Silt fence along the foot of a freshly graded slope covered in straw and seed

09 · Erosion Control

Erosion control in Nashville: silt fence, seed, straw and slopes

Bare dirt moves every time it rains. Erosion control systems and slope stabilization keep it where it belongs: on your lot, and out of the street, the ditch and the creek.

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Stop it moving, then catch what moves anyway

This work has two halves. Erosion prevention keeps soil from coming loose in the first place: grass seed, straw mulch, erosion control blankets on steeper ground, and leaving existing vegetation alone wherever the job doesn’t need it gone. Sediment control catches the soil that comes loose anyway, before it leaves the site: silt fence, check dams in ditches, protection around storm drain inlets, and a stone pad at the site exit so trucks don’t carry mud onto the road.

Prevention does most of the work. Sediment controls are the backstop, and backstops fill up.

Silt fence only works if it’s installed right

A silt fence is a strip of fabric on stakes that slows muddy water and lets the soil drop out before the water passes through. To work, its bottom edge has to be buried in a trench, not laid on the ground, or the water simply runs under it. It goes across the slope along the contour, with the stakes on the downhill side and the ends turned uphill so water can’t run around them.

It also needs emptying. On sites under the state permit, sediment has to be cleaned out of silt fences, traps and basins once their capacity is cut in half.

The clock in the state construction permit

For sites covered by TDEC’s Construction General Permit, timing is written into the rules. Erosion and sediment controls have to be in place and working before earth moving starts. Once work stops in a part of the site, temporary or permanent stabilization there has to be finished within two weeks. Steep slopes, defined as 35 percent grade or more, get one week.

The site is inspected at least twice a week, with the inspections at least 72 hours apart. The permit also says unpacked gravel containing fines, or crusher run, doesn’t count as a non-eroding surface, so a gravel-covered pad isn’t automatically a stabilized one.

Slopes on a house lot

A raw bank behind a new house or along a driveway cut is where homeowners see erosion first: gullies after a storm, mud on the patio. Seed and straw hold a gentle slope. Steeper ground gets seed under an erosion control blanket staked into the soil, so the grass can root before the rain finds it. A slope that keeps slipping even with cover is telling you it’s too steep for vegetation alone, and that’s where a retaining wall comes in.

What this covers

Erosion control systems
Slope stabilization
Bare ground covered

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Answers

Questions about erosion control

How do I stop erosion in my yard?

Cover the bare soil and slow the water down. Seed and straw or sod on bare spots, mulch in the beds, and blankets on steeper banks keep soil in place. If water is running across the yard in a channel, it needs to be redirected with grading, a swale or a drain, or the cover will keep washing out.

How long do erosion control blankets last?

They are made to last until grass takes over, and the life depends on the material. Straw and coconut-fiber blankets break down on their own once their job is done, faster in sun and wet weather, while blankets with synthetic netting hold together longer. The material is picked for how steep the slope is and how quickly grass will establish.

Can you hydroseed or lay sod over an erosion control blanket?

Seed goes under the blanket, not on top: the slope is seeded, the blanket is rolled out and stapled over it, and the grass grows up through the mesh. Hydroseed can be sprayed before the blanket goes down. Sod takes the place of a blanket rather than going over one, and on steep ground the sod itself is pinned.

Do you remove the erosion control blanket after grass grows?

Usually not. Biodegradable blankets are left in place and break down as the grass thickens. Blankets with plastic netting are a different case: where people will mow or walk, or where wildlife can get tangled, the netting may need to be pulled once the turf is established.

Is straw or hay better for erosion control?

Straw is the usual choice. It is the stalk left after a grain harvest and carries few seeds, so it covers soil without starting weeds. Hay is cut grass with its seed heads, which can sow unwanted grasses and weeds over the area you just seeded. Either one needs to be spread evenly enough that soil barely shows through.

How much does erosion control cost on a building site?

It is priced on how much perimeter needs silt fence, how much bare ground needs seed, straw or blankets, how steep the slopes are, and how long the site stays open. On permitted sites, upkeep after storms and replacing fence that fills or tears are part of the cost for as long as the ground is bare.

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