesatoutlet.
Riprapapronnotonzerograde
Causeserosiondownstream.
Stonestoosmallornotproperlygraded
Resultsinmovementofstoneanddownstreamerosion.
Riprapnotextendedfarenoughtoreachastablesectionofchannel
Resultsindownstreamerosion.
Appropriatefilternotinstalledunderriprap
Resultsinstonedisplacementanderosionoffoundation.
Maintenance
Inspectriprapoutletstructuresafterheavyrainsforerosionatsides
andendsofapronandforstonedisplacement.
Rockmayneedtobeaddedifsedimentbuildsupintheporespacesof
theoutletpad.
Makerepairsimmediatelyusingappropriatestonesizes.Donotplace
stonesabovefinishedgrade.
References
NonpointSourceManagementManualBoston,Massachusetts,June,1993.
February1991.
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,StormWaterManagementfor
1992.
ManualforthePugetSoundBasin,Olympia,WA,February,1992
Preserving Natural Vegetation
Minimizingexposedsoilsandconsequenterosionbyclearingonly
whereconstructionwilloccur.
Naturalvegetationshould
bepreservedwhenever
possible,butespeciallyon
steepslopes,nearperennial
andintermittentwatercourses
orswales,andonbuildingsites
inwoodedareas.
Advantages
Preservingnaturalvegetation
will:
$ Savemoneyonsite
stabilization
$ Helpreducesoilerosion.
$ Beautifyanarea.
$ Savemoneyonlandscaping
costs.
$ Provideareasforwildlife.
$ Possiblyincreasethevalueoftheland.
$ Providebuffersandscreensagainstnoise.
Preservingnaturalvegetationalsomoderatestemperaturechanges
andprovidesshadeandcoverhabitatforsurfacewatersandland.
Increasesinstreamwatertemperaturetendtolowerthedissolved
oxygenavailableforaquaticlife.
Savingindividualtreescanbedifficult,andoldertreesmaybecomea
safetyhazard.
Newdevelopmentoftentakesplaceontractsofforestedland.
Buildingsitesareoftenselectedbecauseofthepresenceofmature
trees.Unlesssufficientcareistakenandplanningdone,however,much
ofthisresourceislikelytobedestroyedintheintervalbetweenbuying
thepropertyandcompletingconstruction.Ittakes20to30yearsfor
newlyplantedtreestoprovidethebenefitsforwhichwevaluetreesso
highly.
Naturalvegetationcanbepreservedinnaturalclumpsoras
individualtrees,shrubsandvines.
122
Selection
Examinetheareatoidentifytreestobesaved:treeswithuniqueor
unusualform,treeswhichmaybeuncommoninthearea,desirableshade
treesandtreesforscreeningpurposes.Lookforhealthytreeswithfull
greencrowns.Thelengthoftheannualtwiggrowthgivesanindicationof
thegeneralvigorofthetree.Treeswithbrokentopsorwithmanydead
branchesareusuallynotgoodrisks.Badlyscarredtreesarealso
unsuitable.
Inselectingtreestoberetained,caremustalsobeusedtomake
certaintheywillnotinterferewiththeinstallationandmaintenanceof
utilitiessuchaselectricandtelephonelines,waterandsewerlinesand
driveways.
Preservingindividualplantsismoredifficultbecauseequipmentis
generallyusedtoremoveunwantedvegetation.Pointstoconsiderwhen
attemptingtosaveindividualplantsare:
Value
Istheplantworthsaving?Considerthelocation,species,size,age,
vigor,andtheworkinvolved.Localgovernmentsmayalsohaveordinances
tosavenaturalvegetationandtrees.
Desirability
Isthetreeorshrubadesirableplant?Isitshallow-rooted,dotheroots
seekwater,orareinsectsanddiseaseaproblem?Shallow-rootedplants
cancauseproblemsintheestablishmentoflawnsorornamentalplants.
Water-seekingrootscanblocksewerandtilelines.Insectsanddiseasescan
maketheplantundesirable.Thisisespeciallytruewithaphidsonalderand
maple.
Ageandsize
Oldorlargeplantsdonotgenerallyadapttochangesinenvironment
asreadilyasyoungplantsofthesamespecies.Usually,itisbesttoleave
treeswhicharelessthan40yearsofage.Somehardwoodsmatureat
approximately50yearsofage.Aftermaturitytheyrapidlydeclineinvigor.
Conifers,after40yearsofage,maybecomeasafetyhazardduetothe
possibilityofbreakageorblowdown,especiallywhereconstructionhasleft
onlyafewscatteredtreesinanareathatwasformerlydensewoods.
Whileoldlargetreesaresometimesdesirable,theproblemoflater
removalshouldbeconsidered.Localgovernments,however,mayhave
requirementstopreserveolder,largerspecimentrees.Itisexpensivetocut
alargetreeandtoremovethetreeandstumpfromadevelopedarea.
Thinningsomebranchesfromtreescanprovideavenuesforwindand
hencelessenthesaileffect.
123
TreePreservation
Clearlyflagormarkareasaroundtreesthataretobesaved.Itis
preferabletokeepgrounddisturbanceawayfromthetreesatleastas
faroutasthedripline.
Barriers
Ifpossible,placeabarrieraroundthetrees.Bulldozersare
notoriousfordamagingtrees.Besidesskinningbarkfromtreetrunks,
theirtracksseverelydamagetreerootswhichareclosetothesurface.
Placeasimplewoodenfencearoundthetree.Inexpensiveorscrap
lumberwilldo.Snowfencing,althoughmoreexpensive,iseasyto
install.Thefenceshouldencloseanareaatleastfivefeetoutfromthe
treetrunk.Erectthefencebeforethebulldozerarrivesandleaveitup
untilthelastpieceofequipmenthasleftthearea.
Marking
Iferectingabarrieraround
thetreesisimpractical,marking
thetreesmayhelpsavethemfrom
damage,ifequipmentoperators
areforewarnedandreliable.A
bandofbrightcoloredcloth,
ribbon,ortapemaybeusedto
identifytreestobeprotected.The
bandshouldbeplacedaroundthe
trunkhighenoughtobeseenfrom
adistanceandfromallangles.Itis
importantthatallpeopleinvolved
beinformedofthemeaningofthe
marking.
GradeChanges
Filling
Treerootsneedairwaterandmineralstosurvive.Fewtreescan
survivewithmorethansixinchesofearthfillovertheroots.Thetree
rootsareliterallysuffocatedwithmoreearthfillthanthiscoarserthefill
material,thebetterthechanceforsurvival.
Constructionofadrywellaroundthetreetrunkwillprovidesome
aircirculationforthetrees.Installationofadrainsysteminconjunction
withthedrywellisevenbetter.Fourinchdrainpipeisplacedina
spoke-likefashiontodrainwaterawayfromthetreebeforefillingtakes
place.
Thedrywellmaybebuiltofstones,brick,tile,concreteblocksor
othermaterial.Itshouldbebuiltatleast12to18inchesawayfromthe
trunkofalarge,slow-growingtreeandupto36inchesforyoungerfast-
growingtrees.
Lowering
Loweringthenaturalgroundlevelcanseriouslydamagetreesand
shrubs.Mostoftheplantrootsareintheupper12inchesofthesoiland
cutsofonly2-3inchescancauseseriousinjury.Toprotecttherootsitmay
benecessarytoterracetheimmediateareaaroundtheplantstobesaved.
Ifrootsareexposed,constructionofretainingwallsmaybeneededtokeep
thesoilinplace.Plantscanalsobepreservedbyleavingthemonan
undisturbed,gentlyslopingmound.Toincreasethechancesforsurvival,it
isbesttolimitgradechangesandothersoildisturbancestoareasoutside
thedriplineoftheplant.
Excavations
Protecttreesandotherplantswhenexcavatingfortile,water,and
sewerlines.Wherepossible,thetrenchesshouldberoutedaroundtrees
andlargeshrubs.Whenthisisnotpossible,itisbesttotunnelunderthem.
Thiscanbedonewithhandtoolsorwithpoweraugers.
Ifitisnotpossibletoroutethetrencharoundplantstobesaved,then
thefollowingshouldbeobserved:
$ Cutasfewrootsaspossible.Whenyouhavetocut-cutclean.Paint
cutrootendswithawooddressinglikeasphaltbasepaint.
$ Backfillthetrenchassoonaspossible.
$ Tunnelbeneathrootsystemsasclosetothecenterofthemaintrunk
aspossibletopreservemostoftheimportantfeederroots.
CommonTroublePoints
Someproblemsthatcanbeencounteredwithtreesare:
$ Maple,Dogwood,Easternhemlock,EasternredcedarandDouglasfir
donotreadilyadjusttochangesinenvironmentandspecialcareshouldbe
takentoprotectthesetrees.
$ Maples,andwillowshavewater-seekingroots.Thesecancausetrouble
insewerlinesandfilterfields.Ontheotherhand,theythriveinhigh
moistureconditionsthatothertreeswouldsuccumbto.
$ Thinningoperationscancauseseriousdiseaseproblems.Diseasecan
becomeestablishedthroughdamagedlimbs,trunks,roots,andfreshlycut
stumps.Diseasedandweakenedtreesarealsosusceptibletoinsectattack.
Maintenance
Inspectflaggedareasregularlytomakesureflagginghasnotbeen
removed.Iftreerootshavebeenexposedorinjured,re-coverand/orseal
them.
References
U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,SoilConservationService,Amherst,MA,
GuidelinesforSoilandWaterConservationinUrbanizingAreasof
Massachusetts,October,1977.
Riprap
Apermanent,
erosion-resistant
groundcoveroflarge,
loose,angularstone.
Purpose
$ Toprotectslopes,
streambanks,
channels,orareas
subjecttoerosionby
waveaction.
$ Rockriprap
protectssoilfrom
erosiondueto
concentratedrunoff.It
isusedtostabilize
slopesthatare
unstabledueto
seepage.Itisalsousedtoslowthevelocityofconcentratedrunoffwhich
inturnincreasesthepotentialforinfiltration.
$ Cutorfillslopessubjecttoseepageorweathering,particularlywhere
conditionsprohibitestablishmentofvegetation,
$ Channelsideslopesandbottom,
$ Inletsandoutletsforculverts,bridges,slopedrains,grade
stabilizationstructures,andstormdrains;wherethevelocityofflowfrom
thesestructuresexceedsthecapacityofthedownstreamareatoresist
erosion.
$ Streambanksandstreamgrades,
$ Shorelinessubjecttowaveaction.
Advantages
$ Riprapoffersaneasy-to-usemethodfordecreasingwatervelocityand
protectingslopesfromerosion.Itissimpletoinstallandmaintain.
$ Riprapprovidessomewaterqualitybenefitsbyincreasingroughness
anddecreasingthevelocityoftheflow,inducingsettling.
$ Riprapismoreexpensivethanvegetatedslopes.
$ Therecanbeincreasedscouratthetoeandendsoftheriprap.
$ Riprapdoesnotprovidethehabitatenhancementthatvegetative
practicesdo.
Wellgradedriprapformsadense,flexible,self-healingcoverthatwill
adaptwelltounevensurfaces.
Caremustbeexercisedinthedesignsothatstonesareofgood
quality,sizedcorrectly,andplacedtoproperthickness.
Riprapshouldbeplacedonaproperfiltermaterialofsand,gravel,or
fabrictopreventsoilfrompipingthroughthestone.
ContactthelocalConservationCommissionregardinganystream
crossingorotherworkconductedinawetlandresourcearea.The
MassachusettsWetlandProtectionActrequiresthattheproponentfilea
DeterminationofApplicabilityorNoticeofIntent.
Rockriprapisusedwhereerosionpotentialisoftenhigh.Therock
shouldbeplacedassoonaspossibleafterdisturbingthesite,before
additionalwaterisconcentratedintothedrainagesystem.Properlysized
beddingorgeotextilefabricisneededtopreventerosionorunderminingof
thenaturalunderlyingmaterial.
Riprapisclassifiedaseithergradedoruniform.Asampleofgraded
riprapwouldcontainamixtureofstoneswhichvaryinsizefromsmallto
large.Asampleofuniformriprapwouldcontainstoneswhichareallfairly
closeinsize.
Formostapplications,gradedriprapispreferredtouniformriprap.
Gradedriprapformsaflexibleself-healingcover,whileuniformriprapis
morerigidandcannotwithstandmovementofthestones.Gradedriprapis
cheapertoinstall,requiringonlythatthestonesbedumpedsothatthey
remaininawell-gradedmass.Handormechanicalplacementofindividual
stonesislimitedtothatnecessarytoachievetheproperthicknessandline.
Uniformripraprequiresplacementinamoreorlessuniformpattern,
requiringmorehandormechanicallabor.
Asgradedriprapconsistsofavarietyofstonesizes,amethodis
neededtospecifythesizerangeofthemixtureofstone.Thisisdoneby
specifyingadiameterofstoneinmixtureforwhichsomepercentage,by
weight,willbesmaller.Forexample,d85referstoamixtureofstonesin
which85percentofthestonebyweightwouldbesmallerthanthe
diameterspecified.Mostdesignsarebasedond.Thedesign,
therefore,isbasedonthemediansizeofstoneinthemixture.
Awellgradedmixtureofrocksizesshouldbeusedforripraprather
thanrocksofauniformsize.Rockriprapsizesarespecifiedbyeither
weightordiameter.
Stoneshouldbehard,angular,weather-resistant;specificgravityat
least2.5.
Gradation:well-gradedstone,50%byweightlargerthanthespecified
150Thelargeststonesshouldnotexceed1.5timesthed5O
specified.
Stonesshouldbeshapedsothattheleastdimensionofthestone
fragmentisnotlessthanone-thirdofthegreatestdimensionofthe
fragment.Flatrocksshouldnotbeusedforriprap.
Filter:heavy-dutyfilterfabricoraggregatelayershouldbeusedunder
allpermanentriprapinstallations.
Thickness:1.5timesthemaximumstonediameter,minimum,oras
specifiedintheplan.
Subgradeforthefiltermaterial,geotextilefabricorriprapshould
beclearedandgrubbedtoremoveallroots,vegetation,anddebrisand
preparedtothelinesandgradesshownontheplans.
Excavatedeepenoughforbothfilterandriprap.Compactanyfill
materialtothedensityofsurroundingundisturbedsoil.
Excavateakeywayinstablematerialatbaseofslopetoreinforce
thetoe.Keywaydepthshouldbe1.5timesthedesignthicknessofriprap
andshouldextendahorizontaldistanceequaltothedesignthickness.
Rockand/orgravelusedforfilterandriprapshallconformtothe
specifiedgradation.
Voidsintherockriprapshouldbefilledwithspallsandsmaller
rocks.
Filter
Installsyntheticfilterfabricorasand/gravelfilteronsubgrade.
Syntheticfilterfabric
Placefilterfabriconasmoothfoundation.Overlapedgesatleast12
inches,withanchorpinsspacedevery3ftalongoverlap.Forlarge
stones,a4-inchlayerofsandmaybeneededtoprotectfiltercloth.
Geotextilefabricsshouldbeprotectedfrompunctureortearing
duringplacementoftherockriprapbyplacingacushionofsandand
graveloverthefabric.Damagedareasinthefabricshouldberepairedby
placingapieceoffabricoverthedamagedareaorbycomplete
replacementofthefabric.Alloverlapsrequiredforrepairsorjoiningtwo
piecesoffabricshouldbeaminimumof12inches.
Sand/gravelfilter
Spreadwell-gradedaggregateinauniformlayertotherequired
thickness(6inchesminimum).Iftwoormorelayersarespecified,placethe
layerofsmallerstonesfirstandavoidmixingthelayers.
StonePlacement
Placeriprapimmediatelyafterinstallingfilter.
Installripraptofullthicknessinoneoperation.Donotdumpthrough
chutesoruseanymethodthatcausessegregationofstonesizes.Avoid
dislodgingordamagingunderlyingfiltermaterialwhenplacingstone.
Iffabricisdamaged,removeriprapandrepairfabricbyadding
anotherlayer,overlappingthedamagedareaby12inches.
Placesmallerstonesinvoidstoformadense,uniform,well-graded
mass.Selectiveloadingatthequarryandsomehandplacementmaybe
necessarytoobtainanevendistributionofstonesizes.
Blendthestonesurfacesmoothlywiththesurroundingareaallowing
noprotrusionsoroverfall.
Sinceriprapisusedwhereerosionpotentialishigh,constructionmust
besequencedsothattheriprapisputinplacewiththeminimumpossible
delay.Disturbanceofareaswhereriprapistobeplacedshouldbe
undertakenonlywhenfinalpreparationandplacementoftheriprapcan
followimmediatelybehindtheinitialdisturbance.
Whereriprapisusedforoutletprotection,theriprapshouldbeplaced
beforeorinconjunctionwiththeconstructionofthepipeorchannelso
thatitisinplacewhenthepipeorchannelbeginstooperate.
CommonTroublePoints
Excavationnotdeepenough
Riprapblockschannel,resultinginerosionalongedges.
Slopetoosteep
Resultsinstonedisplacement.Donotuseriprapasaretainingwall.
Foundationnotproperlysmoothedforfilterplacement
Resultsindamagetofilter.
Filteromittedordamaged
Resultsinpipingorslumping.
Riprapnotproperlygraded
Resultsinstonemovementanderosionoffoundation.
Foundationtoenotproperlyreinforced
Resultsinundercutriprapslopeorslumping.
Fillslopesnotproperlycompactedbeforeplacingriprap
Resultsinstonedisplacement.
Maintenance
Riprapshouldbecheckedatleastannuallyandaftereverymajor
stormfordisplacedstones,slumping,anderosionatedges,especially
downstreamordownslope.Iftheripraphasbeendamaged,itshouldbe
repairedimmediatelybeforefurtherdamagecantakeplace.
Woodyvegetationshouldberemovedfromtherockriprapannually
becausetreerootswilleventuallydislodgetheriprap.
Iftheriprapisonachannelbank,thestreamshouldbekeptclear
ofobstructionssuchasfallentrees,debris,andsedimentbarsthatmay
changeflowpatternswhichcoulddamageordisplacetheriprap.
References
1993.
Minnick,E.L.,andH.T.Marshall,StormwaterManagementand
ErosionControlforUrbanandDevelopingAreasinNewHampshire,
February1991.
Rock Dam
Arockembankment
constructedacrossa
drainagewayorothersuitable
locationtocreateatemporary
basinforcollectingsediment.
Purpose
Totrapsedimentontheconstructionsiteandpreventoff-site
sedimentation.Usefulwhereearthfillmaterialisnotreadilyavailable.
Whereatemporarymeasureisneededtoretainsedimentfroma
constructionarea-butnotinanaturalstream.
DesignCriteria
Drainagearea:limitedto50acres.
Designlife:limitedto3years.
Sedimentstorage:1800cubicfeetperacredisturbed,asaminimum.
Measuredonefootbelowspillwaycrest.
Damcrestheight:limitedto8feet.
Basinareaandshape:Thelargestsurfaceareagivesthegreatesttrapping
efficiency.Basinlength-to-widthratioshouldbe2:1minimum.
Spillwaycapacity:10-yearpeakrunoff,atmaximumflowdepthofonefoot
andminimumfreeboardofonefoot.Entirelengthofdambetweenrock
abutmentsmayserveasspillway.
Rockembankment:
Topwidth 5ftminimum
Sideslopes Upstream,2:1orflatter;Downstream,3:1orflatter
Earthabutments Smooth,stableslopes,2:1orflatter.
Rockabutments Mustprotectearthabutmentsandextendalong
downstreamfacetotoeofdam.Abutmentsmustbeatleastonefoot
higherthanthespillwayfaceatallpoints.
Height 2ftminimumabovespillwaycrest
Width 2ftthick,minimum
Sideslopes 2:1orflatter
Outletprotection:Rockapron,1.5ftthick,minimum,zerograde,length
equaltoheightofdamorextendedtostablegrade,whicheverisgreater.
Rockmaterial:Well-graded,hard,angular,weather-resistantstonewitha
d50of9inchesminimum.
Protectionfrompiping:Extra-strengthfilterfabriccoveringentire
foundationincludingearthabutmentsandapron.
Basindewatering:Throughone-footthickminimumlayerof-to-inch
aggregateonupstreamfaceofdam.
Installation
Divertrunofffromundisturbedareasawayfromthebasin.Delay
clearingpondareauntildamisinplace.
Excavatefoundationforapronanduseitasatemporarysediment
basinduringconstructionofdam.
Clearandgrubareaunderdarn,removingallrootmatandother
objectionablematerial.Gradeearthabutmentsnosteeperthan1:1.
Disposeofmaterialinapprovedlocation.
Ifcutofftrenchisrequired,excavateatcenterlineofdam,
extendingallthewayupearthabutments.
ProtectionfromPiping
Theentirefoundationincludingbothearthabutmentsmustbe
coveredbyfilterfabric.Overlaponefootatalljoints,upstreamstrip
overdownstreamstrip.
Smooththefoundationareabeforeplacingfilterfabric.Becareful
placingrockonfabric.Itmaybehelpfultoplacea4-inchlayerofsand
overfabricbeforeplacingrock.
Embankmentandpool
Constructembankmenttodimensionsshownonplans.Usewell-
graded,hard,angular,weather-resistantrock.Rockabutmentsmustbe
atleast2feethigherthanthespillwaycrestandatleast1foothigher
thanthedownstreamfaceofdamatallpoints.
Divertsediment-ladenflowtoupperendofbasin.
Setmarkerstaketoindicatecleanoutelevationwheresediment
poolis50%full.
Establishvegetationtostabilizealldisturbedareasexceptthe
lowerone-halfofsedimentpoolasshownintheplan.
Safety
Sedimentbasinsthatimpoundwaterarehazardous.Basinshould
bedewateredbetweenstorms.Avoidsteepsideslopes.Fenceswith
warningsignsmaybenecessaryiftrespassingislikely.Stateandlocal
requirementsmustbefollowed.
CommonTroublePoints
Failurefrompipingalongabutments
Filtermaterialnotproperlyinstalled,orearthabutmentstoosteep.
Stonedisplacedfromfaceofdam
Stonesizetoosmalland/orfacetoosteep.
Erosionbelowdam
Apronnotextendedtostablegrade.
Erosionofabutmentsduringspillwayflow
Rockabutmentheightinadequate.
Sedimentcarriedthroughspillway
Drainageareatoolarge.Divertrunofffromundisturbedareaawayfrom
basin.
Sedimentlossthroughdam
Inadequatelayerofaggregateoninsidefaceoraggregatetoocoarseto
restrictflowthroughdam.
Maintenance
$ Inspectrockdamandpoolaftereachrainfallevent.
$ Removesedimentwhenitaccumulatestoone-halfdesignvolume
(markedbystakes).
$ Checkstructureandabutmentsforerosion,piping,orrock
displacement.Repairimmediately.
$ Replaceaggregateoninsidefaceofstructurewhensedimentpooldoes
notdrainbetweenstorms.
$ Addfinegraveltoupstreamfaceofdamifsedimentpooldrainstoo
rapidly(lessthan6hours)followingastorm.
$ Removerockdamafterthecontributingdrainageareahasbeen
permanentlystabilized,inspected,andapproved.Removeallwaterand
sedimentpriortoremovingdam.Disposeofwastematerialsindesignated
disposalareas.Smoothsitetoblendwithsurroundingareaandstabilize
accordingtovegetationplan.
References
February1991.
1993.
Sand Dune and Sandblow Stabilization
Activesandareasmaybestabilizedbyestablishingtemporary
controlmeasures,followedbytreeorshrubplantingwithinfiveyears.In
situationswheretreesorshrubsarenotdesiredorpractical,suchasthe
seafaceofabeachfrontaldune,Americanbeachgrassmaybemaintained
asalong-termmeansofstabilization.
MethodsofStabilization
Mechanical-Thisisusuallydonewithbrushmattingorwithsand
fencing.Itisusuallylimitedtosmallareaswherebeachgrassisnot
availableforplanting,orwhereimmediatestabilizationisdesired.
Placebrushmatting(preferablyconiferous)withbuttstowindward.
Startplacingonleewardside,workingtowardswindwardside.Overlap
buttswithtopstoprovideashinglingeffect.Sandfencingplacedatright
anglestotheprevailingwindwillalsogivetemporarystabilizationbutis
expensiveandmorepronetovandalism.
Beachgrass-Beachgrassmaybeatemporaryorlong-termmeasure.
Americanbeachgrassisplantedinculms.Culmsshouldconsistoftwoor
morehealthystems,2to3feettall.Theidealtimetoplantdormant
beachgrassculmsisinearlyspring,March15toMay1.Culmsshouldbe
planted8to9inchesdeep.Culmsmaybeduganytimeduringtheplanting
season.Thestemsshouldbecutbackto12to15inchesbeforeorafter
digging.Theymaybestoredbyheeling-in,orstoringat28to32degreesF.
Culmplantingsshouldbeplantedat18inchspacings,withcenter
staggeredinalternaterows.Fivehundredto1,000poundsperacreof10-5-
5,orequivalentanalysis,shouldbeappliedsoonafterplanting,orinthe
caseofafallplanting,thefertilizershouldbeappliedearlythefollowing
spring.
