Best Management Practices During Construction

Temporary Seeding Temporary Seeding

Temporary seeding can reduce erosion of unstable soils with vegetation and mulching. Hydro-seeding with seed-mulch-fertilizer mixtures may be used and should be applied after the soil surface is roughened to hold the seed.

Jute mat or other supplemental materials may be necessary on steep slopes.

Mulching

Mulching helps prevent erosion by protecting soils from the impact of rainfall and be reducing the velocity of flow across a site.

Mulching should be used on areas of greater than 5:1 slope immediately after seeding and on any exposed or unworked soils which need immediate cover and protection.

Suitable materials include straw, wood chips, corn stalks and bark. All mulched areas should be checked during and after severe storms or windy weather for bare spots and washed-out areas.

Dust Control

Dust control should be used to reduce surface and air movement of dust during construction activities by sprinkling the site with water until the surface is wet but not muddy, and repeated daily or more frequently as needed.

Slope Stabilization

There are several measures which can be used for protection of steep slopes which include:

  • maintaining or establishing a vegetative buffer at the toe of the slope;
  • using interceptor swales and dikes to divert flow from the face of the slope;
  • running track equipment up and down the slopes to create grooves perpendicular to the hillside;
  • installing temporary and permanent covering including sod, seeding, mulch, erosion control blankets and straw wattles;
  • installing pipe slope drains.

Plastic Cover

Plastic covering can be used for immediate protection from erosion on disturbed areas and stockpiles.

The plastic should have a minimum thickness of 6 mil and should be held tightly in place with stakes, rope, ties, or sand bags. Sheeting should be toed in at the top of the slope to keep water from running underneath the plastic.

Street Cleaning

Cleaning tracked mud and debris from existing roads keeps it out of storm drain facilities.

The streets should be swept, not washed and the mud and dirt should be collected and stabilized on site, not swept into the storm facilities.

Permanent Vegetation & Landscaping

Once construction is complete, the site will need to be stabilized before removing base measures. Just because construction is complete does not remove your liability for erosion caused by site construction.

Permanent vegetation and landscaping should be established as soon as possible on all disturbed soils where grading is complete using seed mixes and plant varieties that best suit the soil conditions and exposure of the site. Natural rainfall should be supplemented with sufficient irrigation to ensure adequate cover is established.