How to Care For the Soil

If you are looking to embark on construction on your property, one of the factors to bear in mind would be how best to control erosion on your property. Erosion and sediment control is especially of importance if the construction will be carried out during the rainy season. Failure to put some measures in place will not only lead to your land becoming bare once the construction is complete, but there is also the risk of contamination to surrounding areas as chemicals from the different building materials are washed away. Below is a three-prong approach you could employ for erosion and sediment control on your construction site.

Prevention of erosion and sediment runoff from occurring

The first thing that you should try to do is prevent the onset of sediment runoff and erosion from the get go. A simple way of doing this would be by spreading gravel around your construction site. The gravel functions to keep the loose soil in place, particularly after the site has been prepped for construction. Moreover, the gravel also prevents further loosening of the surface when machinery and vehicles drive over the soil. You could also resort to the use of protective textiles, which can be placed directly on the ground in an attempt to reduce the amount of dust that is stirred up during construction.

Collection of eroded materials

As vigilant as you may be when putting measures in place to prevent sediment runoff, erosion is bound to occur to some degree. Thus, the best thing that you could do in minimising the amount of erosion that occurs would be by trying to collect the sediment. A simple way of doing this would be the erection of silt fences around your property. Once the construction is complete, all the soil that has accumulated at the bottom of the fences can be repurposed on your property. You may also want to consider the construction of permanent retaining walls, particularly if erosion is a concern that you face on your property even when there is not any construction going on.

Protection from chemical contamination

The last measure you can take when it comes to erosion and sediment control would be protecting your property against chemical contamination. Contamination typically occurs when sediment runoff makes its way down your inlets. Since these water channels are crucial to prevent flooding, it would be best to install absorbent filters rather than blocking the runoff from draining. Ensure the inlet filters are changed regularly during construction to avoid backing up due to debris.