Analternative,lessexpensivemethod,istoplantthebeachgrassin
bands.Thesebandsshouldbespaced20to40feetapart.Thebands
shouldconsistofatleast2rowsspacedapproximately18inchesapart,
withculmsapproximately18inchesapartintherowsandcenters
staggeredinalternaterows.Thecloserbandspacingshouldbeusedonthe
windwardside.Fertilizershouldbeappliedtotheplantedbandsas
indicatedabove.
Whenbeachgassistobeusedforlong-termprotection,itmaybe
maintainedbyannualapplicationsof300-500poundsperacreofa10-5-5
fertilizeroritsequivalent.
References
February1991.
TreePlantingsforEnduringCoverSpecies
InlandAreas CoastalAreas
Easternredcedar* Pitchpine
DensityandArrangement:
400-1,000plantsperacreuniformlyspaced.Treesshouldbeplanted
whereexistingvegetationisleastcompetitive.
ShrubPlantingsforEnduringCover
Species
InlandAreas CoastalAreas
Bayberry Beachplum
Easternredcedar* Bayberry
Rugosarose Rugosarose
DensityandArrangement
Plantinrowsoruniformspacingwith4to6feetbetweenplants.
*Caution to users who may be near orchards: Eastern red cedar is an alternate host to apple rust.
Sand Fence
Anartificialbarrierofevenlyspacedwoodenslatsorsynthetic
fabricerectedperpendiculartotheprevailingwindandsupportedby
posts.
Sandfencesareusuallymadecommerciallyoflightwoodenslats
wiredtogetherwithspacesbetweentheslats.Thedistancebetween
slatsisapproximatelyequaltotheslatwidth(about1inches).
Syntheticfencingfabricisavailableforthisuse.Thefencesareerected
2to4feethighinparallelrowsspaced30to40feetapartoverthearea
tobeprotected.Fencesaresupportedbywoodenormetalposts.
Purpose
Toreducewindvelocityatthegroundsurfaceandtrapblowingsand.
Typicallyusedforrebuildingfrontaldunesalongcoastalareas.
$ Acrossopenbare,sandysoilareassubjecttofrequentwinds,where
thetrappingofblowingsandisdesired.
$ Windfencesareusedprimarilytobuildfrontaloceandunes(to
controlerosionfromwaveoverwashandflooding).
$ Sandfencescanalsobeusedtopreventsandfromblowingoff
disturbedareasontoroadsoradjacentproperty.
Whenwindfencesareapproximatelytwo-thirdsfull,anotherseries
offencesiserected.Inthismanner,dunescanbebuilt2to6feethighor
moreduringasingleseason.Whenthedunehasreachedthe
approximateheightofothermaturedunesorwhenthebuildingprocess
slowssignificantly,stabilizewithappropriatevegetation.
Installation
Installsandfencesinspring
orearlysummerandseed
selectedpermanentvegetationin
thefallorthefollowingspring.
Erectawindwardfence
paralleltoexistingdune
(generallyperpendiculartothe
prevailingonshorewind),atleast
onefootabovethemaximum
annualhighwaterelevation.
Locateasecondfencegenerally
paralleltothefirstatthetopedge
oftheerodeddunebank.Space
additionalparallelfences30-40
feetapartasneededoverthearea
tobebuiltup).
Asecondsetoffencesmay
beerectedperpendiculartothe
firsttoprotectcaptureddune
sandfromcrosswinds.Space
perpendicularfencesagreater
distanceapart(50-75feet).
Supportfencingmaterial
with2x4-inchor3-inchround
posts,6feetlongminimum,drivenfirmlyintothegroundatleast2feetand
spacedapproximately12feetapart.Alterspacingsothatpostsareplaced
atalllowpoints.Securefencingtowindwardsideofpostsbytyingor
nailing.Pressbottomoffencingmaterialfirmlyintothegroundatall
points.
RaisingtheDune
Whenthefencesystemisapproximatelytwo-thirdsfilledwithsand,
erectanotherseriesoffencesuntildesiredduneheightisreached.
FinalStabilization
Whenthedune-buildingprocess
slowssignificantly,thedunemustbe
permanentlystabilized.Plantingshould
begininNovemberandbecompleted
thefollowingspringevenifthedune
hasnotreachedthedesiredheight.
Vegetationhastensthebuilding
process.Maintainfencesuntil
vegetationiswellestablished.
CommonTroublePoints
Bottomfencelocatedtoolow
Fencewashesout.
Fencesnotmaintainedlongenough
Someseasonsprovidelittleopportunityfordunebuildingandfencesmay
havetobemaintainedforlongerperiods.
Dunenotadequatelystabilizedwithpermanentvegetation
Duneissubjecttoerosionduringstorms,evenwithsandfencesinplace.
Fencingmaterialplacedonleewardsideofpostsornot
adequatelysecured
Sectionsoffencecollapse.
Postsnotdrivendeepenough
Fencecollapses.
Fencesystemlocatedtooneartheocean
Notenoughsandsourcefordunebuilding.
Maintenance
Inspectsandfencesperiodically,andimmediatelyfollowingstorms.
Repairdamagedsectionsoffencepromptly.
Maintainfencesuntilvegetationiswellestablished.
References
NonpointSourceManagementManualBoston,Massachusetts,June,
1993.
February1991.
Sediment Basin
Asedimentbasinisasettlingpondwithacontrolledstormwater
releasestructureusedtocollectandstoresedimentproducedby
constructionactivities.Asedimentbasincanbeconstructedbyexcavation
orbyplacinganearthenembankmentacrossalowareaordrainageswale.
Sedimentbasinscanbedesignedtomaintainapermanentpoolortodrain
completelydry.Thebasindetainssediment-ladenrunofflongenoughto
allowmostofthesedimenttosettleout.
Purpose
$ Tocollectandstoresedimentfromsitesclearedand/orgradedduring
constructionorforextendedperiodsoftimebeforereestablishmentof
permanentvegetationorconstructionofstructures.
$ Toretainsedimentontheconstructionsiteandpreventoff-site
sedimentation.
Sedimentbasinsareneededwhereothererosioncontrolmeasuresare
notadequatetopreventoffsitesedimentation.
Asedimentbasinshouldbeusedonlywhereissufficientspaceand
appropriatetopography.Thebasinshouldbemadelargeenoughtohandle
themaximumexpectedamountofsitedrainage.
Fencingaroundthebasinmaybenecessaryforsafetyorvandalism
reasons.
Asedimentbasinusedincombinationwithothercontrolmeasures,
suchasseedingormulching,isespeciallyeffectiveforremovingsediments.
DamSafetyRegulationsmustbefollowedwhereapplicable.
Advantages
Protectsdownstreamareasfromcloggingordamageduetosediment
depositsgeneratedduringconstructionactivities.
Becauseofadditionaldetentiontime,sedimentpondsmaybecapable
oftrappingsmaller-sizedsedimentparticlesthanotherpractices.Theyare
mosteffective,however,whenusedinconjunctionwithotherpractices
suchasseedingormulching.
Pondsmaybecomeanattractivenuisanceandasafetyhazard.
Sedimentpondsareonlyeffectiveinremovingsedimentdownto
aboutthemediumsiltsizefraction.Sediment-ladenrunoffwithsmaller-
sizefractions(finesiltandclay)willpassthroughuntreated;emphasizing
theneedcontrolerosiontothemaximumextentfirst.
Planning Considerations
Sedimentbasinsareusuallyconstructedbybuildingalowearthen
damacrossadrainagewaytoformatemporarysedimentstoragepool.A
properlydesignedspillwayoutletwithadequatefreeboardisessential.
Asedimentbasinmaybecreatedbyexcavation,constructionofa
compactedembankment,oracombinationofboth.Itmayhaveoneor
moreinflowpointscarryingpollutedrunoff.
Basinsshouldbeinstalledbeforeclearingandgradingbegin.
Toimprovetrapefficiencythebasinshouldhavethemaximum
surfaceareapossible,andsedimentshouldenterthebasinasfarfromthe
outletaspossible.
Sedimentbasinlifeshouldbelimitedto3years,unlessitisdesigned
asapermanentstructure.
Effectiveness
Sedimentbasinsareatbestonly70-80percenteffectiveintrapping
sedimentwhichflowsintothem.Therefore,theyshouldbeusedin
conjunctionwitherosioncontrolpracticessuchastemporaryseeding,
mulching,diversiondikes,etc.toreducetheamountofsedimentflowing
intothebasin.Sedimentbasinsaremosteffectivewhendesignedwitha
seriesofchambers.
Location
Locatesedimentbasinsonlyinuplandareas,notwetlands.
Ensurethatbasinlocationprovidesaconvenientconcentrationpoint
forsedimentladenflowsfromtheareaserved.
Toimprovetheeffectivenessofthebasin,itshouldbelocatedsoas
tointerceptthelargestpossibleamountofrunofffromthedisturbedarea.
Thebestlocationsaregenerallyonrelativelyflatterraindownstreamfrom
disturbedareas.
Drainageintothebasincanbeimprovedbytheuseofdiversiondikes
andditches.
Thebasinmustnotbelocatedinastreambutshouldbelocatedto
trapsediment-ladenrunoffbeforeitentersthestream.
Thebasinshouldnotbelocatedwhereitsfailurewouldresultinthe
lossoflifeorinterruptionoftheuseorserviceofpublicutilitiesorroads.
Diversions
Divertsediment-ladenwatertoupperendofsedimentpooltoimprove
trapeffectiveness.Bringallwaterintothebasinatlowvelocitytoprevent
erosion.
Divertrunofffromundisturbedareasawayfrombasin.
MultipleUse
Sedimentbasinsmaybedesignedaspermanentstructurestoremain
inplaceafterconstructioniscompletedforuseasstormwaterdetention
ponds.Sedimentmustberemovedfromthepondwhenconstructionis
completetopreparethepondforpermanentuse.
Drainagearea- Notmorethan100acres.
Sedimentstorage- Thesedimentbasinshouldhaveaminimumvolume
basedoninchofstorageforeachacreofdrainagearea.Thisvolume
equatesto1800cubicfeetofstorageor67cubicyardsforeachacreof
drainagearea.
Trapefficiency-Length-to-widthratioshouldbe2:1orgreater;divert
inflowtoupperendofbasintoavoidshort-circuitingflow.Lengthis
definedastheaveragedistancefromtheinlettotheoutletofthetrap.
Bafflestospreadtheflowthroughoutthebasinshouldbeincluded.
Dewatering- Perforateriserandcoverholeswithgravel.
Totalspillwaycapacity-10-yearpeakflowwith1footfreeboard.
PrincipalSpillway
Riserandbarrel-Usuallyverticalpiperiserwithhorizontalpipebarrel;
mustwithstandthemaximumexternalloadingwithoutyielding,buckling,
orcracking.Pipeconnectionsmustbewatertight.
CapacityMinimumof0.2cfs/acreofdrainage.
Barreldiameter-8-inchcorrugatedpipeminimum,or6-inchsmooth-wall
pipeminimum.
Risercross-sectionalarea-1.5xbarrelarea,minimum.
Dewatering-Perforatelowerhalfofriserineachoutsidevalleywith-
inchholesspacedapproximately3inches.Ifcorrugatedpipeisused,
locateholesalongeachoutsidevalley.Coverwith2ftof-to-inch
aggregate.
Crestofprincipalspillway-Onefootminimumbelowelevationof
emergencyspillwaycrest.
Seepageprevention-Atleastonewatertightantiseepcollarwitha
minimumprojectionof2feetisrequiredaroundbarrelofpipes8inchesin
diameterorlarger.Theantiseepcollar(s)shallincreaseby15percentthe
seepagepathalongthepipefromtherisertodownstreamtoeofdam.
Anti-flotationblock- Risermustbeheldinplacewithananchorhaving
buoyantweightgreaterthan1.1timestheweightofwaterdisplacedby
riserandanyexposedportionofbarrel.
Trashguard-Requiredattopofriser.
Outlet-Mustbestablefordesignpipedischarge.Installriprapoutlet
apronunlessfoundationisrock.
EmergencySpillway
Capacity-10-yearpeakflow,minusflowinprincipalspillway.
Location-Constructinundisturbedsoil-notfill.
Crosssection-Trapezoidalwithsideslopes3:1orflatter.
Controlsection-Levelandstraight,atleast20feetlong.Outletsection
mustbestraight.
Embankment-Topwidth8feetminimumfordamheightlessthan10feet.
10feetminimumfordamheightof10to15feet.
Sideslopes-2.5:1orflatter.
Settlementallowance-10%ofdesignheight.
Cutofftrench-Requiredtindercenterlineofdam,depth2feetminimum
intoundisturbedfirmmineralsoil.Extendtrenchupeachabutmentto
elevationofemergencyspillwaycrest.Thebottomwidthshouldbewide
enoughtopermitoperationofexcavationandcompactionequipment,but
notlessthan4feetwide.Sideslopesshouldbenosteeperthan1:1.
Fillmaterial-Thefillmaterialshouldbecleanmineralsoilfreeofroots,
woodyvegetation,oversizedstones,rocks,orotherobjectionable
material.Relativelyperviousmaterialssuchassandorgravel(UnifiedSoil
ClassificationGW,GP,SW,andSP)shouldnotbeusedinthefill.
Freeboard-Freeboardisthedifferencebetweenthedesignflow
elevationintheemergencyspillwayandthetopelevationofthe
embankment.Minimumfreeboardshouldbeonefoot.
SitePreparation
Thesedimentbasinshouldbeasclosetothesedimentsourceassite
conditionsallowconsideringsoils,poolarea,damlength,andspillway
conditions.Delayclearingpooluntildamiscompletetoreduceerosionand
off-sitesedimentation.
Clear,grub,andstripdamlocation.Excavateareafortheoutletapron.
Removesurfacesoilcontaininghighamountsoforganicmatterand
stockpileforlateruse.Clearsedimentpooltofacilitatesedimentcleanout.
Disposeoftrees,limbs,logs,andotherdebrisindesignateddisposal
areas.
CutoffTrench
Excavatecutofftrenchalongdamcenterlineextendingupboth
abutmentstoelevationofprincipalspillwaycrest.
Cuttrenchintostablesoilmaterial,atleast2ftwideandatleast2ft
deepwithsideslopes1H:1Vorflatter.
Backfillwithclayeysoilifavailable.Compactionrequirements:same
asthoseforembankment.Thetrenchshouldbede-wateredduringthe
backfillingandcompactionoperations.
PrincipalSpillway
Useonlyapprovedwatertightassembliesasshownintheplansforall
pipeconnections.Rodandlugconnectorbandswithgasketsare
recommendedforcorrugatedpipe.Donotusedimple(universal)
connectorbands.Connectionbetweenpipeandanti-seepcollarmustbe
watertight.
Placebarrelandriseronfirm,evenfoundation.Installanti-seep
collar(s)slightlydownstreamofdamcenterline.
Placemoist,clayey,workablesoilaroundpipeandanti-seepcollars.
Donotuseperviousmaterialsuchassand,gravel,orsilt.Compact4-inch
layersofsoil,byhand,underandaroundpipeandcollarstoatleastthe
densityoffoundationsoil.Avoidraisingpipefromfirmcontactwith
foundationwhilecompactingmaterialunderpipehaunches.
Coverpipetoadepthof2feetminimumofhand-compactedbackfill
beforecrossingitwithconstructionequipment.
Anchorriserinplacewithconcretetopreventflotation.Embed
riseratleast6inchesintoconcrete.
Installtrashguardwithbarsspaced2-3inchesapart.
Installriprapapronatpipeoutlet,width5ftminimum.Extend
aprontostablegrade(length10ftminimum).Usewell-gradedstone
withd50of9inchesminimum.
Embankment
Scarifybaseofdambeforeplacingfill.
Fillmaterialshouldbeplacedin6-to8-inchcontinuouslayersover
theentirelengthofthefillandcompacted.Savetheleastpermeablesoil
forcenterportionofdam.Placethemostpermeablesoilindownstream
toe.
Compactionmaybeobtainedbyroutingthehaulingequipment
overthefillsothattheentiresurfaceofeachlayerofthefillistraversed
byatleastonewheelortreadtrackoftheequipment.Ifcompactionis
obtainedwithhaulingequipment,anelevation10percenthigherthan
thedesignheightisrequiredtoallowforsettlement.Ifcompactorsare
usedforcompaction,theoverbuildmaybereducedtonotlessthan5
percent.
Fillmaterialmustcontainsufficientmoisturethatitcanbeformed
byhandintoaballwithoutcrumbling.Ifwatercanbesqueezedoutof
theball,itistoowetforpropercompaction.
Constructdamtolinesandgradesshowninplan.Sideslopesmust
be2.5:1orflatter.
Compactfillmaterialin6-to8-inchcontinuouslayersoverlengthof
dam.Compactionmaybeobtainedbyroutingconstructionequipment
overfillsothattheentiresurfaceofeachlayeristraversedbyatleast
onewheelofcompactingequipment.Protectspillwaybarrelwith2ftof
hand-compactedfillbeforetraversingwithequipment
Constructembankment10%higherthandesignheighttoallowfor
settlement.
EmergencySpillway
Cutemergencyspillwayinundisturbedsoiltolinesandgrade
shownintheapprovedplan.Sideslopesmustbe3:1orflatter.
Controlsectionmustbelevelandstraight,20ftlongminimum.Exit
sectionmustbestraight.
Vegetatespillwayassoonasgradingiscomplete,followingall
requirementsinvegetationplan.Anchormulchinspillwaywithnetting.
Installpavingmaterialtofinishedgradeifspillwayisnottobe
vegetated.
Cleanout
Placereferencestakeatsedimentcleanoutelevation(50%ofdesign
volume).
ErosionControl
Minimizetheareadisturbedandtimeofexposure.
Excavatetheoutletapronareafirst,touseasasedimenttrapduring
constructionofdam.
Usetemporarydiversionstopreventsurfacewaterfromrunningonto
disturbedareas.
Constructembankmentbeforeclearingthesedimentpool.
Stabilizealldisturbedareasexceptlowerone-halfofsedimentbasin
immediatelyafterconstruction.
Safety
Sedimentbasinsshouldbeinstalledonlyonsiteswherefailureofthe
structurewouldnotresultinlossoflife,damagetohomesorbuildings,or
interruptionofuseorserviceofpublicroadsorutilities.
Sedimentbasinsareattractivetochildrenandcanbeverydangerous.
Keepsedimentpooldewateredbetweenstorms.
Constructsideslopes2:1orflatterinpoolarea.
Fenceareaiftrespassingislikely.Postsignswarningthepublicof
hazardsofsoftsedimentandfloodwater.
Followallstateandlocalrequirements.
CommonTroublePoints
Pipingfailurealongconduit
Duetolackofpropercompaction,omissionofanti-seepcollar,orleaking
pipejoints.
Erosionofspillwayorembankmentslopes
Duetoinadequatevegetationorimpropergradingandsloping.
Slumpingand/orsettlingofembankment
Duetoinadequatecompactionand/oruseofpoor-qualityfillmaterial.
Slumpingfailure
Duetosteepsideslopes.
Erosionandcavingbelowpipe
Duetoinadequateoutletprotection.
Basinnotlocatedproperlyforaccess
Makesmaintenancedifficultandcostly.
Sedimentnotproperlyremoved
Leavesinadequatestoragecapacity.
Lackofanti-flotationpipe
Damagefromuplift.
Lackoftrashrack
Barrelandriserblockedwithdebris.
Elevationsofprincipalspillwayandemergencyspillwaytoohigh
relativetotopofdam
Potentialfailurefromovertopping.
Maintenance
Sedimentbasinsshouldbereadilyaccessibleformaintenanceand
sedimentremoval.Thesedimentbasinshouldremaininoperationandbe
properlymaintaineduntilthesiteareaispermanentlystabilizedby
vegetationand/orwhenpermanentstructuresareinplace.
Inspectsedimentbasinsaftereachsignificantrainfall.
Removeandproperlydisposeofsedimentwhenitaccumulatesto
one-halfdesignvolume(levelmarkedbyreferencestake).The
effectivenessofasedimentpondisbasedlessonitssizethanonregular
sedimentremoval.
Checkembankment,emergencyspillway,andoutletforerosion
damage.
Checkembankmentfor:settlement,seepage,orslumpingalongthe
toeoraroundpipe.Lookforsignsofpiping.Repairimmediately.Remove
trashandotherdebrisfromprincipalspillway,emergencyspillway,and
poolarea.
Cleanorreplacegravelwhensedimentpooldoesnotdrainproperly.
Removebasinafterdrainageareahasbeenpermanentlystabilized,
inspected,andapproved.Beforeremovingdam,drainwaterandremove
sediment;placewastematerialindesignateddisposalareas.Smoothsite
toblendwithsurroundingareaandstabilize.
References
ConstructionActivities,EPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,1992.
Sediment Fence
Atemporarysedimentbarrier
consistingofafilterfabric
stretchedacrossandattachedto
supportingpostsandentrenched.
Thesedimentfenceisconstructed
ofstakesandsyntheticfilterfabric
witharigidwirefencebacking
wherenecessaryforsupport.
Sedimentfencecanbe
purchasedwithpocketspresewntoacceptuseofsteelfenceposts.
Purpose
Asedimentfenceinterceptsanddetainssmallamountsofsediment
fromdisturbedareasduringconstructionoperationsandreducesrunoff
velocitydownaslope.
Sedimentfencesmayalsobeusedtocatchwind-blownsandandto
createananchorforsanddunecreation.
$ Belowsmalldisturbedareasoflessthanacreper100feetoffence,
whererunoffmayoccurintheformofsheetandrillerosion.
$ Wherethereisnoconcentrationofwaterinachannelorother
drainagewayabovethefence,anddrainageareaisusuallynotmorethan1-
acres.
$ Whererunoffcanbestoredbehindthesedimentfencewithout
damagingthefence,orthesubmergedareabehindthefence.
$ Whereerosionwouldoccuronlyintheformofsheeterosion.
$ Donotinstallsedimentfencesacrossstreams,ditches,orwaterways.
Advantages
$ Removessedimentsandpreventsdownstreamdamagefromsediment
deposits
$ Reducesthespeedofrunoffflow
$ Minimalclearingandgrubbingrequiredforinstallation
$ Sedimentfencestrapamuchhigherpercentageofsuspended
sedimentsthanstrawbales.
Sedimentfencesarenotpracticalwherelargeflowsofwaterare
involved.Theiruseisrecommendedonlyforsmalldrainageareas,andflow
ratesoflessthan0.5cfs.
Flowshouldnotbeconcentrated;itshouldbespreadoutovermany
linearfeetofsedimentfence.
Problemsmayarisefromincorrectselectionoffilterfabricorfrom
improperinstallation.
Sedimentfencesarenotanadequatemethodofrunoffcontrolfor
anythingdeeperthansheetoroverlandflow.
Sedimentfencesshouldbelocatedwheretheywilltrapsediment;
thatis,wheretherewillbecontributingrunoff.Asedimentfence,located
alongthetopofaridgeservesnousefulpurpose,exceptasitmaybeused
tomarklimitsofaconstructionarea.Asedimentfencelocatedatthe
upperendofadrainageareaperformsnosediment-collectingfunction.
Sedimentfencesarepreferabletostrawbarriersinmanycases.While
thefailurerateislowerthanthatofstrawbarriersthereare,however,
manycasesinwhichsedimentfenceshavebeenimproperlyinstalled.
Sedimentfenceshavealowpermeabilitytoenhancesediment
trapping.Thiswillcreatepondingbehindthefence,sotheyshouldnotbe
locatedwherepondingwillcausepropertydamageorasafetyhazard.
Thesedimentationpoolbehindthefenceisveryeffectiveandmay
reducetheneedforsedimentbasinsandtraps.
Sedimentfencesmaybedesignedtostorealltherunofffromthe
designstormorlocatedtoallowbypassflowwhenthetemporary
sedimentpoolreachesapredeterminedlevel.
Thedrainageareamustberestrictedandthefencelocatedsothat
waterdepthdoesnotexceed1.5feetatanypoint.
Theexpectedlifeofasedimentfenceisgenerallysixmonths.
Tousesedimentfenceseffectively,provideaccesstothelocations
wheresedimentaccumulatesandprovidereinforced,stabilizedoutletsfor
emergencyoverflow.
Sedimentfenceismosteffectivewhenusedinconjunctionwithother
practicessuchasperimeterdikesordiversions.
Allowforsafebypassofstormflowtopreventovertoppingfailureof
fence.
Donotinstallsedimentfenceacrossintermittentorpermanent
streams,channels,oranylocationwhereconcentratedflowisanticipated.
Itisnotnecessarytousestraworhaybalestogetherwithasediment
fence.
Depthofimpoundedwatershouldnotexceed1.5feetatanypoint
alongthefence.
Drainagearea
Limitedtoacreper100ftoffence,andnomorethan1.5acresintotal;or
incombinationwithasedimentbasinonalargersite.Areaisfurther
restrictedbyslopesteepnessasshowninthefollowingtable.
