TITLE:
Cost Effectiveness of Erosion Control Covers during Vegetation Establishment under Simulated Rainfall
AUTHORS:
Ramandeep S. Sidhu, Mark Dougherty, Wesley C. Zech, Beth Guertal
KEYWORDS:
Erosion, Sediment, Runoff, Turbidity, Vegetation, Water Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.7 No.2,
January
30,
2015
ABSTRACT: The main
goal of this study was to quantify reduction of runoff responses using selected
erosion control covers on 1.2 m × 0.6 m plots under simulated rainfall to
determine the most cost-effective temporary cover treatment under similar
soils, rainfall and embankment slope conditions. The different erosion control
covers tested were polyacrylamide (PAM), wheat straw and PAM (WS + P) with and
without seed; and engineered fiber matrix (EFM) with and without seed. The EFM +
S and WS + P + S treatments were the most effective treatments for runoff
volume with 68.0% and 48.9% reduction, respectively, as compared to control.
EFM + S was the most effective treatment for turbidity and modified total
suspended solids (MTSS) with 98.7%, and 99.8% reduction, respectively as
compared to control. Vegetation in the wheat straw treatment significantly
reduced turbidity but less effect on runoff volume and MTSS than vegetation in
the EFM + S treatment. Seeded treatments combined (EFM + S, WS + P + S) had a
significant negative correlation between MTSS delivery and time (r = –0.69), as
compared to a positive correlation of corresponding non-seeded treatments (EFM,
WS + P) over time (r = 0.14). The EFM + S treatment had 39% less average MTSS
delivery than WS + P + S but the WS + P + S treatment ($1.03 kg-1 sediment
reduction) was found to be 84% less expensive than the EFM + S treatment ($6.36
kg-1 sediment reduction). The WS + P + S treatment can therefore be
recommended as the most cost effective method for sediment delivery reduction
under similar conditions and within the limitations of this small scale plot
study.