Alabama Soil and Water Blog Spot

  You have often heard us talk that an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for a construction site should be “Site Specific”.  That’s because every site (even a small home site lot) is a little different from the other sites.  So designers should be careful and not use what I call “cookie cutter” plans for erosion and sediment control.  While the plans can be similar and have some of the same features, the plans should meet the requirements for the specific location. Make sure your plan is ON TARGET.   Perry L Oakes, PE Erosion and Sediment Control Program Coordinator AL Soil and Water Conservation Committee

  Today’s erosion and sediment control tip is provided by Barry Fagan of Volkert, Inc.   Delay and Limitation of Soil Disturbance as a Best Management Practice   The product of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), which can be used to estimate soil loss from a particular slope, is given in units of tons per acre per year (t/ac/yr.), or mass per area of disturbance per duration of disturbance. To cause the amount of sediment trying to leave a slope to be reduced, one must also reduce the area and/or the duration of disturbance. Both are achievable on most construction projects.   One of the most effective practices available for the management of construction stormwater is the protection and retention of established vegetation and soil cover. The next most effective practice may be the effort to return to a state of stabilization as soon as possible.   Delaying soil disturbance can be achieved by evaluating the scope and sequence of the work and requiring or