LandSlope(%)
2
5
10
20
30
MaximumSlope
DistanceAboveFence(feet)
250
180
100
50
30
Location
Locatethefenceatleast10feetfromthetoeofsteepslopesto
providesedimentstorageandaccessforcleanout.
Thefencelineshouldbenearlylevelthroughmostofitslengthto
impoundabroad,temporarypool.Thelast10to20feetateachendofthe
fenceshouldbeswungslightlyuphill(approximately0.5feetinelevation)
toprovidestroage
capacity.
Stabilizedoutlets
arerequiredforbypass
flow,unlessthefenceis
designedtoretainall
runofffromthe10-year
storm.
Thefencelinemay
runslightlyofflevel
(gradelessthan1%)if
itterminatesinalevel
sectionwitha
stabilizedoutlet,diversion,basin,orsedimenttrap.Theremustbeno
gullyingalongthefenceorattheends.Asedimentfenceshouldnotbe
usedasadiversion.
MaterialsandUse
FilterFabric
Thefilterfabricusedinasedimentfencemusthavesufficientstrengthto
withstandvariousstressconditions.Italsomusthavetheabilitytoallow
passageofwaterwhileretainingsoilparticles.Filterfabricforasediment
fenceisavailablecommercially.
Supportposts
Four-inchdiameterpine,1.33lb./linearft.steel,orsoundquality
hardwoodwithaminimumcrosssectionalareaof3.0squareinches.
Steelpostsshouldhaveprojectionsforfasteningfabric.
Drivepostssecurely,atleast16inchesintotheground,onthe
downslopesideofthetrench.Spacepostsamaximumof8feetiffence
issupportedbywire,6feetifextra-strengthfabricisusedwithout
supportwire.Adjustspacingtoplacepostsatlowpointsalongthe
fenceline.
Supportwire
Wirefence(14gaugewith6-inchmesh)isrequiredtosupportstandard-
strengthfabric.
Reinforced,stabilizedoutlets
Anyoutletwherestormflowbypassoccursmustbestabilized
againsterosion.
Setoutletelevationsothatwaterdepthcannotexceed1.5feetat
thelowestpointalongthefenceline.
Setfabricheightat1footmaximumbetweensupportpostsspaced
nomorethan4feetapart.Installahorizontalbracebetweenthe
supportpoststoserveasanoverflowweirandtosupporttopoffabric.
Provideariprapsplashpadaminimum5feetwide,1footdeep,and5
feetlongonlevelgrade.Thefinishedsurfaceoftheriprapshouldblend
withsurroundingarea,allowingnooverfall.Theareaaroundthepad
mustbestable.
Digatrenchapproximately8inchesdeepand4incheswide,oraV-
trench;alongthelineofthefence,upslopeside.
Fastensupportwirefencesecurelytotheupslopesideoffence
postswithwiretiesorstaples.Wireshouldextend6inchesintothe
trench.
Attachcontinuouslengthoffabrictoupslopesideoffenceposts.
Avoidjoints,particularlyatlowpointsinthefenceline.Wherejointsare
necessary,fastenfabricsecurelytosupportpostsandoverlaptothe
nextpost.
Placethebottomonefootoffabricinthetrench.Backfillwith
compactedearthorgravel.
Filterclothshallbefastenedsecurelytothewovenwirefencewith
tiesspacedevery24inchesatthetop,mid-section,andbottom.
Toreducemaintenance,ashallowsedimentstorageareamaybe
excavatedontheupslopesideoffencewheresedimentationisexpected.
Providegoodaccesstodepositionareasforcleanoutand
maintenance.
Sedimentfencesshouldberemovedwhentheyhaveservedtheir
usefulpurpose,butnotbeforetheupslopeareahasbeenpermanently
stabilized.Retainedsedimentmustberemovedandproperlydisposedof,
ormulchedandseeded.
CommonTroublePoints
Fencesagsorcollapses:
$ Drainageareatoolarge,
$ Toomuchsedimentaccumulationallowedbeforecleanout,
$ Approachtoosteep,or
$ Fencenotadequatelysupported.
Fencefailsfromundercutting:
$ Bottomoffencenotburiedatleast8inchesatallpoints,
$ Trenchnotbackfilledwithcompactedearthorgravel,
$ Fenceinstalledonexcessiveslope,or
$ Fencelocatedacrossdrainageway.
Fenceisovertopped:
$ Storagecapacityinadequate,or
$ Noprovisionmadeforsafebypassofstormflow,or
$ Fencelocatedacrossdrainageway.
Erosionoccursaroundendoffence:
$ Fenceterminatesatelevationbelowthetopofthetemporarypool.
$ Fenceterminatesatunstabilizedarea,or
$ Fencelocatedonexcessiveslope.
Maintenance
Asedimentfencerequiresagreatdealofmaintenance.Siltfences
shouldbeinspectedimmediatelyaftereachrainfallandatleastdaily
duringprolongedrainfall.Repairasnecessary.
Removesedimentdepositspromptlytoprovideadequatestorage
volumeforthenextrainandtoreducepressureonfence.Takecareto
avoidunderminingfenceduringcleanout.
Ifthefabrictears,decomposes,orinanywaybecomesineffective,
replaceitimmediately.
Replaceburlapusedinsedimentfencesafternomorethan60days.
Removeallfencingmaterialsafterthecontributingdrainagearea
hasbeenproperlystabilized.Sedimentdepositsremainingafterthe
fabrichasbeenremovedshouldbegradedtoconformwiththeexisting
topographyandvegetated.
References
1993.
February1991.
ProperSiltFencePerformance,ErosionControl,TheJournalFor
Erosion&SedimentControlProfessionals,Vol.1,No.3,July/August
1994.
1992.
Sediment Trap
Asedimenttrapisformedbyexcavatingapondorbyplacingan
earthenembankmentacrossalowareaordrainageswale.Anoutletor
spillwayisconstructedusinglargestonesoraggregatetoslowtherelease
ofrunoff.Thetrapretainstherunofflongenoughtoallowmostofthesilt
tosettleout.
Purpose
Asedimenttrapinterceptssediment-ladenrunofffromsmalldisturbed
areasanddetainsitlongenoughforthemajorityofthesedimenttosettle
out.
Asedimenttrapisinstalled:
$ Asclosetothedisturbedareaorsourceofsedimentasphysically
possible;
$ Wherethedrainageareaislessthan5acres;and
$ Whererunofffromundisturbedareascanbeexcludedfromthe
structure.
Asedimenttrapmaybeusedinconjunctionwithothertemporary
measures,suchasgravelconstructionentrances,vehiclewashareas,slope
drains,diversiondikesandswales,ordiversionchannels.
Advantages
$ Reducedsedimentdepositsdownstream.
$ Isinexpensiveandsimpletoinstall.
$ Cansimplifythedesignprocessbytrappingsedimentatspecificspots
onsite.
$ Disadvantages/Problems
$ Effectiveonlyifproperlymaintained.
$ Willnotremoveveryfinesiltsandclays.
$ Servesonlylimitedareas.
Temporarysedimenttrapsareusuallyinstalledindrainagewayswith
smallwatersheds.Theymaybeusedatastormdraininletoroutlet.
Locatesedimenttrapasnearthesedimentsourceastopography
allows.
Divertrunofffromallundisturbedareasawayfromsedimenttrap.
Sedimenttrapsshouldbeinstalledbeforeanylanddisturbancetakes
placeinthedrainagearea.
Drainagearea-Notmorethan5acres.
Sedimentstorage-Thesedimenttrapshouldhaveaminimumvolume
basedoninchofstorageforeachacreofdrainagearea.Thisvolume
equatesto1800cubicfeetofstorageor67cubicyardsforeachacreof
drainagearea.
Trapefficiency-Length-to-widthratioshouldbe2:1orgreater;divert
inflowtoupperendofbasintoavoidshort-circuitingflow.Lengthis
definedastheaveragedistancefromtheinlettotheoutletofthetrap.
Structurelife-Limitedto2years.
Embankment-Themaximumheightofthesedimenttrapembankment
shouldbe5feetwhenmeasuredfromthelowestpointofnaturalground
onthedownstreamsideoftheembankment.Theminimumtopwidthof
theembankmentshouldbe5feet.Thesideslopesoftheembankment
shouldbe2:1,horizontaltovertical,orflatter.
Excavations-Whenexcavationisnecessarytoobtaintherequired
storage,thesideslopesshouldbenosteeperthan2:1,horizontalto
vertical,intheexcavatedportionofthebasin.
Outlets-Theoutletshouldbedesignedsothatsedimentdoesnotleave
thetrapanderosiondoesnottakeplacebelowtheoutlet.Theoutlets
mustemptyontoundisturbedground,intoawatercourse,stabilized
channelorastormsewersystem.
Capacity-10-yrpeakstorm.
Stone-Hard,angular,well-gradedmixturewithd50of9inches
minimum.Insidefacinglinedwitha1-footthicklayerof-to-inch
washedaggregate.
Sideslopes-Spillwayandexcavatedbasin,2:1orflatter.
Protectionfrompiping-Filterfabricoracut-offtrenchisrequired
betweenthestonespillwayoutletsectionandthecompacted
embankment.
Spillwaydepth-1.5ftminimumbelowdesigned,settledtopof
embankment.Freeboard-0.5footminimum.
Spillwaywidth
Drainage Minimum
Area BottomWidth
(acres) (feet)
1 4.0
2 6.0
3 8.0
4 10.0
5 12.0
Outletapron-5-ftlong,minimum,onlevelgradewithfilterfabric
foundation.
Embankment
$ Clear,grub,andstripallvegetationandrootmatfromareaof
embankment.Usestablemineralsoilfreeofroots,rocks,debris,organic
material,andotherobjectionablematerial.
$ Placeembankmentfillin9-inchlifts,maximum.Thefillshouldbe
compactedbyroutingconstructionequipmentsothattheentireareaof
thefillistransversedbyatleastonewheelortreadtrackofthe
equipment.Constructsideslopes2:1orflatter(3:1recommendedfor
backslopetoimprovestabilityofstonespillway).
$ Overfillembankmentto6inchesabovedesignelevationtoallowfor
settlement.
$ Outletcrestelevationsshouldbeatleastonefootbelowthetopofthe
embankment.
OutletSection
$ Excavatetrapezoidalstoneoutletsectionfromcompacted
embankment.Allowforthicknessofstonesideslopes(21inches
minimum).
$ Installfilterfabricunderriprap.Extendfabricupthesidestotopof
embankment.
APlacespecifiedstonetolinesandgradesshownonplans,workingthe
smallerstonesintothevoidstoachieveadensemass.Spillwaycrestmust
belevelwithminimuminsidedimensionspecifiedinplan.Measure
spillwaydepthfromthehigheststonesinthespillwaytothedesign
elevationofdam.Minimumdepthis1.5foot.
$ Keepsidesofthestoneoutletsectionatleast21inchesthick
throughthelevelsectionandthedownstreamfaceofdam.
$ Extendoutletapronbelowtoeofdamonlevelgradeuntilstable
conditionsarereached(5feetminimum).Edgesandendofthestone
apronsectionmustbeflushwithsurroundingground.Nooverfall
shouldexist.
$ Coverinsidefaceofstoneoutletsectionwitha1-footthicklayerof
-to-inchaggregate.
Vegetation
Allembankments,earthspillways,anddisturbedareasdownstream
fromthestructureshouldbevegetatedwithin3daysofcompletionof
theconstructionofthestructure.Ifthestructureisnotplannedfor
morethanonevegetativegrowingseason,thestructuremaybe
vegetatedusinginTemporarySeedingrecommendations.Basinsthat
willbecarriedoverthewinterandintothenextvegetativegrowing
seasonshouldbevegetatedusingPermanentSeeding
recommendations.
CommonTroublePoints
Inadequatespillwaysize
Resultsinovertoppingofdam,poortrapefficiencyandpossiblefailureof
thestructure.Modificationoftheplanmayberequired.
Omissionoforimproperinstallationoffilterfabric
Resultsinwashoutundersidesorbottomofthestoneoutletsection
(piping).
Lowpointinembankmentcausedbyinadequatecompactionand
settling
Resultsinovertoppingandpossiblefailure.
Stoneoutletaprondoesnotextendtostablegrade
Resultsinerosionbelowthedam.
Stonesizetoosmallorbackslopetoosteep
Resultsinstonedisplacement.
Inadequatevegetativeprotection
Resultsinerosionofembankment.
Inadequatestoragecapacity
Sedimentnotremovedfrombasinfrequentlyenough.
Contactslopebetweenstonespillwayandearthembankmenttoosteep
Pipingfailureislikely.
Maintenance
Theeffectivelifeofasedimenttrapdependsuponadequate
maintenance.Thetrapshouldbereadilyaccessibleforperiodic
maintenanceandsedimentremoval.
Setastakeatone-halfthedesigndepth.Thiswillbethecleanout
level.Removesedimentwhenithasaccumulatedtoone-halfthedesign
depth.
Inspectsedimenttrapsaftereachsignificantrainfallevent.Repairany
erosionandpipingholesimmediately.
Cleanorreplacespillwaygravelfacingifclogged.
Promptlyreplaceanydisplacedriprap,beingcarefulthatnostonesin
thespillwayareabovedesigngrade.
Inspectvegetation;reseedandremulchifnecessary.
Checkspillwaydepthperiodicallytoensureminimumof1.5ftdepth
fromlowestpointofthesettledembankmenttohighestpointofspillway
crest.Fillanylowareasoftheembankmenttomaintaindesignelevation.
Afterallsediment-producingareashavebeenstabilized,inspected,
andapproved,removethestructureandallunstablesediment.Smoothsite
toblendwithadjoiningareasandstabilizeinaccordancewithvegetation
plan.
References
February1991.
1992.
Seeding, Permanent
Theestablishmentofperennial
vegetativecoverondisturbedareas.
Purpose
Permanentseedingofgrass
andplantingtreesandshrubs
providesstabilizationtothesoilby
holdingsoilparticlesinplace.
Vegetationreduces
sedimentsandrunoffto
downstreamareasbyslowingthe
velocityofrunoffandpermittinggreaterinfiltrationoftherunoff.
Vegetationalsofilterssediments,helpsthesoilabsorbwater,
improveswildlifehabitats,andenhancestheaestheticsofasite.
$ Permanentseedingandplantingisappropriateforanygradedor
clearedareawherelong-livedplantcoverisneededtostabilizethesoil.
$ Areaswhichwillnotbebroughttofinalgradeforayearormore.
$ Someareaswherepermanentseedingisespeciallyimportantare
filterstrips,bufferareas,vegetatedswales,steepslopes,andstream
banks.
$ Thispracticeiseffectiveonareaswheresoilsareunstablebecause
oftheirtextureorstructure,highwatertable,winds,orsteepslope.
Advantages
Advantagesofseedingoverothermeansofestablishingplantsinclude
thesmallinitialestablishmentcost,thewidevarietyofgrassesand
legumesavailable,lowlaborrequirement,andeaseofestablishmentin
difficultareas.
Seedingisusuallythemosteconomicalwaytostabilizelargeareas.
Wellestablishedgrassandgroundcoverscangiveanaesthetically
pleasing,finishedlooktoadevelopment.
Onceestablished,thevegetationwillservetopreventerosionand
retardthevelocityofrunoff.
Disadvantageswhichmustbedealtwitharethepotentialforerosion
duringtheestablishmentstage,aneedtoreseedareasthatfailtoestablish,
limitedperiodsduringtheyearsuitableforseeding,andaneedforwater
andappropriateclimaticconditionsduringgermination.Vegetationand
mulchcannotpreventsoilslippageanderosionifsoilisnotinherently
stable.
Coarse,highgrassesthatarenotmowedcancreateafirehazardinsome
locales.Veryshortmowedgrass,however,provideslessstabilityand
sedimentfilteringcapacity.
Grassplantedtotheedgeofawatercoursemayencouragefertilizingand
mowingnearthewatersedgeandincreasenutrientandpesticide
contamination.
Dependsinitiallyonclimateandweatherforsuccess.
Mayrequireregularirrigationtoestablishandmaintain.
Planningconsiderations
Selectionoftherightplantmaterialsforthesite,goodseedbed
preparation,timing,andconscientiousmaintenanceareimportant.
Wheneverpossible,nativespeciesofplantsshouldbeusedfor
landscaping.Theseplantsarealreadyadaptedtothelocaleand
survivabilityshouldbehigherthanwithintroducedspecies.
Nativespeciesarealsolesslikelytorequireirrigation,whichcanbea
largemaintenanceburdenandisneithercost-effectivenorecologically
sound.
Ifnon-nativeplantspeciesareused,theyshouldbetolerantofalarge
rangeofgrowingconditions,aslow-maintenanceaspossible,andnot
invasive.
Considerthemicroclimatewithinthedevelopmentarea.Lowareas
maybefrostpocketsandrequirehardiervegetationsincecoldairtendsto
sinkandflowtowardslowspots.South-facingslopesmaybemoredifficult
tore-vegetatebecausetheytendtobesunnieranddrier.
Divertasmuchsurfacewateraspossiblefromtheareatobeplanted.
Removeseepagewaterthatwouldcontinuetohaveadverseeffectson
soilstabilityortheprotectingvegetation.Subsurfacedrainageorother
engineeringpracticesmaybeneeded.Inthissituation,apermitmaybe
neededfromthelocalConservationCommission:checkaheadoftimeto
avoidconstructiondelays.
Provideprotectionfromequipment,tramplingandotherdestructive
agents.
Vegetationcannotbeexpectedtosupplyanerosioncontrolcoverand
preventslippageonasoilthatisnotstableduetoitstexture,structure,
watermovement,orexcessiveslope.
Seeding Grasses and Legumes
Installneededsurfacerunoffcontrolmeasuressuchasgradient
terraces,berms,dikes,levelspreaders,waterways,andsedimentbasins
priortoseedingorplanting.
SeedbedPreparation
Ifinfertileorcoarse-texturedsubsoilwillbeexposedduringland
shaping,itisbesttostockpiletopsoilandrespreaditoverthefinished
slopeataminimum2-to6-inchdepthandrollittoprovideafirm
seedbed.Ifconstructionfilloperationshaveleftsoilexposedwitha
loose,rough,orirregularsurface,smoothwithbladeandroll.
Loosenthesoiltoadepthof3-5incheswithsuitableagriculturalor
constructionequipment.
Areasnottoreceivetopsoilshallbetreatedtofirmtheseedbedafter
incorporationofthelimeandfertilizersothatitisdepressednomore
than-1inchwhensteppedonwithashoe.Areastoreceivetopsoil
shallnotbefirmeduntilaftertopsoilingandlimeandfertilizeris
appliedandincorporated,atwhichtimeitshallbetreatedtofirmthe
seedbedasdescribedabove.Thiscanbedonebyrollingor
cultipacking.
CoolSeasonGrasses
CoolSeasonGrassesgrowrapidlyinthecoolweatherofspringandfall,
andsetseedinJuneandJuly.Coolseasongrassesbecomedormant
whensummertemperaturespersistabove85degreesandmoistureis
scarce.
LimeandFertilizer
ApplylimeandfertilizeraccordingtosoiltestandcurrentExtension
Servicerecommendations.Inabsenceofasoiltest,applylime(apHof
5.5-6.0isdesired)atarateof2.5tonsperacreand10-20-20analysis
fertilizeratarateof500poundsperacre(40%ofNtobeinanorganic
orslowreleaseform).Incorporatelimeandfertilizerintothetop2-3
inchesofsoil.
SeedingDates
Seedingoperationsshouldbeperformedwithinoneofthefollowing
periods:
$ April1-May31,
$ August1-September10,
$ November1-December15asadormantseeding(seedingrates
shallbeincreasedby50%fordormantseedings).
SeedingMethods
Seedingshouldbeperformedbyoneofthefollowingmethods.Seed
shouldbeplantedtoadepthoftoinches.
$ Drillseedings,
$ Broadcastandrolled,cultipackedortrackedwithasmalltrack
pieceofconstructionequipment,
$ Hydroseeding,withsubsequenttracking.
Mulch
Mulchtheseedingswithstrawappliedattherateoftonsperacre.
Anchorthemulchwitherosioncontrolnettingorfabriconslopingareas.
Warm Season Grasses
WarmSeasonGrassesbegingrowthslowlyinthespring,growrapidlyin
thehotsummermonthsandsetseedinthefall.Manywarmseason
grassesaresensitivetofrostinthefall,andthetopgrowthmaydieback.
Growthbeginsfromtheplantbasethefollowingspring.
LimeandFertilizer
LimetoattainapHofatleast5.5.Applya0-10-10analysisfertilizeratthe
rateof600lbs./acre.
Incorporatebothintothetop2-3inchesofsoil.(30lbs.ofslowrelease
nitrogenshouldbeappliedafteremergenceofgrassinthelatespring.)
SeedingDates
Seedingoperationsshouldbeperformedasanearlyspringseeding(April
1-May15)withtheuseofcoldtreatedseed.Alatefallearlywinterdormant
seeding(November1-December15)canalsobemade,howeverthe
seedingratewillneedtobeincreasedby50%.
SeedingMethods
Seedingshouldbeperformedbyoneofthefollowingmethods:
$ Drillseedings(de-awnedorde-beardedseedshouldbeusedunlessthe
drillisequippedwithspecialfeaturestoacceptawnedseed).
$ Broadcastseedingwithsubsequentrolling,cultipackingortrackingthe
seedingwithsmalltrackconstructionequipment.Trackingshouldbe
orientedupanddowntheslope.
$ Hydroseedingwithsubsequenttracking.Ifwoodfibermulchisused,it
shouldbeappliedasaseparateoperationafterseedingandtrackingto
assuregoodseedtosoilcontact.
Mulch
Mulchtheseedingswithstrawappliedattherateoftonsperacre.
Anchorthemulchwitherosioncontrolnettingorfabriconslopingareas.
Seed Mixtures for Permanent Cover
Recommendedmixturesforpermanentseedingareprovidedonthefollowing
pages.Selectplantspecieswhicharesuitedtothesiteconditionsandplanned
use.Soilmoistureconditions,oftenthemajorlimitingsitefactor,areusually
classifiedasfollows:
Dry-Sandsandgravelstosandyloams.Noeffectivemoisturesupplyfrom
seepageorahighwatertable.
Moist-Welldrainedtomoderatelywelldrainedsandyloams,loams,andfiner;
orcoarsertexturedmaterialwithmoderateinfluenceonrootzonefrom
seepageorahighwatertable.
Wet-Alltextureswithawatertableatorverynearthesoilsurface,orwith
enduringseepage.
Whenotherfactorsstronglyinfluencesiteconditions,theplantsselected
mustalsobetolerantoftheseconditions.
PermanentSeedingMixtures
Seed,Poundsper:
Mix Site SeedMixture Acre 1,000sf Remarks
1 Dry LittleBluestem *UseWarmSeasonplantingprocedure.
orBroomsedge 10 0.25 *Roadsides
TumbleLovegrass* 1 0.10 *SandandGravelStabilization
Switchgrass 10 0.25 *Cloverrequiresinoculationwithnitrogen-
fixingbacteria
BushClover* 2 0.10
RedTop 1 0.10 *RatesforthismixareforPLS.
2 Dry Deertongue 15 0.35 *UseWarmSeasonplantingprocedures.
Broomsedge 10 0.25 *Acidsites/Minespoil
BushClover* 2 0.10 *Cloverrequiresinoculationwithnitrogen-
fixingbacteria.
RedTop 1 0.10
*RatesforthismixareforPLS.
3 Dry BigBluestem 10 0.25 *UseWarmSeasonplantingprocedures.
IndianGrass 10 0.25 *EasternPrairieappearance
Switchgrass 10 0.25 *SandandGravelpits.
LittleBluestem 10 0.25 *GolfCourseWildAreas
RedTopor 1 0.10 *SanitaryLandfillCoverseeding
PerennialRyegrass 10 0.25 *WildlifeAreas
*OKtosubstitutePovertyDropseedinplace
ofRedTop/Ryegrass.
*RatesforthismixareforPLS.
4 Dry FlatPea 25 0.60 *UseCoolSeasonplantingprocedures
RedTopor 2 0.10 *UtilityRights-of-Ways(tendstosuppress
PerennialRyegrass 15 0.35 woodygrowth)
5 Dry LittleBluestem 5 0.10 *UseWarmSeasonplantingprocedures.
Switchgrass 10 0.25 *Coastalsites
BeachPea* 20 0.45 *RatesforBluesteinandSwitchgrassarefor
PerennialRyegrass 10 0.25 PLS.
6 Dry- RedFescue 10 0.25 *UseCoolSeasonplantingprocedure.
Moist CanadaBluegrass 10 0.25 *Providesquickcoverbutisnon-aggressive;
PerennialRyegrass 10 0.25 willtendtoallowindigenousplant
colonization.
RedTop 1 0.10 *Generalerosioncontrolonvarietyofsites,
includingforestroads,skidtrailsand
landings.
