Erosion is a major issue facing developers, landscapers, and essentially any person or entity interested in building a structure or developing land. Certainly, if the plan is to develop a large amount of land, a lot of questions will need to be asked. Once the necessary structures are built, how is the land going to be recovered? Are there going to be efforts made to plant seeds for new vegetation? There are a number of issues at hand in these cases, and they need to be addressed, of course, before you can move on with the work that you need to do. Fortunately, there are professionals whose role it is to help you with such decisions. These include the ever-important erosion control specialists.
Erosion control is often overlooked by developers, in part because erosion occurs relatively slowly. For example, when erosion occurs within a healthy forest, it only averages about 300 pounds per acre per year. But certainly, erosion does not only occur in healthy forests, and those rates can increase over time if you aren’t careful. These can lead to not only severe environmental consequences, but also structural soundness issues within the land that is being worked. Therefore, it’s important to consult with an erosion control specialist throughout any major building or development project, to both plan for the unexpected and for future recovery efforts. Let’s look into why erosion control is important, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
1. Runoff Issues
One reason why it’s important to take advantage of erosion control services are the dangers presented by potential runoff. Runoff is a risk virtually anywhere, but especially within storm sewer inlets. In those cases, the runoff is often made up of soil and gravel, and can enter and disrupt major flow lines within sewer pipes and manholes. This ultimately can result in major obstructions that are both expensive and sometimes potentially dangerous to have repaired. In these cases, erosion control specialists often offer solutions such as fabric, sod, seed, and straw mats to disrupt the flow of the runoff, and protect storm sewer systems. Of course, runoff can still affect other locations and issues, but the fact is that erosion control services are meant to deemphasize its impact overall.
2. Pollution
Erosion actually contributes to pollution. Particularly when development efforts are occurring, naturally occurring products like runoff can be affected by pollution. Pollution obviously has a negative effect on surrounding water sources as well as plant and animal life. When working with a professional erosion control specialist, developers can assure that they do not pollute their surrounding area any more than is unavoidable. It’s important to understand that job site erosion control is especially important to undertake. These kinds of practices don’t just protect the environment, but the companies that are working on these job sites. They protect them from accusations regarding pollution and environmental destruction.
3. Stability
The fact is that job sites can actually become damaged and unsafe through erosion. If a site is not structurally sound, it could potentially become unsafe for workers. The last thing anyone wants is for internal erosion to cause a collapse of higher ground, potentially injuring those at work. Furthermore, even if a job site is safe for the time being, it can potentially become much more hazardous for people living around the site after the workers have moved on. Erosion can have long-term effects on those living in an area after construction is finished, and without the consultation of an erosion control specialist, it can be easy for those effects to grow out of hand and become entirely negative.
4. Farming Concerns
Development is also done on land that is near potential or present farmland. Farmland must be maintained to the highest possible degree, as without it farmers cannot maintain their crops or their livestock. With that being said, erosion is a particular problem for farmland, as it can be difficult for crops to thrive on eroded soil. Therefore, an erosion control specialist is key to ensuring that this land is preserved.
It may not be possible to avoid erosion in its entirety. However, taking steps to cut it down is key to ensuring the preservation of land, and developers should take it seriously.