For Bski: Sediment erosion control - Erosion mats - 03/24/09 03:49 AM
Last September I had my ponds experiencing some signifcant erosion due to the 2:1 slopes and lack of vegetation. I performed a lot of research on PBF and decided erosion straw mats were the most efficient manner in which to control erosion and to encourage new vegetative growth.
I had 2 acres of deeply eroded slopes harrowed, then applied a combination of cool season grasses:
Fescue, Oats, Rye and Brome
Then two acres of straw mat was rolled out and pinned.
Unfortunately precipitation was light in October here in Lincoln, NE, and I didn't get much in the way of new vegetation. However, the mats worked wonders in terms of holding the banks together and discouraging further erosion.
Cost: Bids as high as 15k - used the cheapest at 6k.
I did NOT use any fertilizer for fear of creating an overabundance of Nitrogen in the pond [algae blooms, etc.]. Here are the pics of not only the Emats but also areas where rock and hay bales were placed to help prevent erosion.
Imagine this all around my ponds and on the backside of the dam - only four times as long, two times as deep, and more canyon-ish.
Erosion mat on the backside of main pond dam
EMat on the Front Side of main pond dam
EMat on the backside of pond 3 and 4
Emat on North side of main pond
Emat on the South side of main pond...you can really see the erosion here...and probably the jist of things by now.
Very LITTLE brome peaking it's head this Spring - hey there little guy!
I had major siltation issues running into Cedar pond in two spots.
First erosion issue: There is a pvc drainage pipe running from Pond 4 to Pond 3 and eventually to Pond 2. The soils used to cover the pipe had eroded away and effectively made a flow liner into the pond dumping buckets of sediment into the watershed. I used a Bobcat to very poorly create drainage diversion channels and to fill in the areas with hard packed clay. I also used about two tons of 6" limestone filter stone to fill in areas that were inaccessible by Bobcat and yours truly as the operator. I also added a siltation fence which very nearly caused me to go into cardiac arrest digging a 70' x 6" x 6" trough through clay and roots of all measure of density and thickness.
Siltation fence
From the pond looking up Niagra hill
Looking down on Cedar pond - see the crude diversion dyke I made! It only took me 6 hours! I have the ultimate in respect for Otto...
Here you can see the flowliner created by erosion and the poor packing job initially done by my contractor upon the pvc outflow tube into Cedar pond. I repacked with clay but only got so far - almost tipping the Cat several times until I gave way to adding filter stone [it's a lot steeper than it looks].
It's the end of the line, boys. Here's the afforementioned drainage pipe bringing all discharge from ponds 4 and 3 [SMB and RES/BG ponds]. You can see the sludge already drained into the pond, nothing I can do but try and prevent further siltation [is that even a word? I'm going to keep using it nevertheless]. The rocks here are to protect from erosion any super low flowing discharge [dribbling] from the pipe might create.
Second erosion issue: I drain 30-40 acres of virgin Nebraska prairie, and apparently found where lots of it likes to flow. I'm having major issues with siltation into Cedar pond here too. The bales are my feeble attempt of slowing the runoff long enough to have the soil particulate drop before heading into the pond. Fighting a losing battle until my overseeding takes hold? Probably...but it's not everyday a guy gets to hammer 3' stakes into hay bales while Cedar branches poke them in the eyes, is it?
Side view...I know - not great stake work.
So what if Bruce wants to leave. So what if my forearm is about to bust through my skin. So what I've already pounded my shins twice with tired arms and am bleeding through my socks...I have two bales and four stakes left and the rain approaches...[which, incidently, never did come]
Think these are going to make a difference? Not a chance.
I overseeded a mixture of brome, fescue, and rye in all areas with exposed soil last week and harrowed it in with a ATV and, um, a harrow.
Thanks to all for the guidance - could NOT have accomplished any of this without your patient advice.
Coming soon - Habitat: Ambush zones and Fathead fornication condos.
TJ
I had 2 acres of deeply eroded slopes harrowed, then applied a combination of cool season grasses:
Fescue, Oats, Rye and Brome
Then two acres of straw mat was rolled out and pinned.
Unfortunately precipitation was light in October here in Lincoln, NE, and I didn't get much in the way of new vegetation. However, the mats worked wonders in terms of holding the banks together and discouraging further erosion.
Cost: Bids as high as 15k - used the cheapest at 6k.
I did NOT use any fertilizer for fear of creating an overabundance of Nitrogen in the pond [algae blooms, etc.]. Here are the pics of not only the Emats but also areas where rock and hay bales were placed to help prevent erosion.
Imagine this all around my ponds and on the backside of the dam - only four times as long, two times as deep, and more canyon-ish.
Erosion mat on the backside of main pond dam
EMat on the Front Side of main pond dam
EMat on the backside of pond 3 and 4
Emat on North side of main pond
Emat on the South side of main pond...you can really see the erosion here...and probably the jist of things by now.
Very LITTLE brome peaking it's head this Spring - hey there little guy!
I had major siltation issues running into Cedar pond in two spots.
First erosion issue: There is a pvc drainage pipe running from Pond 4 to Pond 3 and eventually to Pond 2. The soils used to cover the pipe had eroded away and effectively made a flow liner into the pond dumping buckets of sediment into the watershed. I used a Bobcat to very poorly create drainage diversion channels and to fill in the areas with hard packed clay. I also used about two tons of 6" limestone filter stone to fill in areas that were inaccessible by Bobcat and yours truly as the operator. I also added a siltation fence which very nearly caused me to go into cardiac arrest digging a 70' x 6" x 6" trough through clay and roots of all measure of density and thickness.
Siltation fence
From the pond looking up Niagra hill
Looking down on Cedar pond - see the crude diversion dyke I made! It only took me 6 hours! I have the ultimate in respect for Otto...
Here you can see the flowliner created by erosion and the poor packing job initially done by my contractor upon the pvc outflow tube into Cedar pond. I repacked with clay but only got so far - almost tipping the Cat several times until I gave way to adding filter stone [it's a lot steeper than it looks].
It's the end of the line, boys. Here's the afforementioned drainage pipe bringing all discharge from ponds 4 and 3 [SMB and RES/BG ponds]. You can see the sludge already drained into the pond, nothing I can do but try and prevent further siltation [is that even a word? I'm going to keep using it nevertheless]. The rocks here are to protect from erosion any super low flowing discharge [dribbling] from the pipe might create.
Second erosion issue: I drain 30-40 acres of virgin Nebraska prairie, and apparently found where lots of it likes to flow. I'm having major issues with siltation into Cedar pond here too. The bales are my feeble attempt of slowing the runoff long enough to have the soil particulate drop before heading into the pond. Fighting a losing battle until my overseeding takes hold? Probably...but it's not everyday a guy gets to hammer 3' stakes into hay bales while Cedar branches poke them in the eyes, is it?
Side view...I know - not great stake work.
So what if Bruce wants to leave. So what if my forearm is about to bust through my skin. So what I've already pounded my shins twice with tired arms and am bleeding through my socks...I have two bales and four stakes left and the rain approaches...[which, incidently, never did come]
Think these are going to make a difference? Not a chance.
I overseeded a mixture of brome, fescue, and rye in all areas with exposed soil last week and harrowed it in with a ATV and, um, a harrow.
Thanks to all for the guidance - could NOT have accomplished any of this without your patient advice.
Coming soon - Habitat: Ambush zones and Fathead fornication condos.
TJ