7 Moist- Switchgrass 10 0.25 *UseWarmSeasonplantingprocedure.
Wet VirginiaWildRye 5 0.10 *Coastalplain/floodplain
BigBluestem 15 0.35 *RatesforBluestemandSwitchgrassarefor
RedTop 1 0.10 PLS.

PermanentSeedingMixtures
Seed,Poundsper:
Mix Site SeedMixture Acre 1,000sf Remarks
8 Moist
Wet
CreepingBentgrass
FringedBromegrass
FowlMeadowgrass
BluejointReedgrass
orRiceCutgrass
PerennialRyegrass
5
5
5
2
10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.25
*UseCoolSeasonplantingprocedures.
*PondBanks
*Waterways/ditchbanks
9 Moist RedFescue 5 0.10 *SaltTolerant
Wet CreepingBentgrass 2 0.10 *FescueandBentgrassprovidelow
growingappearance,while
Switchgrassprovidestallcoverfor
wildlife.
Switchgrass
PerennialRyegrass
8
10
0.20
0.25
10 Moist
Wet
RedFescue
CreepingBentgrass
VirginiaWildRye
WoodReedGrass*
ShowyTickTrefoil*
5
5
8
1
1
0.10
0.10
0.20
0.10
0.10
*UseCoolSeasonplantingprocedure.
*Trefoilrequiresinoculationwith
nitrogenfixingbacteria.
*Suitableforforestaccessroads,skid
trailsandotherpartialshade
situations.
11 Moist
Wet
CreepingBentgrass
BluejointReedGrass
5
1
0.10
0.10
*Suitableforwaterways,pondorditch
banks.
VirginiaWildRye
FowlMeadowGrass
3
10
0.10
0.25
*Trefoilrequiresinoculationwith
nitrogenfixingbacteria.
ShowyTickTrefoil*
RedTop
1
1
0.10
0.10
12 Wet BlueJointReedGrass
CanadaMannaGrass
1
1
0.10
0.10
*OKtoseedinsaturatedsoil
RiceCutGrass 1 0.10
conditions,butnotinstandingwater.
CreepingBentGrass 5 0.10 *Suitableasstabilizationseedingfor
createdwetland.
FowlMeadowGrass 5 0.10 *Allspeciesinthismixarenativeto
Massachusetts.
13 Dry-
Moist
AmericanBeachgrass 18
centers
18
centers
*Vegetativeplantingwithdormant
culms,3-5culmsperplanting
14 Inter- SmoothCordgrass 12-18 12-18 *Vegetativeplantingwithtransplants.
Tidal SaltmeadowCordgrass centers centers
Notes:
*SpeciessuchasTumbleLovegrass,FringedBromegrass,WoodReedgrass,
BushCloverandBeachPea,whileknowntobecommerciallyavailablefrom
specificseedsuppliers,maynotalwaysbeavailablefromyourparticularseed
suppliers.ThelocalNaturalResourcesConservationServiceofficemaybe
abletohelpwithasourceofsupply.Intheeventaparticularspecieslistedin
amixcannotbeobtained,however,itmaybepossibletosubstituteanother
species.
Seed mixtures by courtesy of Natural Resources Conservation Service, Amherst, MA.
(PLS)PureLiveSeed
WarmSeasongrassseedissoldandplantedonthebasisofpurelive
seed.Anadjustmentismadetothebulkrateoftheseedtocompensate
forinertmaterialandnon-viableseed.Percentofpureliveseedis
calculatedbymultiplyingthepercentpuritybythepercent
germination;(%purity)x(%germination)=percentPLS.
Forexample,iftheseedingratecallsfor10lbs./acrePLSandtheseed
lothasapurityof70%andgerminationof75%,thePLSfactoris:
(.70x.75)=.53
10lbs.dividedby.53=approx.19lbs.
Therefore,19lbsofseedfromtheparticularlotwillneedtobe
appliedtoobtain10lbs.ofpureliveseed.
SpecialNote
TallFescue,ReedCanaryGrass,CrownvetchandBirdsfootTrefoilare
nolongerrecommendedforgeneralerosioncontrolusein
Massachusettsduetotheinvasivecharacteristicsofeach.Ifthese
speciesareused,itisrecommendedthattheecosystemofthesitebe
analyzedfortheeffectsspeciesinvasivenessmayimpose.Themixes
listedintheabovemixturesincludeeitherspeciesnativeto
Massachusettsornon-nativespeciesthatarenotperceivedtobe
invasive,aspertheMassachusettsNativePlantAdvisoryCommittee.
WetlandsSeedMixtures
Fornewlycreatedwetlands,awetlandsspecialistshoulddesign
plantingstoprovidethebestchanceofsuccess.Donotuseintroduced,
invasiveplantslikereedcanarygrass(Phalarisarundinacea)orpurple
loosestrife(Lythrumsalicaria).Usingplantssuchasthesewillcausemany
moreproblemsthantheywillsolve.
Thefollowinggrassesallthriveinwetlandsituations:
W FreshWaterCordgrass(Spartina pectinata)
W Marsh/CreepingBentgrass(Agrostis stolonifera, var. Palustric)
W Broomsedge(Andropogon virginicus)
W FringedBromegrass(Bromus ciliatus)
W BlueJointReedGrass(Calamagrostis cavedensis)
W FowlMeadowGrass(Glyceria striata)
W RiverbankWildRye(Elymus riparius)
W RiceCutgrass(Leersia oryzoides)
W StoutWoodReed(Cinna arundinacea)
W CanadaMannaGrass(Glyceria canadensis)
AsamplewetlandsseedmixdevelopedbyTheNewEngland
EnvironmentalWetlandPlantNurseryisshownonthefollowingpage.
WetlandSeedMixture
TheNewEnglandEnvironmentalWetlandPlantNurseryhas
developedaseedmixturewhichisspecificallydesignedtobeusedin
wetlandreplicationprojectsandstormwaterdetentionbasins.Itis
composedofseedsfromavarietyofindigenouswetlandspecies.
Establishinganativewetlandplantunderstoryintheseareasprovides
quickerosioncontrol,wildlifefoodandcover,andhelpstoreducethe
establishmentofundesirableinvasivespeciessuchasPhragmitesand
purpleloosestrife(Lythrumsalicaria).Thespecieshavebeenselectedto
representvaryingdegreesofdroughttolerance,andwillestablish
themselvesbaseduponmicrotopographyandtheresultingvariationin
soilmoisture.
165
CommonName
(Scientific Name) %inMix Comments
LuridSedge
(Carex lurida)
30 Alowgroundcoverthattoleratesmesicsites
inadditiontosaturatedareas;prolificseeder
insecondgrowingseason.
FowlMeadowGrass
(Glyceria Canadensis)
25 Prolificseedproducerthatisavaluable
wildlifefoodsource.
FringedSedge
(Carex crinita)
10 Amediumtolargesedgethattolerates
saturatedareas;goodseedproducer.
Joe-PyeWeed
(Eupatoriadelphus maculatus)
10 Floweringplantthatisvaluableforwildlife
cover.Growsto4feet.
BrookSedge
(Carex spp., Ovales group)
10 Toleratesawiderangeofhydrologic
conditions.
Woolgrass
(Scirpus cyperinus)
5 Toleratesfluctuatinghydrology.
Boneset
(Eupatorium perfoliatum)
5 FloweringPlantthatisvaluableforwildlife
cover.Growsto3feet.
TussockSedge
(Carex stricta)
<5 Growsinelevatedhummocksonwetsites,
maygrowrhizomonouslyondriersites.
BlueVervain
(Verbena hastata)
<5 Anativeplantthatbearsattractive,blue
flowers.
Therecommendedapplicationrateisonepoundper5,000squarefeetwhenusedasan
understorycover.Thisrateshouldbeincreasedtoonepoundper2,500squarefeetfor
detentionbasinsandothersiteswhichrequireaverydensecover.Forbestresults,alatefall
applicationisrecommended.Thismixisnotrecommendedforstandingwater.
Maintenance
Inspectseededareasforfailureandmakenecessaryrepairsand
reseedimmediately.Conductorfollow-upsurveyafteroneyearand
replacefailedplantswherenecessary.
Ifvegetativecoverisinadequatetopreventrillerosion,overseedand
fertilizeinaccordancewithsoiltestresults.
Ifastandhaslessthan40%cover,reevaluatechoiceofplantmaterials
andquantitiesoflimeandfertilizer.Re-establishthestandfollowing
seedbedpreparationandseedingrecommendations,omittinglimeand
fertilizerintheabsenceofsoiltestresults.Iftheseasonpreventsresowing,
mulchorjutenettingisaneffectivetemporarycover.
Seededareasshouldbefertilizedduringthesecondgrowingseason.
Limeandfertilizethereafteratperiodicintervals,asneeded.
References
February1991.
Personalcommunication,RichardJ.DeVergilio,USDA,NaturalResources
ConservationService,Amherst,MA.
1992.
Seeding, Temporary
Plantingrapid-growingannualgrasses,smallgrains,orlegumesto
provideinitial,temporarycoverforerosioncontrolondisturbedareas.
Purpose
Totemporarilystabilize
areasthatwillnotbe
broughttofinalgradefora
periodofmorethan30
workingdays.
Tostabilizedisturbedareas
beforefinalgradingorina
seasonnotsuitablefor
permanentseeding.
Temporaryseedingcontrolsrunoffanderosionuntilpermanent
vegetationorothererosioncontrolmeasurescanbeestablished.
Rootsystemsholddownthesoilssothattheyarelessapttobecarried
offsitebystormwaterrunofforwind.
Temporaryseedingalsoreducestheproblemsassociatedwithmudand
dustfrombaresoilsurfacesduringconstruction.
Onanycleared,unvegetated,orsparselyvegetatedsoilsurface
wherevegetativecoverisneededforlessthanoneyear.Applicationsof
thispracticeincludediversions,dams,temporarysedimentbasins,
temporaryroadbanks,andtopsoilstockpiles.
Wherepermanentstructuresaretobeinstalledorextensivere-
gradingoftheareawilloccurpriortotheestablishmentofpermanent
vegetation.
Areaswhichwillnotbesubjectedtoheavywearbyconstruction
traffic.
Areasslopingupto10%for100feetorless,wheretemporary
seedingistheonlypracticeused.
Advantages
Thisisarelativelyinexpensiveformoferosioncontrolbutshould
onlybeusedonsitesawaitingpermanentplantingorgrading.Those
sitesshouldhavepermanentmeasuresused.
Vegetationwillnotonlypreventerosionfromoccurring,butwill
alsotrapsedimentinrunofffromotherpartsofthesite.
Temporaryseedingoffersfairlyrapidprotectiontoexposedareas.
Temporaryseedingisonlyviablewhenthereisasufficientwindowin
timeforplantstogrowandestablishcover.Itdependsheavilyonthe
seasonandrainfallrateforsuccess.
Ifsownonsubsoil,growthwillbepoorunlessheavilyfertilizedand
limed.Becauseoverfertilizationcancausepollutionofstormwaterrunoff,
otherpracticessuchasmulchingalonemaybemoreappropriate.The
potentialforover-fertilizationisanevenworseprobleminornearaquatic
systems.
Onceseeded,areasshouldnotbetravelledover.
Irrigationmaybeneededforsuccessfulgrowth.Regularirrigationis
notencouragedbecauseoftheexpenseandthepotentialforerosionin
areasthatarenotregularlyinspected.
Temporaryseedingsprovideprotectivecoverforlessthanoneyear.
Areasmustbereseededannualorplantedwithperennialvegetation.
Temporaryseedingisusedtoprotectearthensedimentcontrol
practicesandtostabilizedenudedareasthatwillnotbebroughtintofinal
gradeforseveralweeksormonths.Temporaryseedingcanprovideanurse
cropforpermanentvegetation,provideresidueforsoilprotectionand
seedbedpreparation,andhelppreventdustproductionduring
construction.
Uselow-maintenancenativespecieswhereverpossible.
Plantingshouldbetimedtominimizetheneedforirrigation.
Sheeterosion,causedbytheimpactofrainonbaresoil,isthesource
ofmostfineparticlesinsediment.Toreducethissedimentloadinrunoff,
thesoilsurfaceitselfshouldbeprotected.Themostefficientand
economicalmeansofcontrollingsheetandrillerosionistoestablish
vegetativecover.Annualplantswhichsproutrapidlyandsurviveforonly
onegrowingseasonaresuitableforestablishingtemporaryvegetative
cover.Temporaryseedingiseffectivewhencombinedwithconstruction
phasingsobareareasofthesiteareminimizedatalltimes.
Temporaryseedingmaypreventcostlymaintenanceoperationson
othererosioncontrolsystems.Forexample,sedimentbasinclean-outswill
bereducedifthedrainageareaofthebasinisseededwheregradingand
constructionarenottakingplace.Perimeterdikeswillbemoreeffectiveif
notchokedwithsediment.
Properseedbedpreparationandtheuseofqualityseedareimportant
inthispracticejustasinpermanentseeding.Failuretocarefullyfollow
soundagronomicrecommendationswilloftenresultinaninadequatestand
ofvegetationthatprovideslittleornoerosioncontrol.
Soilthathasbeencompactedbyheavytrafficormachinerymayneed
tobeloosened.Successfulgrowthusuallyrequiresthatthesoilbetilled
beforetheseedisapplied.Topsoilingisnotnecessaryfortemporary
seeding;however,itmayimprovethechancesofestablishingtemporary
vegetationinanarea.
Planting Procedures
TimeofPlanting
PlantingshouldpreferablybedonebetweenApril1andJune30,and
September1throughSeptember30.Ifplantingisdoneinthemonthsof
JulyandAugust,irrigationmayberequired.Ifplantingisdonebetween
October1andMarch31,mulchingshouldbeappliedimmediatelyafter
planting.Ifseedingisdoneduringthesummermonths,irrigationofsome
sortwillprobablybenecessary.
SitePreparation
Beforeseeding,installneededsurfacerunoffcontrolmeasuressuch
asgradientterraces,interceptordike/swales,levelspreaders,and
sedimentbasins.
SeedbedPreparation
Theseedbedshouldbefirmwithafairlyfinesurface.
Performallculturaloperationsacrossoratrightanglestotheslope.
SeeTopsoilingandSurfaceRougheningformoreinformationonseedbed
preparation.Aminimumof2to4inchesoftilledtopsoilisrequired.
LimingandFertilization
Applyuniformly2tonsofgroundlimestoneperacre(100lbs.per
1,000Sq.Ft.)oraccordingtosoiltest.
Applyuniformly10-10-10analysisfertilizerattherateof400lbs.per
acre(14lbs.per1,000Sq.Ft.)orasindicatedbysoiltest.Fortypercentof
thenitrogenshouldbeinorganicform.
Workinlimeandfertilizertoadepthof4inchesusinganysuitable
equipment.
SeedingsforTemporaryCover
Species SeedingRateslbs/sq.ft.
1,000Sq.Ft. Acre
Recommended
SeedingDates
AnnualRyegrass 1 40 April1toJune1
Aug.15toSept.15
FoxtailMillet 0.7 30 May1toJune30
Oats 2 80 April1toJuly1
August15toSept.15
WinterRye 3 120 Aug.15toOct.15
Hydro-seedingapplicationswithappropriateseed-mulch-fertilizer
mixturesmayalsobeused.
Seeding
Selectadaptedspeciesfromtheaccompanyingtable.
Applyseeduniformlyaccordingtotherateindicatedinthetableby
broadcasting,drillingorhydraulicapplication.
Coverseedswithsuitableequipmentasfollows:
$Ryegrass inch
$Millet toinch
$Oats 1to1-1/2inches
$Winterrye 1to1-1/2inches.
Mulch
Useaneffectivemulch,suchascleangrainstraw;tackedand/ortied
downwithnettingtoprotectseedbedandencourageplantgrowth.
CommonTroublePoints
Limeandfertilizernotincorporatedtoatleast4inches
Maybelosttorunofforremainconcentratednearthesurfacewherethey
mayinhibitgermination.
Mulchrateinadequateorstrawmulchnottackeddown
Resultsinpoorgerminationorfailure,anderosiondamage.Repair
damagedareas,reseedandmulch.
Annualryegrassusedfortemporaryseeding
Ryegrassreseedsitselfandmakesitdifficulttoestablishagoodcoverof
permanentvegetation.
Seednotbroadcastevenlyorratetoolow
Resultsinpatchygrowthanderosion.
Maintenance
Inspectwithin6weeksofplantingtoseeifstandsareadequate.Check
fordamageafterheavyrains.Standsshouldbeuniformanddense.
Fertilize,reseed,andmulchdamagedandsparseareasimmediately.Tack
ortiedownmulchasnecessary.
Seedsshouldbesuppliedwithadequatemoisture.Furnishwateras
needed,especiallyinabnormallyhotordryweatheroronadversesites.
Waterapplicationratesshouldbecontrolledtopreventrunoff.
171
References
1993.
February1991.
1992.
Silt Curtain
Atemporarysedimentbarrierinstalledparalleltothebankofa
streamorlake.Usedtocontainthesedimentproducedbyconstruction
operationsonthebank
ofastreamorlakeand
allowforitsremoval.
WherePractice
Applies
Thesiltcurtainis
usedalongthebanks
ofstreamsorlakes
wheresedimentcould
polluteordegradethe
streamorlake.
Asiltcurtainisusefulwhereconstructionisonthebankofa
streamorlakeandcoarsesedimentisamajorconcern.Asiltcurtain
willnotkeepthewaterfrombeingmuddyduringconstruction
operations,butitwillcontainthecoarsesedimenttotheconstruction
area.Thecurtainshouldobstructtheflowaslittleaspossibletoreduce
thechanceoffailure.
InstallationRecommendations
Thesiltcurtainshouldbeafilterfabricrecommendedbythe
manufacturerforuseasasiltcurtain.Bothendsofthesiltcurtainshould
betiedintothebank.Thesiltcurtainshouldbeplacedascloseaspossible
tothebank,allowingroomforconstructionoperationsinsidethe
protectedarea.Inaflowingstream,removetrappedsedimentbefore
removingthesiltcurtain.
Thecurtainshouldbeanchoredtothebottomsosedimentcannotgo
beneaththecurtain.Itshouldextendabovenormalwaterlevel.Itcanbe
supportedbyeitherstakesorfloatsofadequatestrength.
Maintenance
Accumulatedsedimentmustberemovedperiodically.Thecurtain
mustbeinspectedoftenandaftereachstorm.Anydamagemustbe
immediatelyrepaired.
References
GuidelinesforSoilErosionandSedimentControl,Hartford,CT,January,
1985.
Slope Drain, Temporary
Apipeextendingfromthetoptothebottomofacutorfillslopeand
dischargingintoa
stabilizedwatercourse
orasedimenttrapping
deviceorontoa
stabilizationarea.Used
tocarryconcentrated
runoffdownsteep
slopeswithoutcausing
gullies,channel
erosion,orsaturation
ofslide-pronesoils
untilpermanentwater
disposalmeasurescan
beinstalled.
Thispracticeappliestoconstructionareaswherestormwaterrunoff
aboveacutorfillwillcauseerosionifallowedtoflowovertheslope.
Advantages
Slopedrainsprovideapotentiallyeffectivemethodofconveying
watersafelydownsteepslopes.
Caremustbetakentocorrectlysitedrainsandnotunderdesign
them.Also,whenclearingtakesplacepriortoinstallingthesedrains,
caremustbetakentorevegetatetheentireeasementarea,otherwise
erosiontendstooccurbeneaththepipeline,resultingingullyformation.
Temporaryslopedrainsaregenerallyusedinconjunctionwith
diversionstoconveyrunoffdownaslopeuntilpermanentwater
disposalmeasurescanbeinstalled.
Thereisoftenasignificantlagbetweenthetimeacutorfillslopeis
completedandthetimeapermanentdrainagesystemcanbeinstalled.
Duringthisperiod,theslopeisparticularlyvulnerabletoerosion.This
situationalsooccursonslopeconstructionwhichistemporarily
delayedbeforefinalgradeisreached.
Whenusedinconjunctionwithdiversiondikes,temporaryslope
drainscanbeusedtoconveystormwaterfromtheentiredrainagearea
aboveaslopetothebaseoftheslopewithouterosion.
Slopedrainsmustextenddownslopetostableoutlets,orspecial
outletprotectionmustbeprovided.
Itisveryimportantthatthesetemporarystructuresbesized,
installed,andmaintainedproperlysincetheirfailurewilloftenresultin
severegullyerosion.Theentrancesectionmustbesecurelyentrenched,
allconnectionsmustbewatertight,andtheconduitmustbestaked
securely.
Temporaryslopedrainsshouldbereplacedwithmorepermanent
structuresassoonasconstructionactivitiespermit.
Capacity
Sufficienttohandlea10-yearpeakflow.Permanentpipeslopedrains
shouldbesizedforthe25-yearpeakflow.
DrainageArea
Themaximumdrainagearearecommendedperpipeistenacres.For
largerareas,arock-linedchannelormorethanonepipeshouldbe
installed.
Material
Strong,flexiblepipesuchasheavyduty,non-perforated,corrugated
plastic.
Pipesize
Basedondrainagearea:
MaximumDrainage MinimumPipe
AreaPerPipe Diameter
(Acres) (Inches)
0.5 12
0.75 15
1.0 18
>1.0 Individuallydesigned
Entrance
Theentranceshouldconsistofastandardflared-endsectionwitha
minimum6-inchmetaltoeplatetopreventrunofffromundercuttingthe
pipeinlet.Theslopeoftheentranceshouldbeatleast3percent.
Connectiontodiversionridgeattopofslope:compactedfilloverpipewith
minimumdimensions1.5-footdepth,4-foottopwidth,and0.5foothigher
thandiversionridge.
Thesoilaroundandunderthepipeandentrancesectionshouldbe
thoroughlycompactedtopreventundercutting.
Theflaredinletsectionshallbesecurelyconnectedtotheslopedrainand
havewatertightconnectingbands.
Slopedrainsectionsshallbesecurelyfastenedtogetherandhavegasketed
watertightfittings,andbesecurelyanchoredintothesoil.
Interceptordikes
Interceptordikesshouldbeusedasneededtodirectrunoffintoaslope
drain.Theheightofthedikeshouldbeatleast1foothigheratallpoints
thanthetopoftheinletpipe.
Outlet
Theareabelowtheoutletmustbestabilizedwithariprapapron.
Ifthepipeslopedrainisconveyingsediment-ladenwater,directallflows
intothesedimenttrappingfacility.
175
CommonTroublePoints
Washoutalongthepipeduetoseepageandpiping
inadequatecompaction,insufficientfill,orinstallationtooclosetoedge
ofslope.
Overtoppingofdiversioncausedbyundersizedorblockedpipe
Drainageareamaybetoolarge.
Overtoppingofdiversioncausedbyimpropergradeofchanneland
ridgeMaintainpositivegrade.
Overtoppingduetopoorentranceconditionsandtrashbuildupatpipe
inletDeepenandwidenchannelatpipeentrance;inspectandclearinlet
frequently.
Erosionatoutlet
Pipenotextendedtostablegradeoroutletstabilizationstructure
needed.
Displacementorseparationofpipe
Tiepipedownandsecurejoints.
CAUTION!!
Donotdivertmorewatertotheslopedrainthanitwasdesignedto
carry.
Maintenance
Failureofatemporaryslopedraincancausesevereerosion
damage.Thispracticerequiresintensivemaintenance.Inspectslope
drainsandsupportingdiversionsonceaweekandaftereveryrainfall
event.
Checkinletforsedimentortrashaccumulation.Clearinletand
restoreproperentrancecondition.Theinletshouldbefreeof
undercutting,andnowatershouldbegoingaroundthepointofentry.If
thereareproblems,theheadwallshouldbereinforcedwithcompacted
earthorsandbags.
Checkfilloverpipeforsettlement,cracking,orpipingholes.Repair
immediately.
Checkforseepageholesatpointwherepipeemergesfromdike.
Repairimmediately.
Checkconduitforevidenceofleaksorinadequatelateralsupport.
Repairimmediately.
Checkoutletforerosionorsedimentation.Clean,repair,orextend
asneeded.
Whenslopeshavebeenstabilized,inspected,andapproved,
removetemporarydiversionsandslopedrainsandstabilizeall
disturbedareas.
References
1993.
February1991.
Sodding
Stabilizingfine-graded
disturbedareasbyestablishing
permanentgrassstandswith
sod.Toprovideimmediate
erosionprotectionorto
stabilizedrainagewayswhere
concentratedoverlandflow
willoccur.
$ Disturbedareaswhich
requireimmediatevegetative
cover.
$ Waterwayscarryingintermittentflow:whereimmediatestabilizationor
aestheticsarefactors;wherevelocitieswillnotexceedthatspecifiedfora
grasslining;andotherlocationswhichareparticularlysuitedto
stabilizationwithsod.
$ Disturbedareasrequiringimmediateandpermanentvegetativecover.
Locationsbestsuitedtostabilizationwithsodare:
$ Areasarounddropinlets,whenthedrainageareahasbeenstabilized.
