Cost Effectiveness of Erosion Control Covers during Vegetation Establishment under Simulated Rainfall ()
Affiliation(s)
1Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, USA.
2Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, USA.
3Department of Crop, Soils and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA.
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.
Share and Cite:
Sidhu, R. , Dougherty, M. , Zech, W. and Guertal, B. (2015) Cost Effectiveness of Erosion Control Covers during Vegetation Establishment under Simulated Rainfall.
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
7, 119-129. doi:
10.4236/jwarp.2015.72010.