Erosion is a natural process caused mainly by water, but changes in temperature, climate, and land development also heighten the effects of it. With Alabama reaching the hottest months of the year and the massive increase in new development statewide, actively protecting Alabama from erosion through erosion control methods is vitally important for the health of the state.
Burns Environmental offers silt fences, wattles, seeding, mulching, hydroseeding, rip-rap, minor excavation, and more in order to control erosion not only in Alabama, but across the Southeast.
How does Erosion Occur?
While erosion can come in many forms across the world (such as wind or glacial), moving water is the most evident natural erosion agent worldwide. This is especially true in Alabama as it ranks first to all other states in stream miles per square miles of land area.
Besides the natural factors that cause erosion, development altering the vegetation of an area is typically the largest contributing human factor. When people clear land for agriculture and development, soil is more vulnerable to changes in temperature, water, and other natural forces. Water rushes over exposed soil rather than soaking into it, which increases flooding and has the potential to destroy newly cleared land.
Erosion Control Tactics
Aside from flood and property loss protection, erosion control can help stop the potential habitat loss of nearby ecosystems. Here are a erosion control tactics environmental companies utilize to help control the erosion found across Alabama:
Hydroseeding
Hydroseeding utilizes a “slurry” mixture of seed, soil amendments, fertilizer, and mulch to an area of exposed soil in order to more effectively grow perennial grasses. Once fully grown, these nutrient-rich grasses increase the health and strength of soil with deep roots.
Hydroseeding is a fairly new industry in Alabama. However, it is an extremely effective control method that is less costly than laying sod.
While sod does allow for some erosion control, the shallow roots take more time and care to be successful. Hydroseeding encourages a deep root system with a fast application process. It can also be applied to large fields, homes, construction sites or highways.
Silt Fence Installation
New development often requires clearing the land of trees and plants. This leaves the remaining soil extremely vulnerable to erosion-causing factors such as strong rain, sunlight, and wind. The erosion that comes from construction sites can destroy the surrounding environment, which means a loss of time and money.
Silt fences help developers retain dirt run-off caused by erosion so that the surrounding soil will stay within the construction site and not get transported outside of the site.
At Burns Environmental we care deeply about protecting Alabama from erosion. Our team of experienced professionals is Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) and will repair any damaged areas that are along the highways, on construction sites, or at your home. Contact us today!