Erosion Control
The rainy season is upon us and flash floods, snow storms and wind can happen without warning….in order to protect your homes and properties it is crucial to be as prepared as possible before disaster hits.
The most common areas for erosion to occur is on hill sides, burn scars, or anywhere with little to no vegetation.
There are a few different ways to protect your land. First of all seeding your land is very important! If there are any kind of bare patches or areas will small amounts of vegetation, you want to put seed on the ground. Why is seed so important? When the ground is bare it has no structure for the soil to stay in place. When roots go in the ground the soil will hold onto them which will keep the soil in place much better than without. The most commonly used seed is crimson clover, white clover, annual rye, or erosion control blends. Along with the seed it is ideal to use jute netting to help keep pressure on the soil, holding it in place, the vegetation will grow around this netting and because it is not a plastic, eventually, when all the root structures have fully developed, the jute will break down.
Another very important tool for erosion control is straw waddles. These are 8” diameter tubes that are 25’ long. They have a netting on the outside filled with straw. What these are used for is to slow the water down. The steeper the hill, the more often the waddle. These are to be placed horizontally along the hillside, the water does not go through the wattles. They “start the hill over.” Without any interruptions, it will have a snowball effect and cause more destruction, so the wattles slows the water down. There are a few ways to install these. The most commonly used way is to dig a small trench to set the wattle in, then drive 12”-18” wood stakes through the middle of the wattles. The other way eliminates the trenches. Instead of driving the stakes in the middle of the wattle, drive the stakes in on both sides zig zaging and attach a rope to each stake and cinch down the rope to hold the wattle in place.
Sand bags can also protect your home if your in crisis. These will not let the water through. In order to set a good barricade, the ideal sandbag will be sewn instead of tied. This way the sand bags can get set without holes in between, leaving you with a better more solid structure.
In order to prevent or resolve emergencies, erosion control is very important. For any emergencies we are available 24/7. For preventative call or come in and talk to us about what would work best at your home.
