Alabama Soil and Water Blog Spot

  Today’s Erosion and Sediment Control Tip Most of you now should have heard that the Alabama Field Guide for Erosion and Sediment Control (The Pocket Guide) is now available as an App in both Apple and Android versions.  The Apps make it easy to navigate, the tables are interactive, and the best part to me is the Pure Live Seed Calculator.  Seeding recommendations are always made for Pure Live Seed in pounds or bushels per acre.  If you know the percent germination and percent purity off the seed tag, the Calculator does all the work for you to determine exactly how much seed is needed for your acreage to obtain the Pure Live Seed recommendation.  Try it out.   FYI  - Clear Water Alabama will be near the Gulf Coast next year.  Be on the lookout for a “Save The Date” after the first of the year.   Perry L. Oakes, PE Erosion & Sediment Control Program Coordinator

  Today’s Erosion and Sediment Control Tip Sediment Basins require a device to dewater from the surface of the basin to remove the cleanest (less turbid) water.  This is often accomplished with a skimming device that is designed to remove the stored construction runoff over a period of 2 to 5 days.  It is important that the skimmer be installed and maintained properly. Skimmers must have a flexible connection to the rigid pipe or riser system that goes through the dam.  It should easily operate at all design elevations.  When placed on a principal spillway riser, the pipe from the skimmer to the flexible connection should be about 1.5 x the height of the riser structure. The flexible pipe outlet at the rigid pipe or riser system through the dam should be at the standing pool elevation to ensure the skimmer does not function below the required elevation. A rock pad should be constructed for the skimming device to rest on when discharge is complete.  The skimmer may need checking occasio

  Clear Water Alabama TN 2021 in Cullman Alabama The Clear Water Alabama TN program held its annual event at Camp Meadowbrook in Cullman September 15-16, 2021.   Almost 100 attended the Seminar event on the 15 th , and approximately 75 attended the Field Day on the 16 th .   The Theme of the event this year was “Healthy Streams for Health Lakes”.   Cindy Lowry, the Executive Director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance delivered the keynote address. Seminar presentations can be viewed at: LINK TO THE SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS Photos of the event are also available at: LINK TO THE EVENT PHOTOS Next year’s event will be in the Coastal area of Alabama.   Look for news in early 2022. Perry L. Oakes, PE Erosion & Sediment Control Program Coordinator

  The practice of Mulching can be used for temporary erosion control when a disturbed area is to be left for a while.  Construction may not have finished on an area, or the time of the year is not right for permanent seeding.  For whatever reason, mulching can be used.  Straw mulches including wheat, barley, and rye (not ryegrass) are generally used for mulching material and are preferred over hay (bermudagrass, bahia, fescue, etc.)  The straw mulches are more durable and last longer when exposed to our environment.  Now the question is how much do I need?  The recommended mulching rate for straw alone is 2.5 – 3.0 tons per acre.  So, if a square straw bale weights 40 lbs, you would need between 125 and 150 bales per acre. This is a little tricky because straw bales may have different moisture contents that causes different weight for the same volume.  However, this rate will get you very close to your objective, which is 100% ground coverage.  After the straw is evenly applied, you sh

  The purpose of a Construction Exit Pad is to remove sediment from vehicle tires as a vehicle exits a construction site onto a public road.  There are now some manufactured products for this practice, but the most often “go to” material is ALDOT Coarse Aggregate No. 1 (2.5 to 3.5 inch stone).   Avoid using riprap and smaller stone (i.e. No. 4 or 57 stone).  In order for an aggregate Construction Exit Pad to work as planned, make sure the Construction Exit Pad is installed properly with 8 oz. non-woven geotextile underlayment and to the right dimensions, especially the thickness (6-inch minimum).  The aggregate works to remove sediment from tires when they track “through” the aggregate and also by opening the tire treads to allow mud to drop out.  Aggregate that has been in place for a while will become interlocked or choked with soil.  When this happens the tires will ride on top of the Exit Pad instead of tracking through the aggregate.  In order to correct this there should be more

  Wattles (logs) are often used for several practice such as Check Dams, Inlet Protection, Slope interrupters, Sediment Barriers,  etc.  Wattles function primarily by ponding water, reducing velocity and erosive energy, and allowing coarse sediment particles to settle out of suspension.  One thing often overlooked with a Wattle is that the fill material is often lighter than water and thus has a tendency to float.  The research at Auburn University - Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility has found that this is easily overcome my pinning the wattle with “u-shaped” sod staples.  Staples should be place on each side of the wattle about 5 or 6 inches apart.  Make sure to catch several strands of the mesh with each staple.  Stop the float, slow water down, and catch some sediment. Perry L. Oakes, PE Erosion & Sediment Control Program Coordinator