$ Steepcriticalareas.
$ Ifmowingisrequired,donotusegrasssodonslopessteeperthan3:1.
(Useminimummaintenancegroundcovers.)
177
Advantages
$ Sodgivesanimmediatevegetativecover,whichisbotheffectivein
checkingerosionandisaestheticallypleasing.
$ Providesmorestabilizingprotectionthaninitialseedingthrough
densecoverformedbysod.
$ Produceslowerweedgrowththanseededvegetation.
$ Canbeusedforsiteactivitieswithinashortertimethancanseeded
vegetation.
$ Canbeplacedatanytimeoftheyearaslongasmoistureconditions
inthesoilarefavorableandthegroundisnotfrozen.
$ Sodisexpensive.
$ Sodisheavyandhandlingcostsarehigh.
$ Goodqualitysod,freefromweedspecies,maybedifficulttoobtain.
$ Iflaidinanunfavorableseason,midsummerirrigationmaybe
required.
$ Grassspeciesinthesodmaynotbesuitableforsiteconditions.
$ Ifnotanchoredordrainedproperly,sodwillrollupingrassed
waterways.
Sodrequirescarefulhandlingandissensitivetotransportand
storageconditions.Soilpreparation,installation,andproper
maintenanceareasimportantwithsodaswithseed.
Choosingtheappropriatetypeofsodforsiteconditionsand
intendeduseisoftheutmostimportance.
Installation
Sodshouldbefreeofweedsandbeofuniformthickness
(approximately1inch)andshouldhaveadenserootmatfor
mechanicalstrength.Soddingisaveryexpensivemethodof
establishingagrass-typecoverbutithasthebenefitofgivinginstant
protectionforcriticalareas.Thisvaluemaybewellworththehigher
expense.
SitePreparation
Rakeorharrowtoachieveasmooth,finalgrade.Rollorcultipackto
createasmooth,firmsurfaceonwhichtolaythesod.Donotinstallon
compactedclayorpesticide-treatedsoil.Applytopsoilifneeded.
LimeandFertilizer
LimeaccordingtosoiltesttopH6.5,orintheabsenceofasoiltest,
applylimeattherateof2to3tonsofgroundlimestoneperacre(10-15lbs.
per100sq.feet).
Fertilizeaccordingtosoiltestorattherateof500-1,000lbs.peracre
(1to2poundsper100sq.feet)of10-5-5orsimilarfertilizer.Fertilizer
with40%ormoreofthenitrogeninorganicformispreferred.
Workthelimeandfertilizerintothesoil1or2inchesdeep,and
smooth.
Sod
Selecthigh-quality,healthy,vigorouscertified-classsodwhichisat
leastoneyearoldbutnotolderthanthreeyears.Itshouldbeavarietythat
iswell-adaptedtotheregionandexpectedlevelofmaintenance.Common
sodtypesinclude:Kentuckybluegrassblends,Kentuckybluegrass/Fine
fescuemixesandTallfescue/Kentuckybluegrassmixture.
Sodshouldbemachinecuttoauniformthicknessofinch,plusor
minusinch,atthetimeofcutting.Measurementofthicknessshould
excludetopgrowthorthatch.
Standardsizesectionsofsodshouldbestrongenoughtosupport
theirownweightandretaintheirsizeandshapewhensuspendedvertically
withafirmgraspoftheupper10%ofthesection.
Individualpiecesofsodshouldbecuttosupplierswidthandlength.
Maximumallowabledeviationfromthestandardwidthsandlengthsshould
be5percent.Brokenpadsortornorunevenendswillnotbeaccepted.
Ifsodisnotpurchasedandlocalsodisused,cutthesodinstrips12to
24incheswide,6to10feetlong,andapproximately1-inchesthick.Roll
withrootsouttofacilitatehandling.
Sodshouldnotbeharvestedortransplantedwhenthemoisture
content(excessivelywetordry)mayadverselyaffectitssurvival.
Sodshouldbeharvested,delivered,andinstalledwithinaperiodof36
hours.Storerollsofsodinshadeduringinstallation.Sodnottransplanted
withinthisperiodshouldbeinspectedandapprovedpriortoits
installation.
Sodlabelsshouldbemadeavailabletothejobforemanorinspector.
179
SodPlacement
Rakesoilsurfacetobreakcrustjustbeforelayingsod.During
periodsofhightemperature,lightlyirrigatethesoilimmediatelypriorto
placement.Donotinstallonhot,drysoil,compactedclay,frozensoil,
gravel,orsoilthathasbeentreatedwithpesticides.
Sodstripsshouldbelaidonthecontour,neverupanddownthe
slope,startingatthebottomoftheslopeandworkingup.Installstrips
ofsodwiththeirlongestdimensionperpendiculartotheslope,and
staggerinabrick-likepatternwithsnugevenjoints.Donotstretchor
overlap.Alljointsshouldbebuttedtightlyinordertopreventvoids
whichwouldcausedryingoftheroots.Also,openspacesinviteerosion.
Onslopesgreaterthan3to1,securesodtosurfacesoilwithwood
pegs,wirestaples,orsplitshingles(8to10incheslongbyinchwide).
Theuseofladderswillfacilitateworkonsteepslopes,andprevent
damagetothesod.
Wedgestripssecurelyintoplace.Squaretheendsofeachstripto
provideforaclosetightbond.Staggerjointsatleast12inches.
Matchangledendscorrectlytopreventvoids.Useaknifeor
masonstroweltotrimandfitirregularlyshapedareas.
Trimallareaswherewaterentersorleavesthesoddedareasothat
asmooth,flushjointissecured.
Rollortampsodimmediatelyfollowingplacementtoinsuresolid
contactofrootmatandsoilsurface.
Immediatelyfollowinginstallation,sodshouldbewatereduntil
moisturepenetratesthesoillayerbeneathsodtoadepthof4inches.
Maintainoptimummoistureforatleasttwoweeks.
Whensoddingiscarriedoutinalternatingstrips,orotherpatterns
theareasbetweenthesodshouldbeseededassoonafterthesodding
aspossible.
Surfacewatercannotalwaysbedivertedfromflowingovertheface
oftheslope,butacappingstripofheavyjuteorplasticnetting,properly
secured,alongthecrownoftheslopeandedgeswillprovideextra
protectionagainstliftingandundercuttingofsod.Thesametechnique
canbeusedtoanchorsodinwater-carryingchannelsandothercritical
areas.Wirestaplesmustbeusedtoanchornettinginchannelwork.
SoddedWaterways
Sodprovidesquicker
protectionthanseedingandmay
reducetheriskofearlywashout.
Wheninstallingsodin
waterways,usethetypeofsod
specifiedinthechanneldesign.
Laysodstrips
perpendiculartothedirectionof
waterflowandstaggerinabrick-
likepattern.Staplefirmlyatthe
cornersandmiddleofeachstrip.
Juteorplasticnettingmaybe
peggedoverthesodforfurtherprotectionagainstwashoutduring
establishment.
CommonTroublePoints
Sodlaidonpoorlypreparedsoilorunsuitablesurface.
Grassdiesbecauseitisunabletoroot.
Sodnotadequatelyirrigatedafterinstallation.
Maycauserootdieback;grassdoesnotrootrapidlyandissubjectto
dryingout.
Sodnotanchoredproperly.
Maybeloosenedbyrunoff.
Maintenance
Keepsodmoistuntilitisfullyrooted.
Inspectsoddedareasregularly,especiallyafterlargestormevents.Re-tack,
re-sod,orre-seedasnecessary.
Mowtoaheightof2-3inchesaftersodiswell-rooted.Donotremovemore
thanone-thirdoftheshootinanymowing.
Permanent,fineturfareasrequireyearlymaintenancefertilization.
Fertilizewarm-seasongrassinlatespringtoearlysummer,cool-season
grassinlatewinterandagaininearlyfall.
References
ConstructionActivities,EPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,1992.
181
Straw or Hay Bale Barrier
Atemporarysediment
barrierconsistingofarowof
entrenchedandanchored
strawbales.Usedto
interceptanddetainsmall
amountsofsedimentfrom
disturbedareasoflimited
extenttopreventsediment
fromleavingthesite.
Decreasesthevelocityof
sheetflowsandlow-to-
moderatelevelchannel
flows.
$ Downslopefromdisturbedareassubjecttosheetandrillerosion.
$ Inminorswaleswherethemaximumcontributingdrainageareais
notmorethanoneacre.
$ Whereeffectivenessisrequiredforlessthan3months.
Advantages
Whenproperlyused,strawbalebarriersareaninexpensive
methodofsedimentcontrol.
Strawbalebarriersareeasytomisuse.Theycanbecome
contributorstoasedimentprobleminsteadofasolutionunless
properlylocatedandmaintained.
Itisdifficulttotellifbalesaresecurelyseatedandsnugagainst
eachother.
Straworhaybalebarriersareusedsimilarlytosedimentfence
barriers;specificallywheretheareabelowthebarrierisundisturbed
andvegetated.Balebarriersrequiremoremaintenancethansiltfence
barriersandpermeabilitythroughthebalesisslowerthansediment
fence.
Balesshouldbelocatedwheretheywilltrapsediment;thatis,
wheretherewillbecontributingrunoff.Baleslocatedalongthetopofa
ridgeservenousefulpurpose,excepttomarklimitsofaconstruction
area.Straworhaybaleslocatedattheupperendofadrainagearea
performnosediment-collectingfunction.
Installation
Maximumrecommendedslopelengthsupslopefromstraworhaybale
barriersareasfollows:
PercentSlope Maximumslopelength,feet
1 180
4 100
9 60
14 40
18 30
30 20
(Basedonprovidingstoragefor1.0inchofrunoff.)
Balesshouldbeplacedinasinglerow,lengthwiseonthecontour,with
endsofadjacentbalestightlyabuttingoneanother.
Allbalesshouldbeeitherwire-boundorstring-tied.Strawbalesshould
beinstalledsothatbindingsareorientedaroundthesidesratherthan
alongthetopsandbottomsofthebalesinordertopreventdeteriorationof
thebindings.
Thebarriershouldbeentrenchedandbackfilled.Atrenchshouldbe
excavatedthewidthofabaleandthelengthoftheproposedbarriertoa
minimumdepthof4inches.Thetrenchmustbedeepenoughtoremoveall
grassandothermaterialwhichmightallowunderflow.Afterthebalesare
stakedandchinked(filledbywedging),theexcavatedsoilshouldbe
backfilledagainstthebarrier.Backfillsoilshouldconformtotheground
levelonthedownhillsideandshouldbebuiltupto4inchesagainstthe
uphillsideofthebarrier.
Eachbaleshouldbesecurelyanchoredbyatleast2stakesorre-
barsdriventhroughthebale.Thefirststakeineachbaleshouldbe
driventowardthepreviouslylaidbaletoforcethebalestogether.Stakes
orre-barsshouldbedrivendeepenoughintothegroundtosecurely
anchorthebales.Forsafetyreasons,stakesshouldnotextendabove
thebalesbutshouldbedriveninflushwiththetopofthebale.
Thegapsbetweenthebalesshouldbechinked(filledbywedging)
withstrawtopreventwaterfromescapingbetweenthebales.Loose
strawscatteredovertheareaimmediatelyuphillfromastrawbale
barriertendstoincreasebarrierefficiency.Wedgingmustbedone
carefullyinordernottoseparatethebales.
Strawbalebarriersshouldberemovedwhentheyhaveserved
theirusefulness,butnotbeforetheupslopeareashavebeen
permanentlystabilized.
Whenusedinaswale,thebarriershouldbeextendedtosucha
lengththatthebottomsoftheendbalesarehigherinelevationthanthe
topofthelowestmiddlebaletoassurethatsediment-ladenrunoffwill
floweitherthroughoroverthebarrierbutnotaroundit.
CommonTroublePoints
Improperuse
Strawbalebarriershavebeenusedinstreamsanddrainagewayswhere
highwatervelocitiesandvolumeshavedestroyedorimpairedtheir
effectiveness.
Improperplacementandinstallation
Stakingthebalesdirectlytothegroundwithnosoilsealorentrenchment
allowsundercuttingandendflow.Thishasresultedinadditionsto,rather
thanremovalof,sedimentfromrunoffwaters.
Inadequatemaintenance
Trappingefficienciesofcarefullyinstalledstrawbalebarriersonone
projectdroppedfrom57percentto16percentinonemonthduetolackof
maintenance.
Maintenance
Strawbalebarriersshouldbeinspectedimmediatelyaftereachrunoff-
producingrainfallandatleastdailyduringprolongedrainfall.
Closeattentionshouldbepaidtotherepairofdamagedbales,
undercuttingbeneathbales,andflowaroundtheendsofthebales.
Necessaryrepairstobarriersorreplacementofbalesshouldbe
accomplishedpromptly.
Sedimentdepositsshouldbecheckedaftereachrunoff-producing
rainfall.Theymustberemovedwhenthelevelofdepositionreaches
approximatelyone-halftheheightofthebarrier.
Anysedimentdepositsremaininginplaceafterthestrawbalebarrier
isnolongerrequiredshouldbedressedtoconformtotheexistinggrade,
preparedandseeded.
References
Pennsylvania,Commonwealthof,BureauofSoilandWaterConservation,
ErosionandSedimentPollutionControlProgramManual,Harrisburg,PA,
April,1990.
Stream Crossing, Temporary
Abridge,fordor
temporarystructure
installedacrossa
streamor
watercoursefor
short-termuseby
constructionvehicles
orheavyequipment.
Toprovideameans
forconstruction
vehiclestocross
streamsor
watercourseswithout
movingsedimentinto
streams,damaging
thestreambedorchannel,orcausingflooding.
Whereheavyequipmentmustbemovedfromonesideofastream
channeltoanother,orwherelight-dutyconstructionvehiclesmust
crossthestreamchannelfrequentlyforashortperiodoftime.
WetlandsProtectionActrequiresthatforanystreamcrossingorother
workconductedinawetlandresourcearea,orwithin100feetofa
wetlandresourcearea,theproponentfileaRequestforDetermination
ofApplicabilityoraNoticeofIntentwiththeConservation
Commission.
Carefulplanningcanminimizetheneedforstreamcrossings.Tryto
avoidcrossingstreams,wheneverpossible,completethedevelopment
separatelyoneachsideandleaveanaturalbufferzonealongthe
stream.
Temporarystreamcrossingsarenecessarytopreventdamageto
streambanksandstreamchannelsbyconstructionvehiclescrossing
thestream.Thisreducesthesedimentandotherpollutantscontinually
beingtrackedintothestreambyvehicles.Thesearetemporary
crossingsthatrepresentchannelconstrictionswhichmaycause
obstructiontofloworerosionduringperiodsofhighflow.Theyshould
beinservicefortheshortestpracticalperiodoftimeandshouldbe
removedassoonastheirfunctioniscomplete.
Selectlocationsforstreamcrossingswhereerosionpotentialislow.
Evaluatestreamchannelconditions,overflowareas,andsurfacerunoff
controlatthesitebeforechoosingthetypeofcrossing.Whenpractical,
locateanddesigntemporarystreamcrossingstoserveaspermanent
crossingstokeepstreamdisturbancetoaminimum.
Planstreamcrossingsinadvanceofneed,andwhenpossible,
constructthemduringdryperiodstominimizestreamdisturbanceand
reducecost.Ensurethatallnecessarymaterialsandequipmentareonsite
beforeanyworkisbegun.Completeconstructioninanexpedientmanner
andstabilizetheareaimmediately.
Whenconstructionrequiresdewateringofthesite,constructabypass
channelbeforeundertakingotherwork.Ifstreamvelocityexceedsthat
allowedfortheinplacesoilmaterial,stabilizethebypasschannelwith
ripraporothersuitablematerial.Afterthebypassiscompletedandstable,
thestreammaybediverted.
Unlikepermanentstreamcrossings,temporarystreamcrossingsmay
beallowedtoovertopduringpeakstormperiods.Thestructureand
approachesshould,however,remainstable.Keepanyfillneededin
floodplainstoaminimumtopreventupstreamfloodingandreduceerosion
potential.Useripraptoprotectlocationssubjecttoerosionfromoverflow.
Streamcrossingsareofthreetypes:bridges,culverts,andfords.In
selectingastreamcrossingpracticeconsider:frequencyandkindofuse,
streamchannelconditions;overflowareas;potentialflooddamage;and
surfacerunoffcontrol.
Culvertcrossings
Culvertsarethemostcommonstreamcrossings.Inmanycases,they
aretheleastcostlytoinstall,cansafelysupportheavyloads,andare
adaptabletomostsiteconditions.Constructionmaterialsarereadily
availableandcanbesalvaged.Theinstallationandremovalofculverts,
however,causesconsiderabledisturbancetothestreamandsurrounding
area.Culvertsalsoofferthegreatestobstructiontofloodflowsand,
therefore,aresubjecttoblockageandwashout.
Bridges
Whereavailablematerialsanddesignsareadequatetobearthe
expectedloadings,bridgesarepreferredfortemporarystreamcrossing.
Bridgesusuallycausetheleastdisturbancetothestreambed,banks,
andsurroundingarea.Theyprovidetheleastobstructiontoflowandfish
migration.Theygenerallyrequirelittleornomaintenance,canbedesigned
tofitmostsiteconditions,andcanbeeasilyremovedandmaterials
salvaged.Bridges,however,aregenerallythemostexpensivetodesignand
construct.Also,theypresentasafetyhazardifnotadequatelydesigned,
installed,andmaintained.Ifwashedout,theycausealongerconstruction
delayandaremorecostlytorepair.
Insteepwatershedsitisrecommendedtotieacableorchaintoone
cornerofthebridgeframewiththeotherendsecuredtoalargetreeor
othersubstantialobject.Thiswillpreventfloodflowsfromcarryingthe
bridgedownstreamwhereitmaycausedamagetoproperty.
Fords
Fordsshouldonlybeusedwherecrossingsareinfrequent.
Fordsmadeofstabilizingmaterialsuchasrockaresometimesused
insteepareassubjecttoflashflooding,wherenormalflowisshallow
(lessthan3inchesdeep)orintermittent.Fordsareespeciallyadapted
forcrossingwide,shallowwatercourses.
Whenproperlyinstalled,fordsofferlittleornoobstructiontoflow,
cansafelyhandleheavyloadings,arerelativelyeasytoinstalland
maintain,and,inmostcases,maybeleftinplaceattheendof
construction.
Potentialproblemsinclude:
Approachsectionsaresubjecttoerosion.Donotusefordswhere
bankheightexceeds5feet.
Excavationfortheinstallationoftheriprap-gravelbottomandfilter
materialcausesmajorstreamdisturbance.Insomecases,fordsmaybe
adequatelyconstructedbyshallowfillingwithoutexcavation.
Thestabilizingmaterialissubjecttowashingoutduringstorm
flowsandmayrequirereplacement.
Mudandothercontaminantsarebroughtdirectlyintothestream
onvehiclesunlesscrossingsarelimitedtono-flowconditions.
DesignandConstructionRecommendations
Astreamcrossingmustbenon-erosiveandstructurallystable,and
mustnotintroduceanyfloodingorsafetyhazard.Bridgedesignin
particularshouldbeundertakenonlybyaqualifiedengineer.The
followingstandardsapplyonlytoerosionandsedimentcontrolaspects
ofbridges,culverts,andfords.
Theanticipatedlifeofatemporarystreamcrossingstructureis
usuallyconsideredtobe1yearorless.Removethestructure
immediatelyafteritisnolongerneeded.
Asaminimum,designthestructuretopassbank-fullfloworpeak
flow,whicheverisless,froma2-yearfrequency,24-hourdurationstorm
withoutovertopping.Ensurethatnoerosionwillresultfromthe10-year
peakstorm.
Ensurethatdesignflowvelocityattheoutletofthecrossing
structureisnonerosiveforthestreamchannel.
Consideroverflowforstormslargerthanthedesignstormand
provideaprotectedoverflowarea.
PlanningandSitePreparation
Constructcrossingwhenstreamflowislow.Haveallnecessary
materialsandequipmentonsitebeforeworkbegins.
Minimizeclearingandexcavationofstreambanks,bed,and
approachsections.Planworktominimizecrossingthestreamwith
equipment.Ifpossible,completeallworkononesideofthestream
beforecrossingtoworkonotherside.
Location
Thetemporarycrossingshouldbelocatedwheretherewillbethe
leastdisturbancetothestreamchannel,thestreambanks,thefloodplain
adjacenttothechannel,andadjacentwetlands.
Width
Theminimumroadwidthofatemporarycrossingshouldbe12feet.
Alignment
Thetemporarycrossingshouldbeatrightanglestothestream
wheneverpossible.Iftheapproachconditionstothecrossingaresuchthat
aperpendicularcrossingisnotpossible,thenavariationofupto15
degreesisallowable.
Approaches
Thecenterlineoftheroadwayapproachestothecrossingshould
coincidewiththecrossingalignmentforadistanceof30feetineither
direction.Themaximumheightoffillassociatedwiththeapproaches
shouldnotexceed2feet.Limitsurfacerunoffbyinstallingdiversions.
SurfaceWaterandHighFlowDiversion
Awaterdiversion
structuresuchasaswale
shouldbeconstructed
acrosstheroadwayatthe
endofbothapproaches
tothecrossingtoallow
streamflowexceeding
thedesignstormtopass
safelyaroundthe
structure.Theseswales
willalsopreventsurface
waterfromflowingalongtheroadwayanddirectlyintothestream.
Locateswalesnotmorethan50feetfromthewaterwaycrossing.This
willpreventroadwaysurfacerunofffromdirectlyenteringthewaterway.
The50feetismeasuredfromthetopofthewaterwaybank.Iftheroadway
approachisconstructedwithareversegradeawayfromthewaterway,a
separatedivertingstructureisnotrequired.
TemporaryStreamDiversion
Avoiddivertingstreamoutofitsnaturalchannelbyworkingonone-
halfoftheinstallationatatime.Ifstreammustbediverted,selectmost
appropriatelocationconsideringextentofclearing,channelgrade,amount
ofcut,andspoildisposal.
Excavatediversionchannelstartingatthelowerend.Ifstream
velocityexceedsthatallowableforthetemporarychannel,stabilizewith
riprap.Temporarybypasschannelmustbestableforflowsuptoand
includingthe10-yearstorm.
Thecrossingsiteshouldbebuiltinthedrystreambedandstabilized
beforethestreamisredirectedtoitsnormalcourse.
189
SedimentTraps
Whereappropriate,installinstreamsedimenttrapsimmediately
belowstreamcrossingstoreducedownstreamsedimentation.Install
beforeexcavatingorgradingtheapproachestoaford.
Excavatetrapatleast2feetbelowstreambottomand
approximatelytwicethechannelwidthforaminimumdistanceequalto
one-halfthelengthofcrossing.Removeallspoiltoanareaoutsidethe
floodplain.Stabilizespoilappropriately.
Ensurethattheflowvelocitythroughthebasindoesnotexceedthe
allowableflowvelocityfortheinplacesoilmaterial;otherwiseitshould
notbeexcavated.Inlocationswheretreesorothervegetationmustbe
removed,thesedimenttrapmaybemoredamagingtothestreamthanif
itwerenotinstalled.
BridgesandCulverts
Elevatebridgeabutmentsorculvertfill1footminimumabovethe
adjoiningstreambanktoallowstormoverflowtobypassstructure
withoutdamage.Culvertpipeshouldextendwellbeyondfillsideslopes.
Protectdisturbedstreambanks,fillslopesandoverflowareaswith
ripraporothersuitablemethods.Stabilizeotherdisturbedareasas
specifiedinthevegetationplan.Goodsurfacestabilizationisespecially
importantatstreamcrossingsasallerodedmaterialdirectlyentersthe
stream.
Earthfillforapproachesshouldbefreeofroots,woodyvegetation,
oversizedstones,organicmaterialorotherobjectionablematerials.The
fillshouldbecompactedbyroutingconstructionequipmentoverthefill
sothattheentireareaofthefillistransversedbyatleastonewheel
trackortreadtrackoftheequipment.
Bridges
Atemporarybridgeshouldbeconstructedatorabovethestream
bankelevation.Excavationofthestreambankshouldnotbeallowedfor
constructionofthispractice.
Span
Bridgesshouldbeconstructedtospantheentirewidthofthechannel.
Ifthewidthofthechannelasmeasuredfromtopofbanktotopofbank
exceeds8feet,thenafooting,pier,orbridgesupportmaybe
constructedinthestreambed.Anadditionalfootingorsupportwillbe
allowedforeachadditional8feetofchannelwidth.Nofooting,pier,or
bridgesupportshouldbeusedinthestreambedforchannelwidths
lessthan8feet.
Materials
Materialsshouldbeofsufficientstrengthtosupporttheanticipated
designloads.Stringersmaybelogs,sawntimber,prestressedconcrete
beams,orotherappropriatematerials.Deckingmaterialsmustbe
buttedtightlyandsecurelyfastenedtothestringerstopreventsoil,and
otherconstructionmaterialsfromfallingintothestreamchannelbelow.
