Erosion and Sediment Controls Revisited: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
2004 Land Conservation Awards

(Conservation Currents, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Feb 2004)

• NVSWCD's judging process
• Award winners
• County regulator's perspective
• Typical erosion and sediment controls

When it rains, construction sites are filled with mud. And that is okay. Mud leaving the construction site is not.

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District staff visits selected construction sites in the spring and fall to assess whether they are worthy of recognition in the annual Land Conservation Awards Program, sponsored by the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. All of the sites warrant recognition, but not always in a positive way. While some developers and contractors work meticulously to implement and maintain erosion and sediment control measures, some barely operate according to code.

The first step for the NVSWCD judging team is to review the site development plan. Are there sediment traps for drainage areas up to three acres and sediment basins for drainage areas over three acres? Are super silt fences used in sensitive areas? Are there tree save areas, and are they adequately marked and protected?

After reviewing the plan, the judges walk around the site with the county inspector and the site superintendent looking for the structures noted on the plan. Are the erosion and sediment controls in place? Has care been taken to address concerns of the neighbors, particularly in residential and infill sites? Does the county inspector have a good working relationship with the site superintendent?

The judges recognize that no site is perfect. Erosion and sediment controls were not designed to be perfect. And rarely is there a site without some positive feature. For the judges, the goal is to find a site where the developer/contractor/engineer and the inspector met the challenges of the site with the least possible harm to the natural environment. Controlling sediment, minimizing erosion, protecting trees on and off site… that’s what it’s all about.

Each judge may come to the site with a different set of experiences. But all have the same expectations. Meet the requirements of the site plan or improve upon them if the plan is inadequate to prevent sediment from leaving the site. For more information about the 2004 Land Conservation Awards, contact Asad Rouhi, NVSWCD Urban Conservation Engineer, at 703-324-1427.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...