Today’s Erosion and Sediment Control Tip: #3

 Have you ever seen a Check Dam (some say Ditch Check) stay on a site long after construction is over?


Check Dams can be rock, wattles, sand bags, silt fence, and other manufactured products.  But, my main point here is that a Check Dam is a temporary erosion control practice used to help stabilize a concentrated flow channel during construction. The Check Dam can also capture a small amount of sediment due to the ponding effect.  Check dams should be removed and the final stabilized surface (vegetation or armoring) should be installed prior to construction finalization.

This leads me to two more thoughts. 

  1. Was the Check Dam really needed?  If the final stabilized lining of the concentrated flow area can be achieved without a check dam, is there really a need for a check dam?
  1. The small amount of sediment caught by check dams should definitely not be the main reason for using the practice. Upstream erosion control practices should have kept the sediment upstream. 

Let’s only use Check Dams as a temporary BMP to keep gully erosion from occurring in a concentrated flow area during construction.

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And by the way, The Alabama Erosion and Sediment Control Program has a new website landing page.  Check it out.

AlabamaSoilAndWater.gov/alesc/




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