Sheet Flow Construction Erosion Control

October 31, 2019

Is This Silt Fence Necessary?

photo: David Jenkins

Is this silt fence necessary? Overlooking the fact that this silt fence installation needs some maintenance, I wonder if it was ever really needed in this location? The slope grades to the fence are minimal and not very long, and the roadside ditch line is graded so that water will drain away from the road.

This type of silt fence installation is appropriate at the base of long, steep slopes, or if there is risk of sediment travelling off site. Also, all of the materials used will likely be land filled and not reused, including the wire backing and the “T” posts.

If this were my site, I would have installed orange safety fence with steel “T” posts, maybe with a compost berm along the base, on the project side. The safety fence can be easily removed and reused later, and the compost could be raked into the ditch line and hydroseeded.

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