Erosion control is a method used to prevent, limit and control erosion caused by wind or water.
There are many industries that require erosion control. Such as agriculture, land development, coastal areas, river banks, road ways (ditches), reclamation of various sites, mining, oil and gas, pipeline and construction sites.
There two categories for Erosion Control temporary or permanent. Both methods are used to control erosion the first (temporary) is mostly used during a construction phase of a project and is completely removed once the project is complete or other permanent measures are in place.
Some Examples of Erosion Control Methods:
Temporary Measures
- Seeding
- Slope texturing
- Synthetic permeable barrier
- Mulching
- RECP coverings (blankets)
- Silt fence
- Rolls and wattles
- Straw bale barriers
Permanent Measures
- Berm interceptor
- Gabion cages
- Rock check
- Sediment pond/basin
- Retaining walls
Vegetation is the simplest and most natural way to prevent erosion. In some cases, establishing the required vegetation requires the use of various temporary and permanent method to establish growth.
A common way to establish this vegetation is through seeding. Methods of seeding such as, broadcast dand rill seeding can be ineffective on their own due to water or wind erosion. The addition of RECP (rolled erosion control products (blankets)) to the seeded areas will reduce the loss of seed and increase the establishment of vegetation .
Whereas other methods of establishing vegetation in similar areas would be by Hydroseeding or Hydomulching. This method works better for erosion control with vegitation establishment because of the products available to mix in the slurry.
A slurry is mixed in a hydroseeder where seed, mulch,/organic material, ferterlizer(site dependant) and water are mixed in a tank to spray over the area. Theslurry creates a covering that will aid in the germination and establishment of vegetation. As such Hydroseeding or Hydromulching is an effective method to obtain vegetation establishment while reducing the overall cost.