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USE COMPOST: Sediment/Erosion Control |
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Few land surfaces are immune to erosion. Even fields that look "flat" to the casual observer usually slope in one or more directions. This facilitates rainwater runoff, but for unprotected surfaces, it also contributes to loss of topsoil, reduces land usability, and causes sediment to be carried to surface waters, choking off life for aquatic plants and animals and impairing navigation. Compost use for sediment and erosion control is a relatively new weapon in the fight to reduce topsoil loss. But in recent years, studies and field use have proved compost to be an effective tool for many applications, including highway construction and maintenance, commercial and residential development, streambank restoration, and much more. In many cases, compost out-performs more traditional erosion control tools like straw bales and silt fences. Compost use methods fall into two broad categories: Compost blankets.
Prior to laying down the compost blanket, the application surface should
be disked to improve bonding between the soil and compost. Using
conventional spreading equipment, including blower trucks, a layer of
compost is then applied to the surface.
Compost berms and socks.
These flexible, functional runoff management tools can be used alone or
in conjunction with compost blankets. Deployed wherever high
volume discharges or flows are a problem, such devices offer the
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EPA BMPs
Compost Filter Berms Download brochure Service Providers
Atlantic Mulch & Erosion Control
– Raleigh, NC
Carolina Mulch Plus -
Pisgah Forest, NC
Eco Express -
Wilmington, NC
Power Mulch Systems Inc. - Smithfield, NC
Upstate Mulch Products &
Services –
Easley, SC Contact: Jim Wilson
864-918-4881 Additional reading American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specifications: Innovative Uses of Compost: Erosion Control, Turf Remediation, and Landscaping (EPA publication) Compost use at construction sites Compost specs for erosion control Texas DOT compost blanket specs Using compost to control construction site runoff and erosion (Iowa Department of Natural Resources) Using compost to control soil erosion, establish turf, and amend planting backfill (a research summary of a ConnDOT project from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2001) |
Thickness of the compost
layer depends on whether the surface will be vegetated, the slope, and
other factors. While as little as one-half inch can be effective,
and four inches is not too much, generally a minimum depth of two inches
is recommended to eliminate bare spots.
be
effective in these situations when used in conjunction with socks, berms, and other management strategies.
advantages of efficiency (staking
and pinning is optional) and efficacy
(sediment is contained). Like a compost blanket, berms and socks
can be vegetated, providing near-invisible protection and a barrier that
never has to be removed. It just slowly biodegrades, giving
vegetation ample time to establish.