BridgeAnchors
Thebridgeshouldbeanchoredatonlyoneendwitheitherasteelcableor
chaintopreventthebridgefromfloatingawayduringfloodevents.The
anchoringshouldbesufficienttopreventthebridgefromfloating
downstreamandpossiblycausinganobstructioninthestreamchannel
below.Acceptableanchorsarelargetrees,largeboulders,ordrivensteel
anchors.
Culverts
Theminimumsizeforaculvertshouldbe18inches.Themaximum
sizeforaculvertshouldbethelargestpipediameterthatwillfitintothe
existingchannelwithoutasignificantamountofexcavationrequiredforits
placement.Culvertsmaybecircularorellipticaldependingonthesite
requirements.Culvertsshouldextendaminimumofonefootbeyondthe
upstreamanddownstreamtoeofbackfillplacedaroundtheculvert.Length
shouldnotexceed40feet.
FilterCloth
Placefilterclothonthestreambedandthestreambanksbeforeinstalling
theculvertandbackfill.Thefilterclothshouldextendaminimumofsix
inchesandamaximumofonefootpastthetoeofthebackfill.
CulvertPlacement
Theculvertshouldbeinstalledonthenaturalstreambedgrade.No
overfallshouldbepermittedatthedownstreaminvert.
Backfill
Noearthorfine-grainedsoilbackfillshouldbeusedfortemporaryculvert
crossings.Backfillshouldbeclean,coarseaggregate.Thebackfillshould
beplacedinmaximum6inchliftsandcompactedusingavibratingplate
compactor.Materialshouldbehandcompactedaroundthehaunchesof
thepipe,usingparticularcaretoassurethatthelineandgradeofthepipe
ismaintained.Theminimumallowablebackfilloverthepipeshouldbe12
inchesorone-halfpipediameterwhicheverisgreater.Ifmultipleculverts
areusedtheyshouldbeseparatedbyaminimumof12inchesof
compactedaggregatebackfill.
Appropriateheadwallsorlargerockshouldbeplacedontheupstreamand
downstreamendsofthetemporaryfillcrossingtoprotectagainsterosion
duringlargefloodflows.
Fords
Installgeotextilefabricinchanneltostabilizefoundation,thenapply
well-graded,weather-resistantstone(3to6inch)overfabric.Useonly
stabilizationfabric,notfilterfabric.
Stabilization
Allareasdisturbedbytheinstallationofthetemporarycrossing
shouldbestabilizedusingeitherrock,gravel,orvegetationasappropriate.
191
Removal
Removetemporarystreamcrossingsassoonastheyarenolonger
needed.Restorestreamchanneltooriginalcrosssectionandstabilize
alldisturbedareas.Appropriatemeasuresshouldbetakentominimize
effectsonwaterqualitywhenremovingthecrossing.Fordsmaybeleft
inplaceifsiteconditionsallow.
Temporarybypasschannelsshouldbepermanentlystabilizedor
removed.Ifremoved,overfillbyatleast10%,compact,andstabilize
appropriately.
Leavein-streamsedimenttrapsinplace.
CommonTroublePoints
Inadequateflowcapacityand/orlackofoverflowareaaround
structure
Resultsinwashoutofculvertsorbridgeabutments.
Inadequatestabilizationofoverflowarea
Resultsinsevereerosionaroundbridgesandculverts.
Exitvelocityfromculvertorbridgestoohigh
Causesstreamchannelerosionandmayeventuallycauseerosionof
bridgeorculvertfill.
Debrisnotremovedafterastorm
Cloggingmaycausewashoutofculvertsorbridges.
Inadequatecompactionunderoraroundculvertpipes
Culvertswashoutduetoseepageandpiping.
Stonesizetoosmall
Fordwashesout.
Culvertpipestooshort
Resultsinacrossingsupportedbysteep,unstablefillslopes.
Maintenance
Inspecttemporarycrossingaftereachrainfalleventfor
accumulationofdebris,blockage,erosionofabutmentsandoverflow
areas,channelscour,riprapdisplacement,orpipingalongculverts.
Removedebris;repairandreinforcedamagedareasimmediatelyto
preventfurtherdamagetotheinstallation.
Removetemporarystreamcrossingsimmediatelywhentheyareno
longerneeded.Restorethestreamchanneltoitsoriginalcross-section,
andsmoothandstabilizealldisturbedareas.
Leavein-streamsedimenttrapsinplacetocontinuecapturing
sediment.
References
1993.
February1991.
Streambank Protection and Stabilization
Protectingandstabilizingbanksofstreamsorexcavatedchannels
againstscouranderosion.Thispracticemaybeaccomplishedby
structuralorvegetativemeans,orbyacombinationofboth.
Purpose
$ Toprotectstreambanksfromtheerosiveforcesofmovingwater.
$ Topreventthelossoflandordamagetoutilities,roads,buildings,
orotheradjacentfacilities.
$ Tomaintainthecapacityofthechannel.
$ Tocontrolchannelmeanderwhichwouldadverselyaffect
downstreamfacilities.
$ Toreducesedimentloadscausingdownstreamdamagesand
pollution.
$ Toimprovethestreamforrecreationaluseorasahabitatforfish
andwildlife.
Thispracticeappliestonaturalorexcavatedchannelswherethe
streambanksaresusceptibletoerosionfromtheactionofwater,ice,or
debris;excessiverunofffromconstructionactivities;ortodamagefrom
vehiculartraffic.
Thispracticealsoappliestocontrollingerosiononshorelines
wheretheproblemcanbesolvedwithrelativelysimplestructural
measures,vegetation,oruplanderosioncontrolpractices.
Advantages
StructuralMethods
$ Streambankprotectioncanbreakwaveactionandreducethe
velocityoffloodflows.
$ Thereductionofvelocitycanleadtothedepositofwater-bornesoil
particles.
$ Waterqualitybenefitsofreducederosionanddownstreamsiltation.
VegetativeandBioengineeringMethods
Vegetativeandbioengineeringstabilizationmethodshaveadditional
advantages:
$ Vegetativetechniquesaregenerallylesscostlyandmorecompatible
withnaturalstreamcharacteristics.
$ Rootsandrhizomesstabilizestreambanks.
$ Certainreedsandbulrusheshavethecapabilityofimprovingwater
qualitybyabsorbingcertainpollutantssuchasheavymetals,
detergents,etc.
$ Plantsregeneratethemselvesandadapttochangingnatural
situations,thusofferingadistincteconomicadvantageovermechanical
stabilization.
$ Mechanicalmaterialsprovideforinterimandimmediate
stabilizationuntilvegetationtakesover.
$ Onceestablished,vegetationcanoutlastmechanicalstructuresand
requireslittlemaintenancewhileregeneratingitself
$ Aestheticbenefitsandimprovedwildlifeandfisherieshabitat.
StructuralMethods
$ Costofstructuralpractices.
$ Aesthetics.
VegetativeMethods
$ Nativeplantsmaynotbecarriedbyregularnurseriesandmayneedto
becollectedbyhand,orobtainedfromspecialtynurseries.Nurseries
whichcarrytheseplantsmayrequirealongleadtimeforlargeorders.
$ Flowretardingaspectsofvegetatedwaterwaysneedtobetakeninto
account.
$ Structuralpracticescanbeinstalledonsteeperslopesthanvegetative
methods.
$ Willnotwithstandashighflowvelocitiesasstructuralmethods.
WetlandsProtectionActrequiresthatforanystreamcrossingorother
workconductedinawetlandresourcearea,orwithin100feetofawetland
resourcearea,theproponentfileaDeterminationofApplicabilityora
NoticeofIntentwiththeConservationCommission.
Streamchannelerosionproblemsvarywidelyintypeandscale,and
thereisnoonemeasurethatworksinallcases.Stabilizationstructures
shouldbeplannedanddesignedbyanengineerwithexperienceinthis
field.Manyofthepracticesinvolvetheuseofmanufacturedproductsand
shouldbeinstalledinaccordancewiththemanufacturersspecifications.
Wherelongreachesofstreamchannelsrequirestabilization,makedetailed
strewnstudies.
Beforeselectingastructuralstabilizationtechnique,thedesigner
shouldcarefullyevaluatethepossibilityofusingvegetativestabilizationin
conjunctionwithstructuralmeasurestoachievethedesiredprotection.
Vegetativetechniquesaregenerallylesscostlyandmorecompatiblewith
naturalstreamcharacteristics.
Whereverpossible,itisbesttoprotectbankswithlivingplantsthat
areadaptedtothesite.Naturalplantcommunitiesareaesthetically
pleasing,provideahabitatforfishandwildlife,affordaself-maintaining
cover,andarelessexpensiveanddamagingtotheenvironment.
Specialattentionshouldbegiventothepreservationoffishand
wildlifehabitat,andtreesofsignificantvalueforwildlifefoodorshelter,or
foraestheticpurposes.Wildlifehabitatcanbeimprovedbyusingwoody
plantsandgrassesthatprovidefoodand/orcoverfornativewildlife
species.Theretentionofa30-footriparianzonealongstreamchannelsthat
isestablishedtotrees,shrubs,orgrassesmayprovidewildlife,landscaping
andwaterqualitybenefits.
Whereconstructionwilladverselyaffectasignificantfishorwildlife
habitat,mitigationmeasuresshouldbeincludedintheplan.Mitigation
measuresmayincludepools,riffles,flats,cascades,orothersimilar
provisions.
Upstreamdevelopmentacceleratesstreambankerosionby
increasingthevelocity,frequency,anddurationofflow.Asaresult,
manynaturalstreamsthatwerestablebecomeunstablefollowing
urbanization.
Mostnaturalstreamchannelshavebank-fullcapacitytopassthe
runofffroma2-yearrecurrenceintervalstorm.Inatypicalurbanizing
watershed,however,streamchannelsmaybecomesubjecttoa3to5
timesasmanybank-fullflowsifstormwaterrunoffisnotproperly
managed.Streamchannelsthatwereonceparabolicinshapeand
coveredwithvegetationmaybetransformedintowiderectangular
channelswithbarrenbanks.
Thefollowingisapartiallistofelementswhichmaybeinvolvedin
aplanforstreambankprotection.
$ Obstructionremoval-Theremovaloffallentrees,stumps,debris,
minorledgeoutcroppingsandsandandgravelbarsthatmaycause
waterturbulenceanddeflection,causingerosionofthebank.
$ Clearing-Theremovaloftreesandbrushwhichadverselyaffect
thegrowthofdesirablebankvegetation.
$ Banksloping-Thereductionoftheslopeofstreambanks.
Considerationshouldbegiventoflatteningthesideslopeofthe
channelinsomereachestofacilitatetheestablishmentofvegetationor
fortheinstallationofstructuralbankprotection.
$ Fencing-Artificialobstructionstoprotectvegetationneededfor
streambankprotectionortoprotectcriticalareasfromdamagefrom
stocktrailsorvehiculartraffic.
$ Vegetation-Vegetativestreambankstabilizationisgenerally
applicablewherebankfullflowvelocitydoesnotexceed6feet/second
andsoilsareerosion-resistant.Above6feet/second,structural
measuresaregenerallyrequired.
$ Riprap-Heavyangularstoneplacedonthestreambanktoprovide
armorprotectionagainsterosion.
$ Jetties-Deflectorsconstructedofposts,piling,fencingrock,brush
othermaterialswhichprojectintothestreamtoprotectbanksatcurves
andreachessubjectedtoimpingementbyhighvelocitycurrents.
$ Revetments-Perviousorimperviousstructuresbuiltonorparallelto
thestreamtopreventscouringstreamflowvelocitiesadjacenttothe
streambank.
$ Bioengineering-Bioengineeringutilizesliveplantpartsincombination
withstructuralmethodstoprovidesoilreinforcementandpreventsurface
erosion.
Structuralmeasures,whenemployedcorrectly,immediatelyensure
satisfactoryprotectionofstreambanks.Structuresareexpensivetobuild,
however,andtomaintain.Withoutconstantupkeep,theyareexposedto
progressivedeteriorationbynaturalagents.Thematerialsusedmay
preventreestablishmentofnativeplantsandanimals.Oftenstructural
measuresdestroytheappearanceofthestream.Also,structural
stabilizationandchannelizationcanalterthehydrodynamicsofastream
andtransfererosionpotentialandassociatedproblemsdownstream.
Incontrast,theutilizationoflivingplantsinsteadoforinconjunction
withstructureshasmanyadvantages.Thedegreeofprotection,whichmay
belowtostartwith,increasesastheplantsgrowandspread.Repairand
maintenanceofstructuresisunnecessarywhereself-maintaining
streambankplantsareestablished.Theprotectionprovidedbynatural
vegetationismorereliableandeffectivewhenthecoverconsistsofnatural
plantcommunitiesadaptedtotheirsite.
Designsshouldbedevelopedinaccordancewiththefollowing
principles:
$ Thegrademustbecontrolled,eitherbynaturalorartificialmeans,
beforeanypermanenttypeofbankprotectioncanbeconsideredfeasible;
unlesstheprotectioncanbesafelyandeconomicallyconstructedtoa
depthwellbelowtheanticipatedlowestdepthofbottomscour.
$ Streambankprotectionshouldbestartedatastabilizedorcontrolled
pointandendedatastabilizedorcontrolledpointonthestream.
$ Makeprotectivemeasurescompatiblewithotherchannel
modificationsplannedorbeingcarriedoutinotherchannelreaches.
$ Ensurethatthechannelbottomisstableorstabilizedbystructural
meansbeforeinstallinganypermanentbankprotection.
$ Channelclearing,ifneededtoremovestumps,fallentrees,debrisand
barswhichforcethestreamflowintothestreambank,shouldbeaninitial
elementofthework.
$ Changesinchannelalignmentshouldbemadeonlyafteranevaluation
oftheeffectonthelanduse,interdependentwaterdisposalsystems,
hydrauliccharacteristics,andexistingstructures.
197
$ Measuresmustbeeffectivefortheminimumdesignvelocityofthe
peakdischargeofthe10-yearstormandbeabletowithstandgreater
floodswithoutseriousdamage.
$ Vegetativeprotectionshouldbeconsideredontheupperportionsof
erodingbanksandespeciallyonthoseareaswhicharesubjectto
infrequentinundation.
$ Stabilizeallareasdisturbedbyconstructionassoonascomplete.
VegetativeMethods
Channelreachesareoftenmadestablebyestablishingvegetation
whereerosionpotentialislowandinstallingstructuralmeasureswhere
theattackismoresevere,suchastheoutsideofchannelbendsandwhere
thenaturalgradesteepens.Vegetativemethodsmustbeeffectiveforthe
designflow.
Bankreshapinganddisturbanceshouldbekepttoaminimumexcept
asnecessarytoinstallthepractice.Wherethisisneeded,banksshouldbe
shapedtoresultinabankslopeof1:1orflatter.
Atemporaryseedingshouldbeusedonallsitestoprovideprotection
whilethepermanentcoverisbecomingestablished.
Streambankstobeprotectedusinggrassesmayneedtobeshapedon
a2:1or3:1slopetoprovideforadequateseedbedpreparation.Theuseof
sod,insteadofseeding,shouldbeevaluatedwhereeconomicallyjustified
andtechnicallyfeasible.
Thetypeofvegetativecovertobeusedshouldbebasedonthesoil
type,streamvelocities,adjacentlanduseandanticipatedlevelof
maintenancetobeperformed.
Amaintenanceprogramshouldbeestablishedtoprovidesufficient
moisture,fertility,replacementofdeadordamagedplantsandprotection
fromdamagebyinsects,diseases,machineryandhumanactivities.
Streambanksstabilizedusinggrassesshouldbeevaluatedasto
whetheranoccasionalorperiodicmowingandfertilizationaretobe
performedtomaintainahealthyprotectivegroundcover.
Sitesshouldbeprotectedfromdamagebyvehicularandhuman
trafficforthelengthoftimenecessarytogetvegetativecoverwell
established,butnolessthanonefullgrowingseason.
Staking
Thisinvolvesinsertingandtampinglive,rootablevegetativecuttings
intotheground.Ifcorrectlypreparedandplaced,thelivestakewillroot
andgrow.
DormantWoodyPlantings
Thisisplantinglive,dormant-stemcuttingsofwoodyplantspecies
to3inchesormoreindiameter.
Grasses
Whereagoodseedbedcanbeprepared,andonsmallerstreamswhere
flowvelocitiesareless,itmaybefeasibletostabilizeerodingstreambanks
byseedinggrassesaboveorincombinationwithdormantwoodyplantings.
SeerecommendationsinPermanentSeedingandinthesupplementary
materialinPart4.
Atemporaryseedingormulchingshouldbecompletedonthosesites
whereapermanentseedingwillnotbeestablishedwithin30daysfollowing
installationofaproject.SeeTemporarySeeding.
StructuralMethods
Generallyapplicablewhereflowvelocitiesexceed6feet/secondor
wherevegetativestreambankprotectionisinappropriate.
Sinceeachreachofchannelrequiringprotectionisunique,measures
forstructuralstreambankprotectionshouldbeinstalledaccordingtoa
planbasedonspecificsiteconditions.
Riprap
Riprapisthemostcommonstructuralmethodused,butother
methodssuchasgabions,deflectors,reinforcedconcrete,logcribbing,and
gridpaversshouldbeconsidered,dependingonsiteconditions.
Whenpossible,slopebanksto2:1orflatter,andplaceagravelfilteror
filterfabriconthesmoothedslopesbeforeinstallingriprap.Placethetoe
oftheriprapatleast1footbelowthestreamchannelbottomorbelowthe
anticipateddepthofchanneldegradation.
Itisimportanttoextendtheupstreamanddownstreamedgesofriprap
wellintothebankandbottom.Extendriprapsectionstheentirelength
betweenwell-stabilizedpointsofthestreamchannel.
Gabions
Theserectangular,rock-filledwirebasketsarepervious,semi-flexible
buildingblocksthatcanbeusedtoarmorthebedand/orbanksof
channelsoractasdeflectorstodivertflowawayfromerodingchannel
sections.Designandinstallgabionsinaccordancewithmanufacturers
standardsandspecifications.
Reinforcedconcrete
Maybeusedtoarmorerodingsectionsofthestreambankby
constructingretainingwallsorbulkheads.Providepositivedrainage
behindthesestructures.Reinforcedconcretemayalsobeusedasa
channelliningforstreamstabilization.
199
LogCribbing
Retainingstructurebuiltoflogstoprotectstreambanksfrom
erosion.Vegetationcanbeplantedbetweenlogs.
Gridpavers
Modularconcreteunitswithinterspersedvoidareasthatcanbe
usedtoarmorthestreambankwhilemaintainingporosityandallowing
theestablishmentofvegetation.Thesestructuresmaybeobtainedin
precastblocksormatsthatcomeinavarietyofshapes,ortheymaybe
formedandpouredinplace.Designandinstallinaccordancewith
manufacturersinstructions.
Revetment
Structuralsupportorarmoringtoprotectanembankmentfrom
erosion.Ripraporgabionsarecommonlyused.Gabionsmaybeeither
stackedorplacedasamattress.Installrevetmenttoadepthbelowthe
anticipatedchanneldegradationandintothechannelbedasnecessary
toprovidestability.
BioengineeringMethods
Bioengineeringcombinesstructuralandvegetativemethods.
Streamsinurbansettingsmaycarryanincreaseinrunoffofsuch
greatmagnitudethattheycannotbemaintainedinanaturalstate.Soil
bioengineeringmethodscanprovideforstabilizationwithoutcomplete
visualdegradationandhighereffectivenessthanpurelymechanical
techniques.
SeePart4fordescriptionsofbioengineeringmethodsand
practices.
Wherepossible:treesshouldbeleftstanding;brushandstumpsnot
removed;andconstructionoperationscarriedonfromoneside,leaving
vegetationontheoppositeside.
Spoilresultingfromexcavationandshapingshouldbeleveledor
removedtopermitfreeentryofwaterfromadjacentlandsurfacewithout
excessiveerosionorharmfulponding.
Treesandotherfallennaturalvegetationthatdonotdeterstreamflow
shouldbeleftforfishhabitat.
Vegetationshouldbeestablishedonalldisturbedareasimmediately
afterconstruction,weatherpermitting.Ifweatherconditionsaresuchasto
causeadelayintheestablishmentofvegetation,theareashouldbe
mulched.
Topsoil
Whensoilconditionsareparticularlyadverseforherbaceousvegetation,
topsoilshouldbespreadtoadepthof4inchesormoreoncriticalareasto
beseededorsodded.
Mulching
Seededsideslopesshouldbemulched.Wherestreambanksaresteeper
than2:1orhigherthan10feet,themulchshouldbeanchoredwithpaper
twinefabricorequivalentmaterial.
Maintenance
Checkaftereveryhigh-waterevent.Repairsshouldbemadeasquickly
aspossibleaftertheproblemoccurs.
Alltemporaryandpermanenterosionandsedimentcontrolpractices
shouldbemaintainedandrepairedasneededtoassurecontinued
performanceoftheirintendedfunction.
Streambanksarealwaysvulnerabletonewdamage.Repairsare
neededperiodically.Banksshouldbecheckedaftereveryhigh-waterevent
isover.Gapsinthevegetativecovershouldbefixedatoncewithnew
plants,andmulchedifnecessary.Freshcuttingsfromotherplantsonthe
bankcanbeused,ortheycanbetakenfrommother-stockplantingsifthey
areavailable.
References
1993.
U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,NaturalResourcesConservationService,
Champaign,IL,UrbanConservationPracticeStandards,1994.
201
U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,NaturalResourcesConservation
Service,EngineeringFieldHandbook,Chapter 18, Soil Bioengineering
for Upland Slope Protection and Erosion ReductionWashington,DC,
October,1992.
Service,Champaign,IL,UrbanConservationPracticeStandards,1994.
Subsurface Drain
Aperforatedconduitsuchasapipe,tubing,ortileinstalled
beneaththegroundtointercept,collect,andconveyexcessground
watertoasatisfactoryoutlet.
Purpose
$ Toprovideadewateringmechanismfordrainingexcessivelywet
soils.
$ Toimprovesoilandwaterconditionsforvegetativegrowth.
$ Topreventsloughingofsteepslopesduetogroundwaterseepage.
$ Toimprovestabilityofstructureswithshallowfoundationsby
loweringthewatertable.
Whereverexcessivewatermustberemovedfromthesoil.
Thesoilshouldhavedepthandsufficientpermeabilitytopermit
installationofaneffectivedrainagesystematadepthof2to6feet.
Anadequateoutletforthedrainagesystemmustbeavailable
eitherbygravityorbypumping.Thequantityandqualityofdischarge
shouldnotdamagethereceivingstream.
Advantages
$ Aneffectivewaytolowerthewatertable.
$ Subsurfacedrainsoftenprovidetheonlypracticalmethodof
stabilizingexcessivelywet,slopingsoils.
Problemsmaybeencounteredwithtreeroots.
ContactthelocalConservationCommissionregardinganywork
conductedinawetlandresourcearea.TheWetlandsProtectionAct
requiresthatforworkconductedinawetlandresourcearea,orwithin100
feetofawetlandresourcearea,theproponentfileaRequestfor
DeterminationofApplicabilityoraNoticeofIntentwiththe
ConservationCommission.
Subsurfacedrainsusuallyconsistsofperforated,flexibleconduit
installedinatrenchatadesigneddepthandgrade.Thetrencharoundthe
conduitisoftenbackfilledwithasand-gravelfilterorgravelenvelope.
Backfilloverthedrainshouldbeanopen,granularsoilofhigh
permeability.
Subsurfacedrainagesystemsareoftwotypes;reliefdrainsand
interceptordrains.Reliefdrainsareusedeithertolowerthewatertablein
ordertoimprovethegrowthofvegetation,ortoremovesurfacewater.
Theyareinstalledalongaslopeanddraininthedirectionoftheslope.
Theycanbeinstalledinagridironpattern,aherringbonepattern,ora
randompattern.
Interceptordrainsareusedtoremovewaterasitseepsdownaslope
topreventthesoilfrombecomingsaturatedandsubjecttoslippage.They
areinstalledacrossaslopeanddraintothesideoftheslope.Theyusually
consistofasinglepipeorseriesofsinglepipesinsteadofapatterned
layout.
Subsurfacedrainshouldbesizedfortherequiredcapacity.Design
chartsareavailableinNaturalResourcesConservationServicereferences
andfromothersources.Manufacturersofspecialpurposedrain
configurationscanprovideinstructionsfordesign.
Theminimumvelocityrequiredtopreventsiltingis1.4feetper
second.Thelineshouldbeinstalledonagradetoachieveatleastthis
velocity.
Theoutletofthesubsurfacedrainshouldemptyintoareceiving
channel,swale,orstablevegetatedareaadequatelyprotectedfromerosion
andundermining.
Thetrenchshouldbeconstructed
oncontinuousgradewithnoreverse
gradesorlowspots.
Softoryieldingsoilsunderthe
drainshouldbestabilizedwithgravel
orothersuitablematerial.
Deformed,warped,orotherwise
unsuitablepipeshouldnotbeused.
Asand-gravelfilteratleastthree
inchesthickshouldbeplacedall
aroundthepipe.Manufacturedfiltersdesignedforthepurpose,suchas
filterfabric,maybeusedasalternatives.
Thetrenchshouldbebackfilledimmediatelyafterplacementofthe
pipe.Nosectionsofpipeshouldremainuncoveredovernightorduringa
rainstorm.Backfillmaterialshouldbeplacedinthetrenchinsucha
mannerthatthedrainpipeisnotdisplacedordamaged.
Maintenance
Subsurfacedrainsshouldbecheckedperiodicallytoensurethat
theyarefreeflowingandnotcloggedwithsediment.
Theoutletshouldbekeptcleanandfreeofdebris.
Surfaceinletsshouldbekeptopenandfreeofsedimentandother
debris.
Treeslocatedtooclosetoasubsurfacedrainoftenclogthesystem
withtheirroots.Ifadrainbecomesclogged,relocatethedrainor
removethetreesasalastresort.Drainplacementshouldbeplannedto
minimizethisproblem.
Wheredrainsarecrossedbyheavyvehicles,thelineshouldbe
checkedtoensurethatitisnotcrushed.
References
1993.
ConstructionActivitiesEPA-832-R-92-005,Washington,DC,September,
1992.
Sump Pit
Atemporarypitwhich
isconstructedtotrapand
filterwaterforpumpinginto
asuitabledischargearea.A
perforatedvertical
standpipeisplacedinthe
centerofthepittocollect
filteredwater.Thepurpose
ofthispracticeistoremove
excessivewaterinamanner
thatimprovesthequalityof
thewater.
Sumppitsareconstructedwhenwatercollectsduringtheexcavation
phaseofconstruction.Thispracticeisparticularlyusefulinurbanareas
duringexcavationforbuildingfoundations.
Dischargeofwaterpumpedfromthestandpipeshouldbetoasuitable
practicesuchasasedimentbasin,sedimenttrap,orastabilizedarea.
Ifwaterfromthesumppitwillbepumpeddirectlytoastormdrainage
system,geotextilefilterfabricshouldbewrappedaroundthestandpipeto
ensurecleanwaterdischarge.Itisrecommendedthattoinchmesh
hardwareclothwirebewrappedaroundandsecuredtothestandpipeprior
toattachingthefilterfabric.Thiswillincreasetherateofwaterseepage
intothestandpipe.
Aperforatedverticalstandpipeisplacedinthecenterofthepitto
collectfilteredwater.Thestandpipewillbeaperforated12to24-inch
diametercorrugatedmetalorPVCplasticpipe.Wateristhenpumpedfrom
thepittoasuitabledischargearea.Thepitwillbefilledwithcoarse
aggregate.
Maintenance
Thesumppitwillbecomecloggedwithsediment,oils,andorganic
matterovertime.Itisimportanttoremovegrassclippingsandleavesfrom
thesurfaceoftheaggregateinordertoprolongitslife.
Thepitshouldbecheckedaftereverymajorstormtoevaluateits
effectiveness.Ifthepitandfilterfabricbecomepluggedwithsediment,the
pitshouldberehabilitated.Insomecasescompleteremovaland
replacementoftheentiredrywellmaybenecessary.
References
Service,Champaign,IL,UrbanConservationPracticeStandards,1994.
Surface Roughening
Rougheningabaresoil
surfacewithhorizontalgrooves
runningacrosstheslope,stair
stepping,ortrackingwith
constructionequipment;orby
leavingslopesinaroughened
conditionbynotfinegrading
them.
Purpose
Toaidtheestablishmentof
vegetativecoverfromseed,to
reducerunoffvelocityand
increaseinfiltration,andto
reduceerosionandprovidefor
sedimenttrapping.
Allconstructionslopesrequiresurfacerougheningtofacilitate
stabilizationwithvegetation,particularlyslopessteeperthan3:1.This
practiceshouldalsobedonepriortoforecastedstormeventsand
beforeleavingajobsiteforaweekend.
Advantages
Surfacerougheningprovidessomeinstanterosionprotectionon
baresoilwhilevegetativecoverisbeingestablished.
Itisaninexpensiveandsimpleerosioncontrolmeasure.
Whilethisisacheapandsimplemethodoferosioncontrol,itisof
limitedeffectivenessinanythingmorethanamoderatestorm.
Surfacerougheningisatemporarymeasure.Ifrougheningis
washedawayinaheavystorm,thesurfacewillhavetobere-roughened
andnewseedlaid.
Rougheningaslopingbaresoilsurfacewithhorizontaldepressions
helpscontrolerosionbyaidingtheestablishmentofvegetativecoverwith
seed,reducingrunoffvelocity,andincreasinginfiltration.Thedepressions
alsotrapsedimentonthefaceoftheslope.
Considersurfacerougheningforallslopes.Theamountofroughening
requireddependsonthesteepnessoftheslopeandthetypeofsoil.Stable,
slopingrockyfacesmaynotrequirerougheningorstabilization,while
erodibleslopessteeperthan3:1requirespecialsurfaceroughening.
Rougheningmethodsincludestair-stepgrading,grooving,and
tracking.Equipmentsuchasbulldozerswithrippersortractorswithdisks
maybeused.Thefinalfaceofslopesshouldnotbebladedorscrapedto
giveasmoothhardfinish.
Gradedareaswithsmooth,hardsurfacesgiveafalseimpressionof
finishedgradingandajobwelldone.Itisdifficulttoestablishvegetation
onsuchsurfacesduetoreducedwaterinfiltrationandthepotentialfor
erosion.Roughslopesurfaceswithunevensoilandrocksleftinplacemay
appearunattractiveorunfinishedatfirst,buttheyencouragewater
infiltration,speedtheestablishmentofvegetation,anddecreaserunoff
velocity.
Rough,loosesoilsurfacesgivelime,fertilizer,andseedsomenatural
coverage.Nichesinthesurfaceprovidemicroclimateswhichgenerally
provideacoolerandmorefavorablemoisturelevelthanhardflatsurfaces;
thisaidsseedgermination.
Rougheningmethodsincludestair-stepgrading,grooving,and
tracking.Factorstobeconsideredinchoosingamethodareslope
steepness,mowingrequirements,andwhethertheslopeisformedby
cuttingorfilling.
Gradedareaswithslopesgreaterthan3:1butlessthan2:1shouldbe
roughenedbeforeseeding.Thiscanbeaccomplishedinavarietyofways,
207
includingtrackwalking,ordrivingacrawlertractorupanddownthe
slope,leavingapatternofcleatimprintsparalleltoslopecontours.
Gradedareassteeperthan2:1shouldbestair-steppedwith
benches.Thestair-steppingwillhelpvegetationbecomeestablished
andalsotrapsoilerodedfromtheslopesabove.
Disturbedareaswhichwillnotrequiremowingmaybestair-step
graded,grooved,orleftroughafterfilling.
Stair-stepgradingisappropriateforsoilscontaininglargeamounts
ofsoftrock.Eachstepcatchesmaterialthatsloughesfromabove,and
providesalevelsitewherevegetationcanbecomeestablished.Stairs
shouldbewideenoughtoworkwithstandardearthmovingequipment.
Areaswhichwillbemowed(theseareasshouldhaveslopesless
steepthan3:1)mayhavesmallfurrowsleftbydisking,harrowing,
raking,orseed-plantingmachineryoperatedonthecontour.
Itisimportanttoavoidexcessivecompactingofthesoilsurface
whenscarifying.Trackingwithbulldozertreadsispreferabletonot
rougheningatall,butisnotaseffectiveasotherformsofroughening,as
thesoilsurfaceisseverelycompactedandrunoffisincreased.
Maintenance
Areaswhicharegradedinthismannershouldbeseededasquickly
aspossible.
Regularinspectionsshouldbemade.Ifrillsappear,theyshouldbe
regradedandreseededimmediately.
References
1993.
1992.
WashingtonStateDepartmentofEcology,StotmwaterManagement
Terrace
Aridgeandchannel
constructedacrossa
slopeandusedtoconvey
runoffwater.Reduces
erosiondamageby
interceptingsurface
runoffandconductingit
toastableoutletata
nonerosivevelocity.
WherePractice
Applies
Terracesareutilizedonslopeshavingawatererosionproblem.They
shouldnotbeconstructedondeepsandsoronsoilsthataretoostony,
steep,orshallowtopermitpracticalandeconomicalinstallationand
maintenance.Terracesshouldbeusedonlywheresuitableoutletsareor
willbemadeavailable.
Advantages
Terraceslowerthevelocityofrunoff,increasethedistanceof
overlandflow,andreduceslopelength.Theyalsoholdmoistureand
minimizesediment.
Maysignificantlyincreasecutandfillcostsandcausesloughingif
excessivewaterinfiltratessoils.
Spacing
Themaximumrecommendedspacingisamaximumverticaldistance
of20feetbetweenterracesorotherpracticessuchasadiversion,dike,or
sedimentfenceatthetoporbottomofaslope.
ChannelGrade
Channelgradesmaybeeitheruniformorvariablewithamaximum
gradeof0.6feetper100feetlength.Forshortdistances,terracegrades
maybeincreasedtoimprovealignment.Thechannelvelocityshouldnot
exceedthatwhichisnonerosiveforthesoiltypewiththeplanned
treatment.
Outlet
Allterracesshouldhaveadequateoutlets.Suchanoutletmaybea
grassedwaterway,vegetatedarea,orsubsurfacedrainoutlet.Inall
casestheoutletmustconveyrunofffromtheterraceorterracesystem
toapointwheretheoutflowwillnotcausedamage.Vegetativecover
shouldbeusedintheoutletchannel.
Thedesignelevationofthewatersurfaceoftheterraceshouldnotbe
lowerthanthedesignelevationofthewatersurfaceintheoutletat
theirjunction,whenbothareoperatingatdesignflow.
Verticalspacingmaybeincreasedasmuchas0.5feetor10percent,
whicheverisgreater,toprovidebetteralignmentorlocation,toavoid
obstacles,toadjustforequipmentsize,ortoreachasatisfactoryoutlet.
Capacity
Theterraceshouldhaveenoughcapacitytohandlethepeakrunoff
expectedfroma2-year,24-hourdesignstormwithoutovertopping.
Cross-Section
Theterracecross-sectionshouldbeproportionedtofitthelandslope.
Theridgeheightshouldincludeareasonablesettlementfactorand
freeboard(verticaldistancebetweentopofridgeandwaterelevation
inthechannelatdewsignflow).
Theminimumcross-sectionalareaoftheterracechannelshouldbe8
squarefeetforlandslopesof5percentorless,7squarefeetforslopes
from5to8percent,and6squarefeetforslopessteeperthan8percent.
Theterraceshouldbeconstructedwideenoughtobemaintainedusing
asmallbulldozer.
Maintenance
Maintenanceshouldbeperformedasneeded.Terracesshouldbe
inspectedregularly;atleastonceayear,andafterlargestormevents.
References
Topsoiling
Preservingandusing
topsoiltoprovidea
suitablegrowthmedium
andenhancefinalsite
stabilizationwith
vegetation.
WherePractice
Applies
$ Whereasufficient
supplyofqualitytopsoilisavailable.
$ Whereslopesare2:1orflatter.
$ Wherethesubsoilorareasofexistingsurfacesoilpresentthefollowing
problems:
$Thestructure,pH,ornutrientbalanceoftheavailablesoilcannot
beamendedbyreasonablemeanstoprovideanadequategrowth
mediumforthedesiredvegetation.
$Thesoilistooshallowtoprovideadequaterootingdepthorwill
notsupplynecessarymoistureandnutrientsforgrowthofdesired
vegetation.
$Thesoilcontainssubstancestoxictothedesiredvegetation.
$Topsoilingisstronglyrecommendedwhereornamentalplantsorhigh-
maintenanceturfwillbegrown.
Advantages
Advantagesoftopsoilincludehigherorganicmatterandgreater
availablewater-holdingcapacityandnutrientcontent.
Topsoilstockpilingensuresthatagoodgrowthmediumwillbe
availableforestablishingplantcoverongradedareas.
Thestockpilescanbeusedasnoiseandviewbafflesduring
construction.
Stripping,stockpiling,andreapplyingtopsoil,orimportingtopsoilmay
notalwaysbecost-effective.Itmayalsocreateanerosionproblemif
improperlysecured.
Unlesscarefullylocated,storagebanksoftopsoilmayalsoobstruct
siteoperationsandthereforerequiredoublehandling.
Topsoilingcandelayseedingorsoddingoperations,increasing
exposuretimeofdenudedareas.
Mosttopsoilcontainssomeweedseeds.
Topsoilingmayberequiredtoestablishvegetationonshallowsoils,
soilscontainingpotentiallytoxicmaterials,verystonyareas,andsoils
ofcriticallylowpH.
Topsoilisthesurfacelayerofthesoilprofile,generally
characterizedasbeingdarkerthanthesubsoilduetothepresenceof
organicmatter.Itisthemajorzoneofrootdevelopmentandbiological
activitiesforplants,carryingmuchofthenutrientsavailabletoplants,
andsupplyingalargeshareofthewaterusedbyplants.Itshouldbe
stockpiledandusedwhereverpracticalforestablishingpermanent
vegetation.
Theneedfortopsoiling,shouldbeevaluated.Takeintoaccountthe
amountandquantityofavailabletopsoilandweighthisagainstthe
difficultyofpreparingagoodseedbedontheexistingsubsoil.Wherea
limitedamountoftopsoilisavailable,itshouldbereservedforuseon
themostcriticalareas.Inmanycasestopsoilhasalreadybeeneroded
awayor,asinwoodedsites,itmaybetootrashy.
Makeafieldexplorationofthesitetodetermineifthereissurface
soilofsufficientquantityandqualitytojustifystripping.Topsoilshould
bespreadatadepthof2to4inches.Moretopsoilwillbeneededifthe
subsoilisrocky.
Topsoilshouldbefriableandloamy(loam,sandyloam,siltloam,
sandyclayloam,clayloam).Areasofnaturalgroundwaterrecharge
shouldbeavoided.
Allowsufficienttimeinschedulingfortopsoiltobespreadand
bondedpriortoseeding,sodding,orplanting.
Donotapplytopsoilifthesubsoilhasacontrastingtexture.Sandy
topsoiloverclayeysubsoilisaparticularlypoorcombination;watercan
creepalongthejunctionbetweenthesoillayersandcausesthetopsoil
toslough.
Stripping
Strippingshouldbeconfinedtotheimmediateconstructionarea.A
4to6inchstrippingdepthiscommon,butdepthmayvarydepending
ontheparticularsoil.Allsurfacerunoffcontrolstructuresshouldbein
placepriortostripping.
Stockpiling
Locatethetopsoilstockpilesothatitdoesnotinterferewithwork
onthesite.
Sideslopesofthestockpileshouldnotexceed2:1.
Surroundalltopsoilstockpileswithaninterceptordikewithgravel
outletandsiltfence.
Eitherseedorcoverstockpileswithclearplasticorothermulching
materialswithin7daysoftheformationofthestockpile.
Placement
Topsoilshouldnotbeplacedwhileinafrozenormuddycondition,
whenthesubgradeisexcessivelywet,orwhenconditionsexistthatmay
otherwisebedetrimentaltopropergradingorproposedsoddingor
seeding.
Donotplacetopsoilonslopessteeperthan2:1,asitwilltendtoslip
off.
Iftopsoilandsubsoilarenotproperlybonded,waterwillnotinfiltrate
thesoilprofileevenlyanditwillbedifficulttoestablishvegetation.The
bestmethodistoactuallyworkthetopsoilintothelayerbelowforadepth
ofatleast6inches.
Maintenance
Maintainprotectivecoveronstockpilesuntilneeded.
References
1993.
Tree and Shrub Planting
Stabilizingdisturbedareasbyestablishingavegetativecoveroftrees
orshrubs.
Purpose
$ Tostabilizethesoilwithvegetationotherthangrassesorlegumes.
$ Toprovidefoodandshelterforwildlife.
$ Toprovidewindbreaksorscreens.
Treesandshrubsmaybeused:
$ Onsteeporrockyslopes,
$ Wheremowingisnotfeasible,
$ Asornamentalsforlandscapingpurposes,or
$ Inshadedareaswheregrassestablishmentisdifficult.
Advantages
Treesandshrubscanprovidesuperior,low-maintenance,long-term
erosionprotection.Theymaybeparticularlyusefulwheresite
aestheticsareimportant.
Besidestheirerosionandsedimentcontrolvalues,treesand
shrubsalsoprovidenaturalbeautyandwildlifebenefits.
Exceptforquick-growingspecies;itmaytakeanumberofyearsfor
treestoreachfullsize.
Treesandshrubsmaybeexpensivetopurchaseandestablish.
Theymayalsobemoresubjecttotheftthanmaterialsusedinother
practices.
Therearemanydifferentspeciesofplantsfromwhichtochoose,
butcaremustbetakenintheirselection.Itisessentialtoselectplanting
materialsuitedtoboththeintendeduseandspecificsite
characteristics.
Noneoftheseplants,however,iscapableofprovidingtherapid
coverpossiblebyusinggrassandlegumes.Vegetativeplansmust
includeclose-growingplantsoranadequatemulchwithallplantings.
Whenusedfornaturalbeautyandwildlifebenefits,treesand
shrubsareusuallymoreeffectivewhenplantedinclumpsorblocks.
SpeciesSelection
Whenerosionorsedimentcontrolisnotofprimary,immediate
concern;areasmaybestabilizedusingrugged,fast-growingtreesand
shrubsthatonceestablishedhaveagoodrecordoftakingcareof
themselves.Theseplantsmaynotbethebestornamentals,but
establishmentcanusuallybemadewiththeselow-maintenancetrees
andshrubs.
Insomecases,itmaybedesirabletousetreesandshrubsas
screeningplantstoshieldsitessuchasgravelpitsfrompublicview.
Theseplantsshouldbegiventhebestpossibleattentionatplanting
time,withgoodsoilwater,andmulching.
Shrubandtreespeciesrecommendationsforvarioussoil
conditions,densities,andarrangementswillbefoundinPart4ofthis
document.
Planting
Treesandshrubswilldobestintopsoil.Ifnotopsoilisavailable,theycan
beestablishedinsubsoilwithproperamendment.Iftreesandshrubsaretobe
plantedinsubsoil,particularattentionshouldbepaidtoamendingthesoil
withgenerousamountsoforganicmatter.Mulchesshouldalsobeused.
Goodqualityplantingstockshouldbeused.Formassplantingsoneor
two-yearolddeciduousseedlings,and3or4-yearoldconiferoustransplants
shouldbeused.Forsmallerplantinggroupsorindividualsspecimenplants,
barerooted,containergrownorballedandburlapedstockmaybepreferred
becauseoftheirlargersize.Stockshouldbekeptcoolandmoistfromtimeof
receiptuntilplanted.
Competingvegetation,ifsignificant,shouldbedestroyedorsuppressed
priortoplantingbyscalpingasmallareawheretheplantistobeplaced.
StockshouldbeplantedinthespringbyMay15.Nofertilizershouldbe
usedatthetimeofplantingunlessitisaslow-releasetypeformulatedfortrees
andshrubs.
Plantsshouldbeplantedattheapproximatedepththeyweregrowingin
thenursery;therootsshouldbeuncrowded;thesoilshouldbefirmlypacked
againsttherootsaftersetting.
Shrubsshouldbemulchedtoadepthof4inchesormorewith
woodchips,bark,peatmossorcrushedstone.Mulchtotheedgeofthe
plantingat,butnotlessthan,onefootfromthetrunk.
Maintenance
Deciduousplantsshouldbefertilizedsixmonthstooneyearafter
plantingwithpoundofa10-6-8fertilizerperplant(or25lbs.per1,000
sq.ft.forblockplantings)ortheequivalent.Aslowreleasefertilizeris
preferred.Evergreensshouldbefertilizedhalfasmuch.
Theplantingshouldbeinspectedafterthefirstandsecondgrowing
seasons.Replantingandrepairs,asneededtoprovideadequatecover,
shouldbescheduled.Fertilizershouldbeappliedtoshrubsevery3to5
yearsafterplanting.
References
1993.
Vegetated Swale
Vegetatedswalesarebroadchannels,eithernaturalorconstructed,
withdensevegetation;whosepurposeistoretardorimpound
concentratedrunoffanddisposeofitsafelyintothedrainagesystem.
Purpose
Toreduce
runoffvelocities,
andreduce
potentialerosion
fromthedischarge
ofrunoff.
Vegetated
swalesmayalso
removesome
particulate
pollutantsfrom
stormwaterrunoffandincreaseinfiltration.
Thispracticeappliestoallsiteswhereadensestandofvegetationcan
beestablishedandwhereeitherastableoutletexistsorcanbe
constructedasasuitableconveyancesystemtosafelydisposeofthe
runoffflowingfromtheswale.
Theswalecanbeusedbyitselforincombinationwitherosionand
sedimentcontrolpractices:
$ Inresidentialareasoflowtomoderatedensitywherethepercentageof
imperviouscoverisrelativelysmall.
$ Inadrainageeasementatthesideorbackofresidentiallots.
$ Adjacenttoparkingareas.
$ Alonghighwaymediansasanalternativetocurbandgutterdrainage
systems.
Thevegetatedswaleandthegrassedwaterwayareverysimilar.The
differenceinthetwopracticesismainlyinpurpose.Thevegetatedswaleis
usedforwaterqualityimprovementandpeakrunoffreduction;
accomplishedbylimitingthevelocityintheswale.Thegrassedwaterway
oroutletisusedtoconveyrunoffatanon-erosivevelocity.
Vegetatedswalesarebestsuitedonsmalldrainageareaswherethe
amountofimperviouscoverisrelativelysmall.Ifdensevegetationcannot
beestablishedandmaintainedintheswale,thenitseffectivenessis
severelyreduced.
Theseasonalhighwatertableshouldbeatleasttwofeetbelowthe
bottomoftheswaleinordertoprovideformoreeffectiveinfiltrationand
treatmentoftherunoffandtoprovidebettergrowingconditionsforthe
vegetation.Subsurfacedrainagemaybeneededtocontrolhighwatertable
andimprovetheconditionoftheswale.
Theswaleshouldbeconstructedpriortoanyotherchannelorfacility
whichwilldrainintoitandflowshouldbedivertedoutoftheswaleuntil
adequatevegetationisestablished.
Vegetatedswalesshouldgenerallynotreceiveconstruction-stage
runoff;iftheydo,presettlingofsedimentsshouldbeprovided.
Swalesshouldbeprotectedfromsiltationbyasedimentpondorbasin
whentheerosionpotentialishigh;otherwise,presettlingisnotgenerally
neededfornormaloperation.
Soilmoistureshouldbesufficienttoprovidewaterrequirements
duringthedryseason,butwherethewatertableisnotsohighastocause
longperiodsofsoilsaturation.Irrigateifmoistureisinadequateduring
summerdrought.Ifsaturationwillbeextendedortheslopeisminimalbut
grassesarestilldesired,considersubdrains.
Preventbareareasbyavoidinggravel,rocks,andhardpannearthe
surface.
Theminimumcapacityshouldbethatrequiredtoconveythepeak
runoffexpectedfroma10-yearfrequency24-hourdurationstorm.
Themaximumdesignvelocityforavegetatedswaleshouldbeone
footpersecondduringpassageofthe10-yearfrequencystorm.
Theminimumrecommendedlengthofavegetatedswaleis200feet.
Ifashorterlengthmustbeused,increaseswalecross-sectionalareaby
anamountproportionaltothereductioninlengthbelow200feet,in
ordertoobtainthesamewaterresidencetime.
Thechannelslopeshouldnormallybebetween2and4percent.A
slopeoflessthan2percentcanbeusedifunderdrainsareplaced
beneaththechanneltopreventponding.Aslopeofgreaterthan4
percentcanbeusedifcheckdamsareplacedinthechanneltoslowthe
flowsaccordingly.
Installlogorrockcheckdamsapproximatelyevery50feet,if
longitudinalslopeexceeds4percent.Adjustcheckdamspacinginorder
nottoexceed4percentslopewithineachchannelsegmentbetween
dams.
Thecrosssectionforavegetatedswalemaybeparabolic,
triangular,ortrapezoidal.
Ifflowisintroducedtotheswaleviacurbcuts,placepavement
slightlyabovetheswaleelevation.Curbcutsshouldbeatleast12
incheswidetopreventclogging.
Subsurfacedrainagemeasuresshouldbeprovidedifsiteshave
highwatertablesorseepageproblems,exceptwherewater-tolerant
vegetationsuchasreedcanarygrasscanbeused.Thereshouldbeno
baseflowpresentintheswale.
VegetativeRecommendations
Swalesshouldbevegetatedwithanappropriategrassmixture:The
swaleshouldbemulchedifnecessaryforestablishmentofgoodquality
vegetation.Atemporarydiversionshouldbeusedtodivertrunoffaway
fromtheswaleuntilvegetationisestablishedthatiscapableof
preventingerosion.
Selectvegetationaccordingtowhatwillbestestablishandsurvive
inthesiteconditions.Selectfine,close-growing,water-resistantgrasses.
Ifaperiodofsoilsaturationisexpected,selectemergentwetlandplant
species.Protecttheseplantsduringestablishmentbynetting.
Selectagrassheightof6inchesorlessandaflowdepthofless
than5inches.Grassesoverthatheighttendtoflattendownwhenwater
isflowingoverthem,whichpreventssedimentation.
Avoidcompactionduringconstruction.Ifcompactionoccurs,till
beforeplantingtorestorelostsoilinfiltrationcapacity.
Divertrunoffduringtheperiodofvegetationestablishment.
Soddingisanalternativeforrapidstabilization.Whereitisnotpossible
todivertrunoff,covergradedandseededareaswithasuitableerosion
controlslopecoveringmaterial.
Maintenance
Timelymaintenanceisimportanttokeepthevegetationintheswale
ingoodcondition.Mowingshouldbedonefrequentlyenoughtokeepthe
vegetationinvigorousconditionandtocontrolencroachmentofweeds
andwoodyvegetation,howeveritshouldnotbemowedtoocloselysoas
toreducethefilteringeffect.
Fertilizeonanasneededbasistokeepthegrasshealthy.Over-
fertilizationcanresultintheswalebecomingasourceofpollution.
Theswaleshouldbeinspectedperiodicallyandaftereverymajor
stormtodeterminetheconditionoftheswale.Rillsanddamagedareas
shouldbepromptlyrepairedandre-vegetatedasnecessarytoprevent
furtherdeterioration.
Vegetatedswalesplantedingrassesmustbemowedregularlyduring
thesummertopromotegrowthandpollutantuptake.Planonmowingas
neededtomaintainproperheight.Removecuttingspromptly,anddispose
inawaysothatnopollutantscanenterreceivingwaters.
Removesedimentsduringsummermonthswhentheybuildupto6
inchesatanyspotorcovervegetation.Iftheequipmentleavesbarespots,
re-seedthemimmediately.
Inspectperiodically,especiallyafterperiodsofheavyrunoff.Remove
sediments,fertilize,andreseedasnecessary.Becarefultoavoid
introducingfertilizertoreceivingwatersorgroundwater.
Cleancurbcutswhensoilandvegetationbuildupinterfereswithflow
introduction.
References
1993.
Water Bar
Aridgeorridgeandchannel
constructeddiagonallyacrossa
slopingroadorutilityright-of-way
thatissubjecttoerosion.Usedto
preventerosiononlong,slopingright-
of-wayroutesbydivertingrunoffat
selectedintervals.
$ Whererunoffprotectionisneeded
topreventerosiononslopingaccess
right-of-ways.
$ Onslopingareasgenerallyless
than100feetinwidth.
Needmaintenanceperiodicallyforvehiclewear.
Narrowrights-of-wayonlongslopesusedbyvehiclescanbe
subjecttosevereerosion.Surfacedisturbanceandtirecompaction
promotegullyformationbyincreasingtheconcentrationandvelocityof
runoff.
Waterbarsareconstructedbyformingaridgeorridgeandchannel
diagonallyacrosstheslopingright-of-way.Eachoutletshouldbestable,
andshouldbeabletohandlethecumulativeeffectofupslopediversion
outlets.Theheightandsideslopesoftheridgeandchannelare
designedtodivertwaterandtoallowvehiclestocross.
Height-18inchesminimumfromchannelbottomtotopofsettled
ridge.
Sideslopes-2:1orflatter(3:1orflatterwherevehiclescross).
Spacing-Forright-of-waywidthslessthan100feet;spacingasfollows:
Slope(%) DiversionSpacing(feet)
<5 125
5to10 100
10to20 75
20to35 50
>35 25
Basewidthofridge-6feetminimum.
Grade-Constantorslightlyincreasing,nottoexceed2%.
Outlet-Diversionmustcrossthefullaccesswidthandextendtoastable
outlet.
Installation
Constructthediversionsystemassoonastheaccessright-of-wayhas
beenclearedandgraded.Locatefirstdiversionatrequireddistancefrom
theslopecrestdependingonsteepnessofright-of-wayslope.Setcrossing
angletokeeppositivegradelessthan2%(approximately60-degreeangle
preferred).
Marklocationandwidthofridgeanddisktheentirelength.
Fillandcompactridgeabovedesignheightandcompactwithwheeled
equipmenttothedesigncrosssection.
Constructdiversionsonconstantorslightlyincreasinggradenotto
exceed2%.Avoidreversegrades.
Setdirectionofwaterbarstoutilizethemoststableoutletlocations.If
necessary,adjustlengthofwaterbarsormakesmalladjustmentsto
spacing.
Donotallowrunofffromupslopewaterbarstoconvergewith
downslopewaterbaroutlets.
Constructsedimenttrapsoroutletstabilizationstructuresasneeded.
Seedandmulchtheridgeandchannelimmediately.
CommonTroublePoints
Overtoppingridgewherediversioncrosseslowareas-Buildwaterbars
togradeatallpoints.
Erosionbetweenwaterbars-Spacingtoowideforslope.Installadditional
waterbars.
Ridgeworndown-Channelfilledwherevehiclescross;surfacenotstable;
orsideslopestoosteep:mayneedgravel.
Erosionatoutlets-Installoutletstabilizationstructureorextendupslope
waterbarsorunoffwillnotconvergeonloweroutlets.
Erosioninchannel-Gradetoosteep.Realignwaterbar.
Maintenance
Inspectwaterbarsperiodicallyforvehiclewear.Inspectforerosion
andsedimentdepositionafterheavyrains.
Removedebrisandsedimentfromdiversionchannelandsediment
traps,repairridgetopositivegradeandcrosssection.Addgravelat
crossingareasandstabilizeoutletsasneeded.
Repairandstabilizewaterbarsimmediatelyifright-of-wayisdisturbed
byinstallationofadditionalutilities.
Inremovingtemporarywaterbars,graderidgeandchanneltoblend
withnaturalground.Compactchannelfillandstabilizedisturbedareas
withvegetation.Waterbarsshouldnotberemoveduntilalldisturbedareas
drainingtothemhavebeenstabilized,inspected,andapproved.
Ifwaterbarsaredesignedforpermanentuse,correctanyerosion
problems,stabilizeoutlets,andapplypermanentseeding.
References
1993.
February1991.
Waterway, Grassed
Anaturalorconstructedwaterwayoroutletshapedorgradedand
establishedin
suitablevegetation
asneededforthe
safedisposalof
runoffwater.Used
toconveyand
disposeof
concentratedrunoff
toastableoutlet
withoutdamage
fromerosion,
deposition,orflooding.
Thispracticeappliestoconstructionsiteswhere:
$ Concentratedrunoffwillcausedamagefromerosionorflooding,
$ Avegetatedliningcanprovidesufficientstabilityforthechannelcross
sectionandgrade,
$ Slopesaregenerallylessthan5percent,and
$ Spaceisavailableforarelativelylargecrosssection.
Typicalusesincluderoadsideditches,channelsatproperty
boundaries,andoutletsfordiversions.
Grass-linedchannelsresemblenaturalsystemsandareusually
preferredwheredesignvelocitiesaresuitable.Selectappropriate
vegetationandconstructchannelsearlyintheconstructionschedule
beforegradingandpavingincreaserunoffrates.
Twomajorconsiderationsforagrassedwaterwayareadequate
capacityandsufficienterosionresistance.
Thechannelcrosssectionshouldbewideandshallowwithrelatively
flatsideslopessosurfacewatercanenteroverthevegetatedbanks
withoutcausingerosion.
Vegetationshouldbeestablishedbeforerunoffisallowedtoflowin
thewaterway.
Supplementalmeasuresmaybeneededwiththispractice.Thesemay
includebutnotbelimitedtosuchthingsas:
$ Gradecontrolstructures,
$ Levelspreaders,
$ Pavedorrock-linedbottom,or
$ Subsurfacedraintoeliminatewetspotsandpermitgrowingsuitable
vegetation.
223
Primaryconsiderationsforastormwaterconveyancechannelare
thevolume,velocity,anddurationofflowexpectedinthechannel.In
addition,thereareseveralotherfactorsthatshouldbetakeninto
considerationwhenplanningachannel.Theseincludesoil
characteristics,safety,aesthetics,availabilityofland,compatibilitywith
landuseandsurroundingenvironment,andmaintenancerequirements.
Thetypeofcrosssectionthatisselecteddependsonthesefactors.
Triangularsectionsareusedwherethevolumeofflowisrelatively
small,suchasinroadsideditches.Vegetationcanbeusedinthese
ditcheswherethevelocitiesarelow.Onsteepslopes,however,where
highervelocitiesareencountered;itmaybenecessarytolinethe
channelwithrockriprap,concrete,asphaltorothererosionresistant
lining.Triangularcross-sectionsmaybemorepronetoerosionbecause
duringsmallflows,theflowisconcentratedinthenarrowv-section.
Parabolicsectionsaresuitedforhigherflows,butrequiretheuse
ofmorelandbecausethechannelsaregenerallyshallowandwide.
Thesechannelsseemtoblendbetterinnaturalsettingswhengrass
mixturesareusedasalining.Whenvelocitiesexceedthecapabilityof
vegetation,rockriprapcanbeusedasalining.Whenthereisa
continuousbaseflowinthechannelitmaybepossibletousea
combinationofrockriprapandvegetationasalining.Thebaseflow
wouldbecarriedbytheriprapsectionandthehigherflowsbythe
vegetatedsectionaslongasthevegetationiscapableofwithstanding
thevelocity.
Atrapezoidalchannelisusuallyusedwheretheflowsarerelatively
largeandathighervelocities.Thesechannelsareusuallylinedwith
materialsotherthanvegetation.Trapezoidalchannelsusuallytakeupless
landthaneithertriangularorparabolicchannels.
Regardlessofthechannelshapedselected,theoutletshouldbe
checkedtodetermineifitisstable.Itmaybenecessarytohavesometype
ofenergydissipatertopreventscourtothereceivingoutletifthereisan
overfloworifvelocitiesinthecontributingchannelarehigherthanthe
outletcanwithstand.
Capacity-Theminimumcapacityshouldbethatrequiredtoconveythe
peakrunoffexpectedfromastormof10-yearfrequency.Peakrunoff
valuesshouldbedeterminedbyacceptedmethods.
Toprovideforlossinchannelcapacityduetovegetalmatter
accumulation,sedimentation,andnormalseedbedpreparation,the
channeldepthandwidthmaybeincreasedproportionallytomaintainthe
hydraulicpropertiesofthewaterway.Inparabolicchannels,thismaybe
accomplishedbyadding0.3foottothedepthand2feettothetopwidth
ofthechannel.Thisisnotrequiredonwaterwayslocatedinnatural
watercourses.
CrossSection-Thecrosssectionmaybeparabolic,triangular,or
trapezoidal.
Grade-Generallyrestrictedtoslopes5%orless.
Sideslopes-Generally3:1orflattertoestablishandmaintainvegetation
andfacilitatemowing.
Whereapavedorstone-linedbottomisusedincombinationwith
vegetatedsideslopes,itshouldbedesignedtohandlethebaseflow,
snowmelt,orrunofffromaone-yearfrequencystorm,whicheveris
greater.Theflowdepthofthepavedsectionshouldbeaminimumof0.5
feet.
Width-Thebottomwidthofwaterwaysoroutletsshouldnotexceed50
feetunlessmultipleordividedwaterwaysorothermeansareprovided
tocontrolmeanderingoflowflowswithinthislimit.
Drainage-Subsurfacedrainagemeasuresshouldbeprovidedinthe
designforsiteshavinghighwatertableorseepageproblems,except
wherewater-tolerantvegetationsuchasreedcanarygrasscanbeused.
Wherethereisbaseflowpresentorlongdurationflowsareexpected,a
stonecenterorundergroundoutletshouldbeused.
Outlet-Theoutletmustbestable.Channelscarryingsedimentmust
emptyintosedimenttraps.
Stabilization-Waterwaysshouldbestabilizedwithvegetative
measuresorstonecenters.Ifavegetatedliningissupplementedby
stonecenter,orothererosion-resistantmaterials,thevelocitymaybe
increasedby2.0ft/sec.
Removealltrees,brush,stumps,andotherobjectionablematerial
fromthefoundationareaanddisposeofproperly.
Installtrapsorothermeasurestoprotectgrassedwaterwaysfrom
sediment.
Thechannelsectionshouldbefreeofbankprojectionsorother
irregularitieswhichpreventnormalflow.
Excavateandshapechanneltodimensionsshownonplans.
Overcutentirechannel0.2fttoallowforbulkingduringseedbed
preparationandgrowthofvegetation.Ifinstallingsod,overcutchannel
thefullthicknessofthesod.
Removeandproperlydisposeofexcesssoilsothatsurfacewater
mayenterthechannelfreely.
Earthremovedandnotneededinconstructionshouldbespreador
disposedofsoasnottointerferewiththefunctioningofthewaterway.
Fillsplacedinwaterwaysshouldbethoroughlycompactedinorder
topreventunequalsettlementthatcouldcausedamageinthe
completedwaterway.
Protectallconcentratedinflowpointsalongchannelbyinstallinga
temporaryliner,riprap,sod,orotherappropriatemeasures.
Stabilizeoutletsandinstallsedimenttrapsasneededduring
channelinstallation.
Vegetatethechannelimmediatelyaftergrading.Smoothslopes
facilitatemaintenance.
EstablishingVegetation
Waterwaysshouldbeprotectedbyvegetativemeansassoonafter
constructionaspractical,andbeforediversionsorotherchannelsare
outlettedintothem.Considerationshouldbegiventojutematting,
excelsiormatting,orsoddingofchanneltoprovideerosionprotectionas
soonafterconstructionaspossible.
Installsodinsteadofseedingincriticalareas,particularlywhere
slopesapproach5%.
Seeding,fertilizing,mulching,andsoddingshouldbeinaccordwith
applicablevegetativestandardsforpermanentcover.SeePermanent
Seeding.
One-halftoonebushelofoatsshouldbeaddedtothebasicmixture
forquickcoverandtohelpanchorthemulch.
Verymoistwaterwaysareoftenbestvegetatedbyworkingrootstocks
ofreedcanarygrassintotheseedbed.
Whensoilconditionsareunfavorableforvegetation(suchasvery
coarse-texturedsubsoilmaterial),topsoilshouldbespreadtoadepthof4
inchesormoreonatleastthecenterhalfofparabolicshapedchannelsor
ontheentirebottomoftrapezoidalshapedchannels.
Seededchannelsshouldbemulched.Forcriticalsectionsoflarge
channels,andforsteepchannels,themulchshouldbeanchoredbycutting
itlightlyintothesoilsurface,orbycoveringwithpapertwinefabricor
equivalentmaterial;orjutenettingshouldbeused.
CommonTroublePoints
Erosionoccursinchannelbeforevegetationisfullyestablished
Repair,reseed,andinstalltemporaryliner.
Gullyingorheadcuttinginchannel
Gradetoosteepforgrasslining(steepgradeproducesexcessivevelocity).
Channelandlinershouldberedesigned.
Sideslopecaving
Mayresultfromanyofthefollowing:
$ channelduginunstablesoil(highwatertable),
$ bankstoosteepforsiteconditions,or
$ velocitytoohigh,especiallyonoutsideofchannelcurves.
Overbankerosion,spoterosion,channelmeander,orflooding
Avoiddebrisandsedimentaccumulation.Stabilizetroublespotsand
revegetate.Ripraporotherappropriatemeasuresmayberequired.
Pondingalongchannel
Approachnotproperlygraded,surfaceinletsblocked.
Erosionatchanneloutlet
Installoutletstabilizationstructure.
Sedimentdepositedatchanneloutlet
Indicateserosioninchannelorwatershed.Findandrepairanychannel
erosion.Stabilizewatershed,orinstalltemporarydiversionsand
sedimenttrapstoprotectchannelfromsediment-ladenrunoff.
Maintenance
Duringtheinitialestablishmentperiod,flowshouldbedivertedout
ofthechannelifatallpossibletoallowforagoodstandofgrass.Ifthis
isnotpossibleusematting.Inanycaseduringtheestablishmentperiod,
thechannelshouldbecheckedaftereveryrainfalltodetermineifthe
grassisstillingoodconditionandinplace.
Afterthevegetationhasbecomeestablished,thechannelshouldbe
checkedperiodicallyandaftereverymajorstormtoseeifdamagehas
occurred.Anydamagedareasshouldberepairedandrevegetated
immediately.
Maintenanceofthevegetationinthegrassedwaterwayis
extremelyimportantinordertopreventrilling,erosion,andfailureof
thewaterway.
Mowingshouldbedonefrequentlyenoughtocontrol
encroachmentofweedsandwoodyvegetationandtokeepthegrasses
inavigorouscondition.Thevegetationshouldnotbemowedtoo
closelysoastoreducetheerosionresistanceinthewaterway.
Periodicapplicationsoflimeandfertilizermaybeneededto
maintainvigorousgrowth.
Removeallsignificantsedimentanddebrisfromchannelto
maintainthedesigncrosssectionandgradeandpreventspoterosion.
Existingwaterwayscanoftenbebestrepairedbyworkingsodsof
witchgrass(quackgrass)intotheseedbed.
Itisimportanttocheckthechanneloutletandallroadcrossings
forblockage,sediment,bankinstability,andevidenceofpipingorscour
holes.
References
1993.
228
Waterway, Lined
Awaterwaywithanerosionresistantliningofconcrete,stone,or
otherpermanentmaterial.Thelinedsectionextendsupthesideslopesto
designflowdepth.Theearthabovethepermanentliningshouldbe
vegetatedorotherwiseprotected.
Purpose
Toprovideforsafedisposalofrunofffromotherconservation
structuresorfromnaturalconcentrationsofflow,withoutdamageby
erosionorflooding,whereunlinedorgrassedwaterwayswouldbe
inadequate.
Thispracticeapplieswherechannelflowvelocitiesexceedthose
acceptableforagrasslinedwaterwayand/orconditionsareunsuitablefor
theestablishmentofgrasslinedwaterways.Specificconditionsinclude:
$ Concentratedrunoffisofsuchmagnitudethataliningisneededto
controlerosion.
$ Steepgrades,wetness,prolongedorcontinuousbaseflow,seepage,or
pipingwouldcauseerosion.
$ Thelocationissuchthatusebypeople,animals,orvehiclespreclude
useofvegetatedwaterways.
$ Highvaluepropertyoradjacentfacilitieswarranttheextracostto
containdesignrunoffinlimitedspace.
$ Soilsarehighlyerosiveorothersoilorclimateconditionspreclude
usingvegetation.
Liningscanconsistof:rockriprap;non-reinforced,cast-in-place
concrete,flagstonemortaredinplace;orsimilarpermanentlinings.
Ripraplinersareconsideredflexibleandareusuallypreferredtorigid
liners.
Riprapislesscostly,adjuststounstablefoundationconditions,is
lessexpensivetorepair,andreducesoutletflowvelocity.
Ripraporpavedchannelscanbeconstructedwithgrasslined
slopeswheresiteconditionswarrant.
Volume,velocity,anddurationofflowexpectedareprimary
considerationsforalinedwaterway.Otherfactorsincludesoil
characteristics,safety,aesthetics,availabilityofland,compatibility
withlanduseandsurroundingenvironment,andmaintenance
requirements.Thetypeofcrosssectionthatisselecteddependson
thesefactors.
Typicalcrosssectionsthatcanbeusedincludetriangularorv-
shapedsections,parabolicsections,andtrapezoidalsections.
$ Triangularsectionsareusedwherethevolumeofflowisrelatively
small,suchasinroadsideditches.
$ Parabolicsectionsaresuitedforhigherflows,butrequiretheuse
ofmorelandbecausethechannelsaregenerallyshallowandwide.
Whenvelocitiesexceedthecapabilityofvegetation,rockriprapcanbe
usedasalining.Whenthereisacontinuousbaseflowinthechannelit
maybepossibletouseacombinationofrockriprapandvegetationas
alining.Thebaseflowwouldbecarriedbytheriprapsectionandthe
higherflowsbythevegetatedsection;aslongasthevegetationis
capableofwithstandingthevelocity.
$ Atrapezoidalchannelisusuallyusedwheretheflowsarerelatively
largeandathighervelocities.Trapezoidalchannelsusuallytakeup
lesslandthaneithertriangularorparabolicchannels.
Regardlessofthechannelshapedselected,theoutletshouldbe
checkedtodetermineifitisstable.Itmaybenecessarytohavesome
typeofenergydissipatertopreventscourtothereceivingoutletif
thereisanoverfloworifvelocitiesinthecontributingchannelare
higherthantheoutletcanwithstand.
TheWetlandsProtectionActrequiresthatforanystreamcrossing
orotherworkconductedinawetlandresourcearea,orwithin100feet
ofawetlandresourcearea,theproponentfileaDeterminationof
ApplicabilityoraNoticeofIntentwiththelocalConservation
Commission.
SeealsoRiprap.
Capacity-Theminimumcapacityshouldbeadequatetocarrythe
peakrateofrunofffroma10-yearfrequencystorm.
CrossSection-Thecrosssectionmaybetriangular,parabolic,or
trapezoidal.Monolithicconcretemayberectangular.
Velocity
RockRiprapLinedWaterways-Rockriprapliningscanbedesignedto
withstandhighvelocitiesbychoosingastablerocksize.Riprapshould
haveatransitionmaterial(bedding)placedbetweentherockandthesoil.
Thistransitionmaterialcanbeeitherawellgradedsand-gravelmixtureor
ageotextilefabric.
Concrete-LinedWaterways-Velocityisusuallynotalimitingfactorinthe
designofconcrete-linedwaterways.Keepinmindhoweverthattheflow
velocityattheoutletmustnotexceedtheallowablevelocityforthe
receivingoutlet.
Drainage-Drainageisnotafactorwhenconsideringusingarockriprap
waterwaysincesubsurfacewaterwilldrainthroughthetransitionmaterial
andtherock.Concretelinedchannelsmayrequiredrainagetoreduce
upliftpressureandcollectseepagewater.
Filtersorbedding-Filtersorbeddingshouldbeusedtopreventpiping.
Filterfabricmaybeusedasthefilter.Drainsshouldbeused,asrequired,
toreduceupliftpressureandcollectwater.Weepholesmaybeusedwith
drainsifneeded.
RockRipraporFlagstone-Stoneusedforripraporflagstoneshouldbe
denseandhardenoughtowithstandexposuretoair,water,freezingand
thawing.Flagstoneshouldbeflatforeaseofplacement,andhavethe
strengthtoresistexposureandbreaking.
Outletmustbestable.Stabilizechannelinletpointsandinstallneeded
outletprotectionduringchannelinstallation.
Removealltrees,brush,stumps,andotherobjectionablematerial
fromchannelandspoilareasanddisposeofproperly.
Constructcrosssectiontothelinesandgradesshowninplans.Install
filterfabricorgravellayerasspecifiedintheplan.
CommonTroublePoints
Foundationnotexcavateddeepenoughorwideenough
Ripraprestrictschannelflow,resultinginoverflowanderosion.
Sideslopestoosteep
Causesinstability,stonemovementandbankfailure.
Filteromittedordamagedduringstoneplacement
Causespipingandbankinstability.
Riprappoorlygradedorstonesnotplacedtoformadense,stable
channellining
Resultsinstonedisplacementanderosionoffoundation.
Riprapnotextendedfarenoughdownstream
Causesundercutting.Outletmustbestable.
Riprapnotblendedtogroundsurface
Resultsingullyingalongedgeofriprap.
Maintenance
Checkriprap-linedwaterwaysperiodicallyandaftereverymajor
stormforscouringbelowtheripraplayer,andtoseethatthestones
havenotbeendislodgedbytheflow.Plasticfiltercloth,ifused,should
becompletelycoveredandprotectedfromsunlight.
Iftherockshavebeendisplacedorundermined,thedamagedareas
shouldberepairedimmediately.Woodyvegetationshouldnotbe
allowedtobecomeestablishedintherockriprapandifpresentshould
beremoved.Debrisshouldnotbeallowedtoaccumulateinthechannel.
Givespecialattentiontooutletsandpointswhereconcentrated
flowenterschannel.Repairerodedareaspromptly.
Concrete-linedwaterwaysshouldbecheckedtoensurethatthere
isnounderminingofthechannel.Ifscourisoccurringattheoutlet,
appropriateenergydissipationmeasuresshouldbetaken.
Ifthewaterwayisbelowahighsediment-producingarea,sediment
shouldbetrappedbeforeitenters.
Checkforsedimentaccumulation,piping,bankinstability,and
scourholes.Sedimentanddebrisdepositsshouldberemovedbefore
theyreducethecapacityofthechannel.
References
GuidelinesforSoilErosionandSedimentControl,Hartford,CT,
January,1985.
1993.
February1991.

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Table of Contents

162 Erosion and Sediment Control Practices

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